About

Saverio Tomasella is a French psychoanalyst, researcher, and author known for his work on psychological trauma, emotional sensitivity, and healing. His specific contributions to trauma healing are multifaceted, and here are some key aspects:

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1. Focus on Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and Trauma

Tomasella is known for his in-depth exploration of high emotional sensitivity (haute sensibilité) and its connection to trauma. He emphasizes how highly sensitive individuals are more vulnerable to trauma but also potentially more able to heal when given the right support.

• He explores how sensitive people can reconnect with themselves after trauma, often through emotional awareness and expression.

• He reframes sensitivity as a strength rather than a weakness in the healing process.​

 

2. Concept of the “Sensitive Awakening”

Tomasella coined and popularized the idea of an “éveil sensible” ("sensitive awakening") — a process where individuals move from numbness or dissociation (common in trauma survivors) to emotional reconnection and self-discovery.

• Healing, for him, is not just about “getting over” trauma but about reintegrating and transforming the emotional experience.​

 

3. Trauma as Fragmentation of the Self

In his psychoanalytic work, Tomasella views trauma as causing a fragmentation of identity or the self. His approach involves:

• Helping the individual rebuild a narrative of their experience.

• Restoring a cohesive sense of self through emotional processing.​

 

4. Integrative and Humanistic Approaches

While grounded in psychoanalysis, Tomasella’s method incorporates:

• Narrative therapy

• Body-centered awareness

• Creative expression (writing, art)

• Relational and empathetic support

This makes his trauma healing model holistic, focusing not just on the mind but the whole person.

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5. Books and Popular Writings

He has written both academic texts and accessible books aimed at the general public. Some notable titles (in French) include:

• Faire la paix avec soi-même (Inner Reconciliation)

• Renaître après un traumatisme (Getting Back Up After Trauma)

• Trop sensible pour être heureux ? (Too Sensitive to Be Happy?)

These works offer practical tools and compassionate insights for trauma survivors, emphasizing self-care, empathy, and emotional literacy.

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Here's a summary of Saverio Tomasella's Renaître après un traumatisme (English: Getting Back Up After Trauma), which is a compassionate and accessible guide to understanding and healing from psychological trauma.

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Purpose of the Book

Tomasella’s goal is to:

• Help readers recognize and understand trauma,

• Offer paths to healing and reconstruction, and

• Encourage a gentle reconnection with oneself after being emotionally shattered.​

 

Core Ideas and Concepts

 1. What Is Trauma?

• Trauma is not just the event itself, but the psychological wound it leaves behind.

• It's often experienced as a rupture in the continuity of the self — a before and after.

• Even seemingly “small” events can be traumatic, especially if the person feels powerless, shocked, or alone.

 2. Emotional Reactions and Survival Responses

• Tomasella details how trauma can trigger intense emotional pain, anxiety, guilt, or dissociation.

• People may also become emotionally numb or hypervigilant — these are normal reactions to abnormal events.

• He emphasizes the importance of self-compassion, as these responses are rooted in our need to survive.

 3. Stages of Healing

He proposes a flexible process (not a rigid step-by-step) that may include:

• Acknowledging the trauma (naming what happened and how it felt),

• Accepting the emotional impact without judgment,

• Creating meaning, when possible, from the experience,

• Rebuilding trust (in oneself, others, and life),

• Reconnecting with joy and creativity.

 4. The Role of Relationships

• Healing often happens in connection with others, not in isolation.

• Tomasella speaks about the importance of empathy, safe relationships, and being heard without being judged.

• He encourages reaching out — to friends, support groups, or professionals — as a sign of courage, not weakness.

 5. Reclaiming Your Life

• He encourages survivors to reclaim agency, including:

  • Listening to their own rhythm,

  • Honoring their emotional truth,

  • Slowly rebuilding hope, passion, and purpose.​

 

Unique Contributions

• Tomasella writes with great empathy and softness — his tone is validating and nurturing.

• He integrates insights from psychoanalysis, trauma research, and humanistic psychology.

• The book offers real-life examples, reflection prompts, and gentle practices for self-recovery.​

 

A Quote That Captures the Spirit of the Book

"Le traumatisme n’est pas une faiblesse. C’est une blessure. Et chaque blessure peut, un jour, commencer à guérir."
(“Trauma is not a weakness. It’s a wound. And every wound can, one day, begin to heal.”)