You’re Not “Too Sensitive”, You’re Triggered
- Sonia Gonzalez
- 2 days ago
- 4 min read
A Teen-Friendly Guide to Emotions, Trauma, and Your Nervous System
If you have ever been told you are “too sensitive,” “dramatic,” or that you “overreact to everything,” pause for a moment and take a breath.
Here is something important to know.
You are not too much. You are triggered, and there is a big difference.
As a teen therapist in Westchester who works with trauma, relationships, and emotion regulation, I see this all the time. Teens come into therapy feeling ashamed of their emotions, confused by their reactions, and convinced something is wrong with them.
There is not.
Your nervous system is doing exactly what it learned to do. Sometimes it just works a little too well.
Let’s break it down.
What Being “Triggered” Actually Means (It’s Not Just a TikTok Word)
When you get triggered, your brain isn’t thinking about right now. It's thinking about:
Past conflicts
Old hurts
Childhood experiences
Times you felt unsafe, unheard, or uncared for
Your nervous system is basically like: “Hey, this feels familiar… and last time, it sucked. Let me protect you.”
So instead of responding calmly, you might:
Cry quickly
Shut down
Pull away
Feel overwhelmed
Get angry
Freeze or go blank
Feel like you’re “not yourself”
None of that is you being sensitive. That’s your body remembering things you might not even consciously remember.
Why Teens Get Triggered So Easily: The Real Truth
If you grew up with:
Unpredictable emotions around you
Criticism or yelling
People who minimized your feelings
Breakups or unstable relationships
Trauma (big or small)
Feeling like the “strong one” or the “responsible one”
…your brain learned to stay on high alert.
This isn’t weakness - it’s survival.
You weren’t taught how to regulate your emotions. You were taught how to cope with them in the moment.
There’s a difference.
“But Why Can’t I Control It?”
Because when you are triggered, your brain switches into survival mode.
This is called:
Fight
Flight
Freeze
Fawn
These are trauma responses, not personality traits.
When this happens, the thinking part of your brain goes offline. Your body takes over. That is why:
You say things you regret
You shut down even when you want to talk
You feel embarrassed after emotional reactions
Logic does not help in the moment
You cannot think your way out of a triggered state.
But here is the good news.
You can learn how to regulate your nervous system so triggers do not control your life.
That is where trauma-informed therapy and EMDR come in.
Healing Your Triggers With Therapy (And Why It Works)
In therapy we increase your ability to understand:
✔ Why certain people or situations set them off
✔ How your childhood shaped your reactions
✔ How to regulate big emotions
✔ How to break patterns that keep repeating
✔ How trauma shows up in relationships
✔ How to feel more grounded and calm
And if we work together, we can actually help your brain rewire the trigger so it no longer controls you.
You’re Not Broken, You’re Becoming Aware
Awareness is the beginning of healing.
If you are starting to notice your triggers, your reactions, and your patterns, that does not mean things are getting worse. It means your system is waking up.
You do not need to make your emotions smaller.
You need someone who can help you understand them.
You are not too sensitive. You are reacting to things you were never taught how to handle.
And that is something you can learn.
Meet the Therapist: Sonia Gonzalez, LMHC
Sonia Gonzalez is a trauma-informed therapist at Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling who specializes in working with teens and young adults. Sonia helps teens make sense of big emotions, trauma responses, and relationship struggles without judgment or pressure.
Sonia is known for her warm, relatable, and grounded approach. She creates a space where teens feel heard, respected, and understood. Her work focuses on helping teens understand their nervous systems, develop emotional regulation skills, and heal from trauma using evidence-based approaches, including EMDR.
Sonia believes teens are not broken or dramatic. They are doing their best with the tools they were given. Therapy is about giving them new tools so they can feel calmer, more confident, and more connected to themselves.
About Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling
Peaceful Living Mental Health Counseling offers trauma-informed therapy for children, teens, and adults.
We provide:
👉Teen therapy in Westchester and Scarsdale, NY
👉Virtual therapy across New York
👉EMDR therapy for trauma, anxiety, and emotional regulation
Our therapists focus on helping clients feel safe in their bodies and supported in their healing.
Read Relevant Blogs
Go Deeper in Your Healing Journey
🎁 Learn More About The EMDR Therapy Progress Journal
📚 Check out our blogs, where our therapists break down EMDR concepts, trauma education, and practical healing strategies you can start today.
Ready to Feel More in Control of Your Emotions?
If you are a teen, or a parent of a teen, in Westchester, Scarsdale, or anywhere in New York looking for trauma-informed therapy that helps emotions make sense, support is available.
You deserve to feel grounded, stable, and understood, not overwhelmed by emotions that feel confusing or out of control.
Let’s work through this together. You do not have to navigate it alone.
If you are in crisis, call 988 (U.S.) or your local emergency number.
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