Discover the four primary trauma responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—and how they protected you when you needed them most
Understand how social conditioning rewards certain survival strategies while punishing others, and how this intersects with gender, race, and identity
Reflect on which responses feel most familiar to you and begin recognizing when protection becomes limitation
You deserve to understand your body's responses without shame or judgment.
This isn't about labeling yourself or pathologizing survival. This is about recognizing that your nervous system's automatic responses—fight, flight, freeze, and fawn—were protective, not problems. They helped you survive something unsafe. This one-page psychoeducational resource breaks down the four trauma responses through an intersectional, gendered lens. You'll explore how social conditioning teaches us which survival strategies are "acceptable," and how power, privilege, and cultural narratives shape who gets to express anger, who's rewarded for compliance, and whose bodies face compounded vigilance. With clear explanations and reflection prompts, you'll learn to: Recognize the four primary trauma responses and what each one looks like in practice Understand how femininity, masculinity, and nonbinary identities are conditioned to favor certain responses Explore how power and access to safety determine which bodies are believed and protected Reflect on which response feels most familiar and when it protects you versus limits you Begin moving toward healing by cultivating choice and reconnecting body and mind through somatic practices Created with trauma-informed and intersectional principles, this resource acknowledges that safety is not neutral—it's shaped by systemic realities. Your body's responses were never the problem. They were your protection. Now, they can become your teachers.
About Breelove.ca
This resource, like all offerings in our digital library, was co-created by the Breelove collective: a team of culturally rooted, trauma-informed practitioners, drawing from real moments in real healing spaces. At Breelove.ca, we offer more than care, we create it in community. Our practice centers Black, Indigenous, racialized, queer, and other marginalized communities in the Maritimes, while holding space for all bodies throughout Turtle Island and Canada. Our approach combines clinical counselling with community wisdom: trauma-informed support, anti-oppressive frameworks, and real tools for emotional resilience. We offer 1:1 therapy, live support groups, self-paced healing courses, digital downloads like this one, and a free online community where you're never expected to heal alone. Because we believe that we each deserve to be well, and to be witnessed as we get there.
Download Your Resource Today
Start understanding your trauma responses through a lens that honors gender, power, and culture. This concise resource is perfect for personal reflection or as a foundation for deeper healing work. Want to explore further? Dive into our Somatic Healing for Sexual & Gender-Based Trauma course, or become a member of Breelove Learn at community.breelove.ca to access our full trauma-informed library, workbooks, and peer groups.
Get your free download now