Supportive Foundations for Trauma Recovery
Evidence-informed lifestyle foundations (sleep, exercise, connection, understanding trauma) to support people who are in, or seeking, professional trauma-focused care. Explicitly not a replacement for treatment.
Dr. Paul Conti (Stanford/Harvard-trained psychiatrist, author of Trauma: The Invisible Epidemic) frames trauma as what overwhelms our coping and changes brain function, showing up in mood, anxiety, behavior and sleep. This protocol collects the supportive, non-therapeutic foundations he emphasizes across his talks; it is education, and the actual treatment is professional therapy.
Why it works▼
Learn Conti's framing: trauma is what overwhelms coping and changes brain function
Understanding reduces self-blame and clarifies why symptoms appear.
Keep consistent sleep timing
Sleep disruption is both a symptom and an amplifier of trauma responses.
Regular exercise as a general foundation
Supports mood regulation and stress resilience, making therapeutic work more effective.
Invest in rapport with a therapist and trusted others
Rapport is the common factor across all effective therapy modalities.
Notice the reflexive shame that follows trauma
This shame often blocks people from seeking help; naming it is a first step.
Understand that EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and licensed psychotherapy are the evidence-based treatments
This page is education, not therapy; professional care is the treatment.
- People in or seeking trauma-focused therapy who want supportive daily foundations
- Anyone trying to understand trauma's effects on sleep, mood and behavior
- Not a substitute for professional trauma treatment
- Informational and educational only; not a diagnosis, treatment or substitute for professional care
- EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and licensed psychotherapy are the evidence-based treatments for PTSD/trauma; this page is not a substitute for any of them
- If you have a trauma history, engaging deeply with these topics can surface difficult feelings; do this alongside a qualified clinician, not alone
- If you are in crisis or having thoughts of self-harm, contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US) or your local emergency services
- July 3, 2026 Protocol published.
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Not medical advice. This page is for education only and is not a substitute for professional medical care. Consult a qualified clinician before changing your health routine.
Independent curation. YourProtocol.ai is an independent platform. This protocol is based on the publicly available work of Paul Conti and is not created, reviewed, endorsed by, or affiliated with Paul Conti or Psychiatrist, Trauma Specialist · Pacific Premier Group.