Complex trauma results from prolonged exposure to multiple and varied traumatic experiences, often starting in childhood and involving interpersonal relationships that should have provided safety and support. This type of trauma is frequently associated with neglect, emotional abuse, and disrupted attachments, causing profound developmental and psychological impacts. Complex trauma can lead to difficulties in regulating emotions, forming relationships, and maintaining a stable sense of self, often resulting in symptoms like chronic depression, dissociation, identity disturbances, and self-destructive behaviors.

Chronic trauma involves repeated exposure to distressing events or environments over an extended period. It often occurs within interpersonal relationships, such as ongoing emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, or in contexts like war zones or oppressive living conditions. The cumulative nature of chronic trauma can lead to complex psychological and physical consequences, including depression, dissociation, mistrust, and a compromised sense of safety.

Acute trauma refers to a single, intense event that overwhelms an individual's ability to cope and triggers a strong emotional and physiological response. This type of trauma is often characterized by its sudden onset and can result from experiences such as accidents, natural disasters, physical assaults, or witnessing violence. The effects of acute trauma can be profound, leading to symptoms like shock, anxiety, nightmares, and heightened arousal in the immediate aftermath.

Within this form of trauma, a person develops trauma symptoms from close contact with someone who has experienced a traumatic event. Vicarious trauma may be chronic or single-incident (eg. working in an environment with frequent exposure to trauma survivors like a hospital).

There is often a link between one’s identity and the risk of being exposed to trauma. Any verbal or nonverbal prejudiced communication whether on an individual or systemic level, may contribute to one feeling overwhelmed. This may then turn into an inability for one to adequately cope in their day today. (eg. being persecuted for being a sexual minority, or racial minority may result in a state of shattered self-esteem).

Intergenerational trauma is a psychological term that asserts that trauma can be transferred between generations. It states that after the first generation of survivors experiences trauma, they transfer this trauma to their children via altered genes and behavioral conditioning. (For eg. this transmission may be of historical trauma such as racism, slavery, famine, natural disasters, OR intergenerational trauma such as childhood sexual abuse, extreme poverty, etc).

Childhood Trauma may encompass psychological trauma imparted by instances of neglect, abuse (physical, sexual or emotional), maltreatment, and bullying. Additionally, it may include living in a home with someone struggling with an addiction or severe mental illness, in one's childhood.

Attachment trauma, an early form of relational trauma (before the ages of 2 or 3), occurs when there is some disruption (abuse, abandonment, neglect) in the healthy bond formation between a baby or child and their primary caregiver. This affects a child's ability to form healthy interpersonal relationships in adulthood.

Sexual trauma is considered to be any sexual act that is imposed on another person without their consent. Oftentimes the word “abuse” is used to indicate that the violence was ongoing or long-term. This can be a one-time event or an ongoing experience and does not have to be physically violent. Everyone reacts to sexual trauma in their own way and everyone’s response afterward is different, too (examples of sexual trauma and abuse could be sexual assault, rape, stalking, sexual harassment, street harassment, childhood sexual abuse, familial sexual abuse, or incest, sex trafficking, online sexual harassment, and sexual violence in relationships).