Trauma Informed New Year Reflections

Year-end reflection can feel overwhelming, especially if you’ve experienced trauma. It’s okay if traditional New Year’s prompts don’t resonate with you-they weren’t made with your experiences in mind.

This blog offers a softer, more supportive way to look back on your year.

You’re in control: pause, skip, or come back to any part of this when it feels right.

As You Move Through This, Listen to Your Body

As you move through these prompts, notice how your body feels. Think of your nervous system like waves in the ocean, naturally flowing between calm and activated. Both states are normal. If you start to feel a bit too activated, try these steps to settle your system:

  • Look around the room and name 3-5 neutral or pleasant things you can see.

  • Notice the weight of your body—how the chair or floor is holding you.

  • Take a few slow breaths, focusing on your exhale.

  • Come back to the prompts only when you feel ready.

And, be sure to set the scene

Before you dive in, create a space that feels good for you. Maybe light a candle, grab a cozy blanket, or keep a calming drink nearby. Know that it’s perfectly okay to stop whenever you need to. And if it feels supportive, have someone you trust available to talk things through after.

Reflection Prompts

Prompt 1: Safe and Soothed
Think about a time this year when you felt safe. Pause and take a look around your current space—what draws your attention? How does your body respond as you remember that safe moment? Maybe your shoulders drop, or your breathing slows. What about that moment felt soothing—was it a sound, a scent, or the warmth of the sun?

Prompt 2: Celebrating Small Wins
Healing is built on small victories. Can you think of a time you protected yourself this year? Maybe you set a boundary, took a break, or chose rest over pushing through. How did that choice honor your healing?

Prompt 3: Shifting Responses
Reflect on a situation that used to trigger you but felt different this year. What helped you navigate it? What does this shift say about your growing strength and resilience?

Prompt 4: Unexpected Support
Who or what surprised you with their support this year? It could be a person, a book, an online space, or even a part of yourself you’re just starting to trust. How did that support make you feel less alone?

Prompt 5: Body Awareness
Notice where your body feels ease and where it feels tension. When you find a tight spot, can you also find an area that feels neutral or good? This back-and-forth between discomfort and ease is part of healing. How has your ability to navigate these sensations grown this year?

Prompt 6: Honoring Grief
What losses have you faced this year? They might be big, like a relationship, or subtle, like an old habit you’ve outgrown. How have you made space for both grief and growth?

Prompt 7: Reclaiming Choice
What choices have you made this year that felt empowering? Maybe it was how you spent your time, who you let into your life, or how you cared for yourself. How is your relationship with choice and agency evolving?

Prompt 8: Healthy Boundaries
Think of a time you created space from a person or situation. How has that distance protected you or supported your healing? What have you learned about your needs for connection and solitude?

Prompt 9: Finding Your Voice
How did you express yourself this year? Maybe it was through words, art, movement—or even through intentional silence. What felt most authentic to you? What’s waiting to be expressed next?

Prompt 10: Imagining Safety
Looking to the year ahead, what does safety look like for you now? How has your idea of security shifted? What can you nurture in your life to feel more grounded and supported?

As you finish up, notice:

  • How your body feels—where there’s calm or tension.

  • Any signs of release (a deep breath, a yawn).

  • What you need right now to feel supported—whether it’s rest, connection, or something simple like a warm drink.

Take a moment to acknowledge the courage it took to move through your year as best you could. This is brave work!

Celebrate all that you’ve done. It’s ok to look at how far you might have to go. If you do, step outside of shame. You’re doing hard work.

And remember, healing isn’t a straight line, and you’re doing it in your own way, at your own pace- that’s what matters. When you’re healing from trauma, slow and steadyish is the name of the game.

Rest when you need, push when you can.

You’re not alone in this. If these reflections stirred some things up, consider sharing them with someone you trust. And remember, starting trauma therapy when you’re ready is an act of self-care, not weakness.

You’re here.

You’ve come so far this year- we’re celebrating that with you.

🧡,

 
 

Reclaim Therapy is a trauma therapy center in Horsham, PA that provides EMDR Therapy, Therapy for Eating Disorders, PTSD treatment and CPTSD treatment.

Our team of trauma therapists believe that it is your right to reclaim your life from the impact of trauma, disordered eating and shame. We provide therapy in our Horsham, PA offices and virtually for Pennsylvania residents. When you’re ready to get started, we’ll be here to support you.


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