Let’s Talk About Trauma: A Personal Perspective

Posted on February 28, 2025 by Kamila Castellanos , One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.

Let’s Talk About Trauma: A Personal Perspective

I want to start by making something clear—I am not a trauma expert. I have never formally studied trauma, and I don’t claim to understand it from a clinical or academic standpoint. But I have lived through it. And I believe we don’t talk about it enough from this perspective.

Trauma is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days. We hear about it in therapy, in self-help books, in conversations about healing. But what does it truly mean to carry trauma? And more importantly, how does it shape the way we move through the world?
Lately, I’ve noticed a growing narrative that tells us we become our trauma—that what happens to us defines us forever, leaving us with a permanent label. And personally, I believe that narrative does more harm than good. It limits us. It traps us in an identity rooted in pain rather than growth.

Why Accepting a Trauma Label Does More Harm Than Good

Labeling ourselves by our trauma doesn’t just affect how others see us—it affects how we see ourselves. It sets a different standard for how we treat ourselves. It gives us excuses—excuses not to move forward, not to take steps, because we can’t.
And for a little while, maybe that’s true. Maybe we do need time to heal, to suffer, to grieve. To feel bad for ourselves. And that’s okay. This time will be different for each of us.
But not forever.
Because if we hold onto that label, if we keep telling ourselves that we are our trauma, we will stay stuck. We will stop ourselves from becoming who we can become.
When we choose to label ourselves, that’s the energy we send out into the world. That’s the front page we show, and that’s what people will see. They will treat us accordingly. And soon, we’ll find ourselves surrounded by people who only see us for that—our pain, our suffering—rather than for who we truly are.
And that is not healthy.
Because remember this: You are so much more than your trauma.
We can be our biggest cheerleader, or our worst enemy. The choice is ours.

More Than a Label
Take my own experience as an example. After my accident, society would expect me to wear the label of a burn victim for life. And while, yes, I had an accident, and yes, 40% of my skin was burned, and yes, recovery was one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through—that is not all I am.
I am a woman.
I am a coach.
I am a friend.
I am a healer.
I am a partner.
I am an empath.
I am a soon to be mother & wife.

And not because of my trauma, but because that is who I have chosen to be.
I am a million things beyond being a burn survivor, because I have done more than survive—I have chosen to live a life full of life. And everyone can.
I am not dismissing the weight of trauma, illness, or painful experiences. We all understand that these things don’t just disappear. Trauma doesn’t just exist in our minds—it lives in our bodies. It seeps into our nervous system, showing up in the most unexpected ways, in the most random moments.
But the more you work on it, the more you find your way back to yourself. And the easier it gets.
Give yourself the space to heal. Give yourself the chance to redefine who you are.

A Message to Those on This Path
If you’re someone who has experienced trauma, know this—you are not broken. You are not weak.
Your pain is valid, but it does not have to be your identity.
Healing takes time, and it looks different for everyone. Some days will feel like progress, others will feel like you’re back at square one. And that’s okay.
The most important thing is to keep going. To find the tools, the people, and the practices that help you feel safe in your body and mind again.
Trauma may be a part of your story, but it does not have to be the whole story.
You have the power to heal, to transform, and to step into the life you deserve—one where you are no longer just surviving, but truly living.