30/09/2025
# Reflections from the Events Ltd Transform Trauma Oxford Conference
This week I’ve had the privilege of attending the Masters Transform Trauma Oxford Conference– a gathering of experts, clinicians, and researchers exploring how trauma affects our health and wellbeing.
A key theme running through the talks has been how deeply childhood experiences and later life events shape the nervous system. Our body learns patterns of survival and protection in response to stress or threat. These patterns can stay with us into adulthood, shaping how we react to both internal sensations and external triggers.
For many people, this can contribute to what are often called medically unexplained symptoms – conditions where medical tests show no clear cause, yet the suffering is very real. These may include:
* **Chronic pain**
* **Chronic fatigue**
* **Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)**
* **Migraine**
* **Long Covid**
The encouraging message I’m taking from the conference is that there is real hope of recovery. Advances in mind-body medicine show us that these symptoms are not signs of permanent damage, but often reflect a nervous system stuck in overdrive. When the body is caught in cycles of tension, stress, or shutdown, it can generate powerful physical symptoms.
The good news is that with the right approach, change is possible. A mind-body approach helps people learn to calm the nervous system, recognise and release triggers, and gently process unresolved emotions. Over time, this restores a sense of safety and balance. Many people are now experiencing genuine chronic pain recovery and relief from long-standing fatigue, migraines, gut symptoms, and post-viral syndromes.
What stands out for me is that the nervous system is not “broken.” It is doing its best to protect us based on past experiences. By offering it new signals of safety, compassion, and resilience, we can open the door to healing.
Leaving the Transform Trauma Oxford Conference, I feel inspired by how much progress is being made in this field. The growing recognition of **mind-body medicine** offers hope to the many people who have been told “nothing is wrong” or “there is no solution.” There is a way forward – and recovery is possible.
