The Symptoms Tell the Story

Many years ago, I had the privilege of working with a counselor who helped me recognize that my reactions—and at times, my inability to react—were not character flaws, but symptoms of past experiences. She often reminded me, “The symptoms tell the story.” It took a long time for me to fully understand what she meant, but when I did, it changed my entire perspective.
To illustrate this sentiment, imagine someone who has been in a car accident and now experiences persistent leg pain. They would seek medical care, describe their symptoms (leg pain), and the clinician would use that information to make informed decisions about what tests or procedures might be necessary. After appropriate diagnostic testing, the clinician could provide a diagnosis—say, a broken leg—and recommend a treatment plan, such as immobilization in a cast followed by rehabilitation.
In the world of counseling, we can also make informed hypotheses based on someone’s symptoms. Though science has made remarkable strides, we do not have the ability (yet) to scan someone’s brain and automatically diagnose the issue. As counselors, we can begin to gather the symptoms together, watch them over time, and make an educated postulation as to why those symptoms exist. For example, if a client repeatedly experiences panic attacks whenever they are near dogs, it would be important to watch that symptom and continue to gather information. In time, we might reasonably theorize that they may have had a distressing or traumatic experience with a dog at some point in their life. 

I appreciate this investigative approach because, as the client, it often feels as though our symptoms are working against us. We may feel helpless—unable to stop experiencing shame or unable to prevent panic attacks when entering a particular building. In those moments, survivors can feel as though their lives are being controlled by their symptoms and that their symptoms are their enemy.
However, when we reframe the question from “Why can’t I stop this?” to “What are these symptoms trying to tell me?” we shift our perspective. Instead of condemning ourselves, we can ask, “What is my body trying to tell me right now? Why are my internal alarm bells going off so intensely?”
In this way, we move from being critics to becoming detectives. Curiosity becomes the antidote to guilt and shame. Rather than pouring our energy into silencing the alarm, we invest it in understanding what triggered it. This shift not only fosters self-compassion but also opens the door to deeper healing.

When we begin to see our symptoms as messengers rather than enemies, we open the door to understanding ourselves with compassion instead of criticism. Every reaction, every moment of panic, every wave of shame is a clue pointing toward a story that matters—yours.
You do not have to unravel it alone. As a trauma-informed counselor, I walk alongside clients in discovering what their “alarm bells” are trying to say and how to respond in ways that foster safety, healing, and hope. If you’re ready to turn self-criticism into curiosity and take the next step toward wholeness, I invite you to reach out. Your symptoms are speaking—let’s listen together