Traumality: The Documentary on Trauma and Mental Health (Spoiler-Free)
By Chris Rudyard, accredited counsellor and psychotherapist offering online trauma therapy
A film called Traumality is getting attention in the trauma and mental health world, and it's relevant to anyone who has ever wondered whether their struggles are really about what's "wrong" with them.
What is Traumality?
Traumality is a feature-length documentary (1 hr 36 min) by British filmmaker Ton Mazzone. It looks at the growing evidence linking trauma and adversity to many of the mental health diagnoses we see today. It asks why the mental health system is still so rooted in a medical model, and what a trauma-informed approach could look like.
Its guiding idea is a shift in the question we ask people: not only "what is wrong with you?" but "what has happened to you?"
The film was independently made and recently won the Social Impact Award at the Activists Without Borders Film Festival (UK, 2026).
Who is in it?
The contributors include well-known names in trauma therapy. Several are people whose work I use with clients, including Dr Richard Schwartz, creator of Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Dr Peter Levine, developer of Somatic Experiencing. There are also clinicians and researchers such as Janina Fisher, Deb Dana and Dr Jessica Taylor, alongside people with lived experience.
Why it matters if you're thinking about therapy
Many of the people I work with have been given a diagnosis, or have wondered whether they need one, without anyone asking about their history. A film like this can help put words to something they've carried alone.
In my work as a trauma therapist, I use approaches that look at what is happening in the nervous system and body, not only at symptoms. These include EMDR, IFS, Brainspotting and Deep Brain Reorienting. You can read about how these work in my guides to online trauma therapy.
Who might find it helpful?
People who feel their diagnosis doesn't tell the whole story
Anyone curious about trauma-informed approaches to mental health
Therapists, teachers, healthcare staff and others who work with people
Family members trying to understand someone else's difficulties
A note of care: because the film deals with trauma, it can bring up strong feelings. Choose a time and place where you feel safe, and consider watching with someone you trust or pausing when you need to.
How to watch
Traumality is available to rent and stream online, and there are live online and in-person screenings with panel discussions. You can find current options on the official Traumality website.
Online trauma therapy
If the film has raised questions for you, I offer online trauma therapy by secure Zoom to clients across the UK and worldwide, as well as in-person sessions in Liverpool. You don't need a diagnosis, and you don't need to know where to start.
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