I get it.
When we have a problem or challenge in our life, we often want to find a solution as quickly as possible.
In therapy, for some, it can take a long time to build trust and begin opening up. But for others, there can be a strong urge to work through everything straight away – to ‘get it over with’ and reach the finish line as fast as possible.
This leads to one of the most important (and hardest) questions in trauma healing:
“How fast should I go?”
And here, we’re talking about how quickly you might try to process all the trauma and hurt you’re carrying – all of those painful experiences from the past. How fast should you try to open it all up and work through it, especially when you can clearly see the impact it’s still having on your life today?
Of course, most of us want to do it as quickly as possible so we can move on with our lives.
In a lot of areas of life, speed is rewarded.
- Work faster.
- Decide faster.
- Move on faster.
So it makes sense that people bring that same mindset into therapy.
I often hear things – sometimes in the very first session – like:
“I just want to get through it. Let’s rip the plaster off.”
Or:
“I don’t want to drag this out. I don’t want to still be here this time next year.”
And again – there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s very human.
The challenge, though, is that often, the psyche has put certain experiences in a box, or walled them off, for a reason. Those defences developed to protect you. If we try to remove them all at once – or sit with too much, too quickly – we might become overwhelmed in a similar way to how we were at the time the trauma occurred.
For me, this is where the concept of titration becomes essential.
What Is Titration in Trauma Healing?
Titration is the practice of working with trauma in small, manageable doses, rather than all at once.
It was formally introduced into trauma therapy through Somatic Experiencing, developed by Peter A. Levine in the late 20th century.
Rather than revisiting traumatic memories in full, Somatic Experiencing emphasised:
- working with small pieces of sensation, emotion, or memory
- staying within the nervous system’s window of tolerance
- preventing retraumatisation by avoiding overwhelm
The term ‘titration’ comes from chemistry, where substances are added drop by drop to avoid a dangerous reaction. In trauma work, the principle is the same:
Slow enough to stay regulated, steady enough to continue.
Titration supports the idea that moving too quickly and uncovering too much traumatic material at once can be damaging and can actually interfere with the healing process.
Why “Going Faster” Can Sometimes Slow Healing
Trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in memory. When you move too fast and uncover too much traumatic material than what mind & body can hold, your system might not be able to cope and instead respond with:
- emotional overwhelm
- panic, dissociation, or shutdown
- insomnia, fatigue, or physical symptoms
- avoidance or loss of motivation to continue therapy
This can lead to therapy feeling like too much. You might pull back, disengage from the process or struggle to function day to day – all of which can get in the way of healing.
So… What Pace Should You Go?
There is no universal timeline. This is something to explore and negotiate with your therapist.
A helpful guideline is this:
Go as fast as you can while still feeling resourced, grounded, and able to return to the present.
That might look like:
- touching a memory briefly, then coming back to safety
- noticing body sensations for a few seconds before taking a break
- stopping before you feel flooded, not after
Healing often happens in the edge zone – where something is felt, but not too much.
Signs Your Pace Is Right
You may be moving at a sustainable pace if:
- you can feel difficult emotions or memories and stay connected to the present
- you recover relatively quickly after sessions or self-work
- You don’t notice a major increase in symptoms
Signs You May Need to Slow Down
Consider easing your pace if you notice:
- long emotional “hangovers” after therapy
- increased dissociation, numbness, hypervigilance, or other symptoms
- difficulty functioning in daily life
Slowing down isn’t a setback – it’s often just a sign that your nervous system is asking for more safety and support before continuing.
A Final Thought
Another important factor is the therapeutic relationship. A strong, regulating relationship between therapist and client often takes time to develop – sometimes three months, six months, a year, or longer, depending on the person and their history.
This relational safety is crucial before doing deeper work with more sensitive material. It helps protect against the kinds of reactions described above and creates a container where healing can unfold safely.
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