Mariska Hargitay Opens Up About Her Powerful Healing Journey After Facing ‘Various Traumas’

Mariska Hargitay recently shared insights into her journey of healing from trauma, offering a personal perspective on her life’s challenges at the 18th annual Hope For Depression Research Foundation seminar. At the event, where she received the Hope’s Award for Depression Advocacy, the Law & Order: Special Victims Unit star began her speech with humor, saying, “Thank God I got an honorary doctorate at John Jay University because otherwise, I’d be really super insecure right now with all the doctors [in this room].”

Hargitay then transitioned into a heartfelt reflection on her experiences with trauma, referencing the various hardships she has faced throughout her life. “On a personal note, I’ve also gone through my own journey of learning how to respond to the various traumas that I’ve experienced in my life,” she explained, shedding light on how her challenges have shaped her journey.

A significant part of her trauma stems from the early loss of her mother, actress Jayne Mansfield, who died tragically in a car accident when Hargitay was just three years old. Reflecting on that period, she said, “I lost my mother when I was three years old and grew up in a house of people dealing with the tragedy in their own way. And because there was so much grief, there wasn’t room to prioritize anyone.” This experience of growing up in an environment shadowed by grief profoundly influenced her understanding of trauma and loss.

In response to her own experiences, Hargitay founded the Joyful Heart Foundation, an organization dedicated to supporting survivors of trauma. “Joyful Heart was part of my response to my own experience, where I built a whole foundation that responded to trauma and survivors the way that I wanted to be responded to,” she shared. Through the foundation, she has introduced trauma survivors to various healing practices that she discovered along her own journey, including somatic reprocessing and somatic experiencing, therapies that address how trauma lives within the body.

As she concluded her remarks, Hargitay expressed deep gratitude for those who have supported her along the way, both professionally and personally. “I don’t know if I’ll ever find the words to express my gratitude for those who have accompanied me in my journey, for those who mirrored my trauma back to me,” she said, acknowledging the profound impact of those who have helped her confront and process her past.

Through her advocacy work and personal openness, Mariska Hargitay continues to inspire others facing similar struggles, highlighting the importance of compassion, support, and effective treatment in the healing process. Her journey serves as a testament to the resilience required to turn personal pain into a force for positive change.