Originally confined to physical injuries, the concept of "trauma" expanded as psychology advanced. Mental health professionals recognized that distressing events could inflict profound emotional wounds and operational injuries beyond just catastrophic situations like disasters and violence. It became clear that any experience threatening one's stability, not just extreme cases, could cause deep psychological and physiological harm—reactions previously misunderstood as personal weakness instead of natural responses to threat. This paradigm shift destigmatized trauma's effects and helped us understand better what it takes to help people heal.

One of those new ways to help people heal could be found in the expansion of previous models. Mental health has long been viewed through the lens of nature versus nurture. That model doesn't fully explain the variations in how people experience challenges (think fraternal twins or siblings raised in the same environment). But we are reaching the moment when the mind can be included in the formula: nature-nurture-consciousness.

Neuroscientist and fellow PT contributor Joseph LeDoux's latest book, The Four Realms of Existence, is an indication of this shift. Here's why: Our mental health issues are mainly due to the disconnection between our physiology (our body, brain, and biological systems) and our mind. Yes, we have to acknowledge how circumstances affect us, but in this radical shift, we must also include the role that our own mind plays in the severity of an experience as well as its aftermath. Our mind and brain interact and influence each other in profound ways, impacting how we interpret events, perceive the world, and react to challenges. This........

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