Unlock the Hidden Toll of High-Functioning Trauma

You’re getting it all done—but your body’s a mess, your relationships feel like walking on eggshells, and you’re more defensive than you’d like to admit.

In this powerful episode of Love and Trauma: The Real Deal, trauma therapist Noha Mostafa unpacks what’s really going on beneath the surface for high-functioning people who are secretly running on empty. We talk about how chronic stress and unresolved trauma show up in your body, your emotions, and your most important relationships—and why no amount of willpower or productivity can fix what your nervous system hasn’t healed.

If you’re tired of holding it all together while feeling like everything’s falling apart, this conversation is for you.

And listen—if you’re someone who’s been struggling with tension in your body, disconnection in your relationship, or just this constant feeling of “why can’t I get it together?”—please hear this:
There is nothing wrong with you.
You’re not lazy. You’re not broken.
Chances are, your nervous system is just shot.
And what’s coming out in your body, in your emotions, in your relationship—it’s not you failing. It’s your body saying, “I’m overwhelmed, and I don’t feel safe.”

That’s what I love so much about Noha’s approach. She doesn’t just help people talk about stress—she helps them heal it. Her work isn’t one-size-fits-all. It’s layered, compassionate, and rooted in helping your body come back to safety, step by step.

🔥 The Real Deal: My 3 Biggest Takeaways

1. Just because you're high-functioning doesn't mean you're okay.
You can be checking all the boxes—working, parenting, showing up for others—and still be falling apart inside. We tend to treat the physical symptoms, push through the fatigue, and dismiss the tension in our bodies... but trauma doesn’t disappear just because we’re productive. If anything, that go-go-go mode is often a trauma response itself.

2. Your body isn’t betraying you—it’s begging you to slow down.
Noha said something that stuck with me: “Your nervous system isn’t broken—it’s just stuck in survival mode.” When we ignore our body's signals, we miss the most important communication we have. The anxiety, defensiveness, and disconnection we feel in our relationships? Often, that’s our body saying, “I don’t feel safe.”

*3. Healing doesn’t start with fixing everything—it starts with noticing.
One of the most hopeful things Noha shared is that you doing the work can change the dynamic—even if your partner or family isn’t on the same page yet. It doesn’t have to be perfect or all at once. The ripple starts when you begin to notice, pause, and get curious about what your body is trying to tell you.

🌿 About Noha Mostafa

Noha Mostafa, LPC, MS, NCC is a licensed trauma therapist, somatic practice educator, and the founder of the CARE TEMPO™ framework—a 9-pillar approach that helps high-functioning professionals and caregivers build nervous system resilience, reduce stress, and create meaningful change in their relationships.

With over two decades of experience, Noha bridges neuroscience, mindfulness, grief work, and body-based practices to help clients transform chronic stress into sustainable healing. She’s worked internationally—from founding a mindful somatic center in Cairo to running her private practice in Portland, Oregon—and is passionate about helping people move from survival mode to wholeness.

👉 Learn more at https://CounselingAndTherapeuticWellness.com
Gain access to a free guide to expand your nervous system’s capacity if you are a caregiver or a professional navigating high-stress environments.
Simply email the word RESOURCE to [email protected]

🎧 Listen to the Full Episode

This episode is a must-listen if you’re tired of pretending you’re fine, tired of walking on eggshells in your relationship, and ready to stop managing symptoms—and start healing the root.

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