What is Trauma-Informed Somatic Psychotherapy?
"Awareness changes how we physically move.
As we become more fluid and resilient
so do the mental, emotional and spiritual movements of our lives."
-Emilie Conrad
As we become more fluid and resilient
so do the mental, emotional and spiritual movements of our lives."
-Emilie Conrad
Although talk therapy is very helpful in thinking about and analyzing our thoughts and emotions, sometimes it can keep us from getting to know our full experience. Staying within the mind, and never exploring our whole being can often perpetuate a state of disconnect which would prevent us from having the opportunity to obtain deeper self-awareness that is held within our total physical, emotional and psychological being. That deeper self awareness includes your body's own unique language, memory and story.
By opening communication between our conscious and unconscious selves, between our mind and body-mind, we begin to make connections that were previously unknown us. Because past/ongoing trauma, or other emotional or psychological challenges, may have a negative effect on your autonomic nervous system, it is possible that you may also be affected by physical concerns such as:
By opening communication between our conscious and unconscious selves, between our mind and body-mind, we begin to make connections that were previously unknown us. Because past/ongoing trauma, or other emotional or psychological challenges, may have a negative effect on your autonomic nervous system, it is possible that you may also be affected by physical concerns such as:
- chronic pain
- muscle tension in specific parts of your body
- sexual dysfunction
- hormonal issues
- digestive issues
- headaches
- numbness/ lack of sensation
In our work, we would build compassionate awareness of our bodily sensations and learn to use trauma-informed therapeutic techniques to gently and slowly begin to move, dialogue with, or release any tension, memory or pain that the body-mind is holding onto.
Some techniques often used in somatic psychotherapy include:
Some techniques often used in somatic psychotherapy include:
- breathing exercises
- sensation awareness & tracking
- building relationship with the physical body
- physical movement
- resourcing
- titration- the ability to oscillate attention between feeling distressing sensation or memory and feeling resourced & calm.
- grounding exercises
- guided meditation
- boundary work
- self-regulation
Additional Resources
I am happy to answer any more questions or curiosities you may have concerning somatic psychotherapy and/or the way I work! Please send me a message at Kristin@mindfulcenter.org .
You can also check out the following books & websites to learn more about somatic work and trauma:
Books:
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessell Van der Kolk
Waking the Tiger- Peter Levine
The Body Remembers - Babette Rothechild
Eastern Body Western Mind- Anodea Judith
Web information:
https://www.psychotherapy.net/interview/bessel-van-der-kolk-trauma
You can also check out the following books & websites to learn more about somatic work and trauma:
Books:
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessell Van der Kolk
Waking the Tiger- Peter Levine
The Body Remembers - Babette Rothechild
Eastern Body Western Mind- Anodea Judith
Web information:
https://www.psychotherapy.net/interview/bessel-van-der-kolk-trauma
Photo credit: Katie Scott