Reflections on therapy, trauma, and the nervous system

Articles and reflections from my practice

This page brings together articles and reflections from my practice.

Some focus directly on therapy, trauma, the nervous system, and relationship patterns. Others reflect more broadly on the values and human questions that shape how I think about suffering, care, relationship, and psychological work.

If you have come here because you are considering therapy, you may also want to look at the main therapy pages, About, or Getting started to get a clearer sense of how I work.

You can also read more about some of the key values behind my work.

May 11, 2026

Functional collapse: when you look fine but feel shut down inside

May 11, 2026/ Paolo Imbalzano

Functional collapse can be hard to recognise because, from the outside, life may still appear to be moving. You may still be working, replying, caring for others, and appearing composed — while inside you feel numb, foggy, depleted, or shut down.

This article explores functional collapse as a protective response rather than a personal failing: when the nervous system has carried too much for too long and begins to conserve energy by reducing feeling, contact, and responsiveness.

May 02, 2026

What shutdown, freeze, or collapse can feel like — and why it happens

May 02, 2026/ Paolo Imbalzano

Not all trauma responses look like panic or agitation. Sometimes the system goes quiet, heavy, numb, foggy, or flat. This article explores what shutdown, freeze, and collapse can feel like, why they happen, and why these responses often make sense in the context of overwhelm or chronic strain.