Somatic Trauma Therapy
What is Somatic Trauma Therapy?
Somatic trauma therapy is a therapeutic approach that seeks to identify and address bodily and sensory responses related to past traumatic experiences. Through this mind-body approach, we explore how trauma is physiologically stored in the body. Trauma that is stored in the body can manifest in the form of muscular tension, dysfunctional physiological and emotional responses. These physical and sensory manifestations of trauma are seen as coping mechanisms that were activated in times of overwhelming stress and could not be discharged at the time. Due to these traumatic events, the body then learned how to survive, and this is often through adaptive behaviours which can impact your life today.
The aim of Somatic Trauma Therapy is to help the person recognise, release and reintegrate these dysfunctional somatic responses, allowing for a more complete recovery and a higher quality of life. Through this mind-body approach, we can support the nervous system to complete interrupted survival responses and discharge the stored trauma energy.
Why your body remembers what your mind wants to forget
Trauma, in its various forms, can overload and dysregulate the nervous system which can leave the person trapped in chronic fight or flight responses or in a frozen state. This is because the traumatic and stressful event was not able to be fully processed in that moment. The trauma and survival energy is then stored in your nervous system. Overtime, this unresolved stress and trauma can cause imbalances and a wide range of symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, hypervigilance, insomnia, nightmares, chronic pain, and overwhelming emotional responses.
Healing beyond words
Somatic Trauma Therapy focuses on healing the body first as this is where the stored trauma energy is held and why you can get stuck in survival patterns.
By bridging the gap between your mind and the nervous system, Somatic Therapy helps you gently release trapped stress, process the trauma, reclaim your sense of safety, and finally move forward through nervous system regulation.
Body awareness and reconnection to self
The key is to establish a deep connection with your own body. This involves learning to pay attention to the physical sensations, emotions and tensions that reside in the body. Through sensory exploration and body awareness exercises, you will begin to identify and understand how trauma manifests in your body. As this awareness develops, you can then learn to interpret your body's signals more accurately and to process emotions and tensions related to traumatic experiences.
Bodily sensation and awareness provide a solid foundation for trauma processing as it allows the individual to approach their traumatic memories and emotions with greater understanding and self-regulation. This then supports the road to recovery as the body and mind work together in healing.