How to Predict Your Trauma Recovery Success Rate 🧠
The Ultimate Guide to Trauma Recovery: The 5 Levels of Competency (8min Read)
TL;DR Summary
Level 1: Positive Active: "It’s not impossible, so I’ll prove it.” Success: 100%. Actively pursuing and applying healing methods.
Level 2: Positive Passive: "They did it, so I can do it.” Success: 95-80%. Inspired by others, taking responsibility.
Level 3: Neutral Passive: "It’s worked for others, let’s see if IT works for me.” Success: 50%. Skeptical, seeking external validation.
Level 4: Negative Passive: "It worked for others, but it won’t work for me.” Success: 25%. Inconsistent commitment.
Level 5: Negative Active: "I can prove that this will work for everyone BUT me.” Success: 0%. Actively sabotaging efforts.
Neuroplasticity supports positive change; active participation leads to higher success rates.
Choose a higher level to start your healing journey and empower change.
The 5 Levels of Competency in Trauma Recovery
Today, I’m going to be more direct than usual.
Why? Because I care deeply about your healing journey, and sometimes, a bit of tough love is what we need to break through barriers.
Trust me, it's all out of love and empowerment, not to be mean or rude.
That being said, today we will be covering the most important thing you may ever learn for the rest of your life.
Seriously, after helping thousands of people just like you through this journey, they’ve all told me that what I’m about to share with you was the turning point not just in their trauma recovery, but in their entire life.
It’s called the 5 Levels of Competency.
These levels apply to every single area of your life but are most applicable when starting something new like healing from trauma.
Your level will determine your success on your healing journey and in your life.
Let’s dive in!
Level 1: Positive Active
Mantra: “It’s not impossible, so I’ll prove it.”
Likelihood of Success: 100%
Level 1 is positive-active because people at this level actively prove they will recover.
Think of the guy who ran the first 4-minute mile, Roger Bannister, or Elon Musk with commercial space flight.
These individuals embody the belief that if something isn't proven impossible, it can be done.
They are the trailblazers who bend the world to their will.
In trauma recovery, being at this level means actively seeking out healing methods and applying them with unshakeable faith in your ability to recover.
People at this level are unstoppable. It’s not if they’ll recover, it’s when.
A quote that I think about for people at this level is:
“The reasonable person adapts themselves to the world & their circumstances. The unreasonable person bends the world to their will. Therefore, all progress depends on the unreasonable person.”
Level 2: Positive-Passive
Mantra: “They did it, so I can do it.”
Likelihood of Success: 95-80%
This level is about empowerment through the success of others.
Think about the 30 people who ran a 4-minute mile the year after Roger Bannister.
People at this level are inspired by those who have achieved what they aspire to.
They accept responsibility for their results and put in the effort to mirror the success they see in others.
I see people move into this level all the time in our Trauma to Transformation Community!
I have people messaging me inside constantly saying things like, “Seeing Cassandra’s success story and progress updates convinced me that if she can do it, there’s no reason why I can’t too! What do I need to do to be like Cass?!”
This is someone shifting into Level 2 from one of the lower levels, and I LOVE to see it, it’s so powerful!
They commit to the process, engage actively in therapy or coaching, and take responsibility for their trauma recovery!
Level 3: Neutral-Passive
Likelihood of Success: 50%
Mantra: “It’s worked for others, let’s see if IT works for me.”
This is the most common level I find people at.
Notice how it’s about IT, not YOU anymore.
At this level, people start to let the world and things outside of themselves affect upon them instead of being the effect.
I see this most often in my initial sessions with people when they book an intro call for our Me 2.0 Trauma Recovery Program.
Inherent in their questions a lot of the time is, “Will this thing (program, coaching, course, group, etc) work for me?”
When I detect someone at Level 3, I call it out and directly, but with love, tell them that “It’s not about IT, it’s about YOU MAKING IT work, period.
You’re a badass, you can make this work, it’s not about IT or Me.
I will not take responsibility for your health, happiness, or success.
I would be stripping you of your agency and power if I did so, and I care too much about you to do that.”
It may sound like some tough love for someone who’s experienced trauma, but I have found that these kinds of people are the most resilient people on earth.
They want their power back and reminding them they possess it and that I’m going to take a stand for them helps shift them into Level 1 or 2 almost every time!
This skyrockets their chances of success!
Level 4: Negative-Passive
Mantra: “It worked for others, but it won’t work for me.”
Likelihood of Success: 25%
Real talk? These are people who don’t truly follow the process and have gotten by only being half in their whole life, never truly committing to something.
The sad part about this is the very thing they are trying to heal from, trauma, can lead to this kind of mindset.
I totally get that, and I’d like to inform you that this mindset/baggage isn’t a life sentence!
Addiction is something I see a lot in the trauma recovery space, whether it’s a trauma bond or a vape, I’ve seen it all.
I had someone who was in my “How to Quit Vaping Course” once come to me and say, “This doesn’t work, the withdrawal got too bad and I couldn’t do it… This process doesn’t work for me.”
So, I asked them, “Did you taper or go cold turkey?”
To which they replied, “I tried tapering, but decided to go cold turkey because I was feeling good…”
And I said, “Well that’s not the process. The process is tapering to regulate your nervous system slowly over time instead of going cold turkey.”
Then they said, “Well even if I did that…”
At this point, I interrupted him, because I realized he was at Level 4, and bottom-lined it for him by asking him,
“Do you want me to take accountability that this has worked for so many other people, but just not you? Do you want me to just say it's my fault? Would that make you feel better?”
After a moment of reflection, he said no, that wouldn’t help him at all.
It was at that exact moment that he shifted into Level 2, I could see it in his eyes and more importantly, in his actions.
And it’s at this point, when you admit this to yourself, that you can try again, follow the process, take responsibility for the outcome, and MAKE IT work.
The same is true of the trauma recovery process!
Level 5: Negative-Active
Mantra: “I can prove that this will work for everyone BUT me.”
Likelihood of Success: 0%
Last but not least is Level 5, this level is Negative-Active, and they’re on a mission to actively prove they can’t heal or succeed.
They have bad luck, they’re special, nothing works for them, they’re different and they can PROVE it.
It’s harder to say, “It’s my fault.” than accept responsibility for the outcome.
And to be clear, what happened to you isn’t your fault, and never will be, that’s not what I’m talking about here.
I’m talking about your healing journey and trauma recovery.
This is your responsibility, and owning the outcome of this process can empower you like nothing else ever has!
This is why it’s people at this level who have the highest likelihood of shifting to Level 1.
This might sound absurd, but they have the same “I’ll prove it.” mentality, they’re just proving the wrong things.
They’re so busy PROVING that they’re right, they forget to ask themselves if they want to be right about this…
Do you really want to be right that you’re the only person in history who can’t heal after trauma?
Do you want to be right, or do you want to heal & recover?
It’s up to you, I’m good either way.
By asking people this question, I’ve seen people instantly shift to Level 1 in a single moment of realization, and everything changed for them.
I had a client realize she wanted to be fit, more than she wanted to be right, and she lost 211lbs in a year.
Another realized she wanted to rebuild trust in others more than being right about never trusting anyone again and was in a healthy relationship in less than a year.
I had a different one realize she wanted to break her trauma bond more than being right about having to stay connected to her abuser, and has been no contact for over 2 years now.
I’ve had others realize they wanted to quit vaping, more than being right about needing it for anxiety, and quit in under a year.
The moment you choose to PROVE that it’s possible, it is.
Stop TRYING to make your healing work, MAKE it work. Period.
The moment people in Level 5 shift what they’re proving, they almost always shift to Level 1, at which point, my job is done!
The Science Behind the Levels
It wouldn’t be the Mind, Brain, Body Lab Digest without some neuroscience and psychology!
And from a neuroscience perspective, the journey through these levels involves significant rewiring of the brain.
The concept of neuroplasticity tells us that our brain is capable of forming new connections and pathways, especially when we actively engage in positive behaviors and thought patterns.
This is why commitment and active participation (Levels 1 and 2) yield the highest success rates.
On the other hand, passive or negative mindsets can reinforce old, unhelpful neural pathways, making change more difficult.
Like I mentioned at the start, you aren’t stuck at the Level you’re currently in, and neuroscience supports this!
By shifting to higher levels, you are literally reshaping your brain and identity into an unstoppable force of nature!
Your Probability of Success
Here’s your probability of success at healing based on your level:
Level 1: 100%
Level 2: 95-80%
Level 3: 50%
Level 4: 25%
Level 5: 0%
Take a moment to check in with yourself. What level were you at when you clicked into this blog?
What level are you at now?
I want you to consider that this is the most important moment of your life so far.
What level are you going to choose to start your healing journey at from this point forward?
You pick. I love ya no matter what, promise.
Remember, the power to heal is within you.
By understanding and embracing these levels, you can navigate your trauma recovery journey with clarity and determination.
The best revenge is a life well lived. Let’s live it together!
And until next time… Live Heroically 🧠
Supporting Research
Neuroplasticity and Trauma Recovery:
Kays, J. L., Hurley, R. A., & Taber, K. H. (2012). The dynamic brain: Neuroplasticity and mental health. Journal of Neuropsychiatry and Clinical Neurosciences, 24(2), 118-124. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.neuropsych.24.2.118
The Role of Self-Efficacy in Trauma Recovery:
Benight, C. C., & Bandura, A. (2004). Social cognitive theory of posttraumatic recovery: The role of perceived self-efficacy. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 42(10), 1129-1148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2003.08.008
Empowerment in Trauma Survivors:
Cattaneo, L. B., & Goodman, L. A. (2015). What is empowerment anyway? A model for domestic violence practice, research, and evaluation. Psychology of Violence, 5(1), 84-94. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0035137
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Trauma Recovery:
Hofmann, S. G., Asnaani, A., Vonk, I. J., Sawyer, A. T., & Fang, A. (2012). The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy: A review of meta-analyses. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 36(5), 427-440. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9476-1
The Impact of Resilience on Trauma Recovery:
Southwick, S. M., & Charney, D. S. (2012). The science of resilience: Implications for the prevention and treatment of depression. Science, 338(6103), 79-82. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1222942
Psychological Interventions for Complex PTSD:
Cloitre, M., Courtois, C. A., Charuvastra, A., Carapezza, R., Stolbach, B. C., & Green, B. L. (2011). Treatment of complex PTSD: Results of the ISTSS expert clinician survey on best practices. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 24(6), 615-627. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.20697
Motivational Interviewing in Trauma Recovery:
Hettema, J., Steele, J., & Miller, W. R. (2005). Motivational interviewing. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 1, 91-111. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.clinpsy.1.102803.143833
The Role of Positive Psychology in Trauma Recovery:
Fredrickson, B. L. (2001). The role of positive emotions in positive psychology: The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. American Psychologist, 56(3), 218-226. https://doi.org/10.1037/0003-066X.56.3.218
Group Therapy for Trauma Survivors:
Burlingame, G. M., Strauss, B., & Joyce, A. S. (2013). Change mechanisms and effectiveness of small group treatments. In Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (6th ed., pp. 640-689). Wiley.
Self-Compassion and Trauma Recovery:
Neff, K. D., & Germer, C. K. (2013). A pilot study and randomized controlled trial of the mindful self-compassion program. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 69(1), 28-44. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.21923