Runtime: 1 hour 24 minutes Welcome back to Triggered but Thriving!In this episode, trauma therapist and Asentriarc founder Sarah Ferland Doherty, RSW, breaks down what actually happens when we get triggered and why it can feel like our nervous system suddenly hijacks the steering wheel. Triggers aren’t a sign that you’re failing or regressing. They’re your body’s protective system doing exactly what it learned to do. In this episode, Sarah explains the neuroscience behind triggers, why they can show up out of nowhere, and how trauma lives in the body long after the event has passed. Most importantly, this episode offers a practical, compassionate toolbox to help you move through triggers without shame. You’ll learn how to regain choice, regulation, and self-trust when your system feels overwhelmed, reactive, or shut down. This is about understanding your nervous system, not controlling it. Healing doesn’t mean never being triggered again. It means knowing what’s happening and trusting yourself to come back home. The Four Regulation Pillars Covered Behavioral strategies Stimulus reduction vs. avoidance Titrated exposure and nervous system reprocessing Opposite action and behavioral activation Cognitive strategies Cognitive restructuring and belief reprogramming Signs of safety and neutral reinterpretation Adult-self grounding and meaning-making Mindfulness strategies Present-moment anchoring Emotion labeling without judgment Breathwork for downregulation Somatic strategies Grounding through sensation and pressure Shaking, tremoring, and movement Vagus nerve stimulation (ears, breath, cold) Butterfly tapping and bilateral stimulation Oral regulation, swallowing, and saliva activation Swaying, spinal release, humming, and sound Timestamps 00:00 Introduction: When Triggers Take the Wheel03:10 What Triggers Are (and What They Aren’t)07:30 Trauma, the Nervous System, and the Amygdala12:40 Why Triggers Feel So Immediate and Intense17:50 Neutral Situations and Overactivation22:30 Avoidance vs. Regulation27:10 Behavioral Strategies for Triggers36:00 Exposure, Opposite Action, and Awareness44:30 Cognitive Strategies and Trauma Beliefs55:00 Mindfulness and Present-Moment Anchoring1:03:00 Somatic Tools for Regulation1:17:30 Healing, Self-Trust, and Compassion1:22:00 Closing Reflections and Next Episode Tease Episode 6: Sexuality, Identity, and Coming Home to YourselfA powerful conversation with trauma therapist Michelle Crozier RSW on sexuality, identity, and healing after trauma.
