Let’s Learn!

Trauma is often an overused word that many of us use freely to describe mildly uncomfortable situations or general stress, or a term we avoid at all costs and don’t relate to at all. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder has been increasingly used to describe the after effects traumatic events suffered by individuals in many situations other than returning home from war. The negative effects of PTSD have been shown to be significant and pervasive, developing in the long term into sometimes “mysterious” physical syndromes. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, speaks frankly about how trauma manifests itself in the physical body. He frequently points out how the body tries to reestablish a sense of safety, but humans rational mind often get in the way. We often bypass its natural healing process by avoiding intense physical sensations. He states in his book, “Traumatized people chronically feel unsafe inside their bodies: The past is alive in the form of gnawing interior discomfort. Their bodies are constantly bombarded by visceral warning signs, and, in an attempt to control these processes, they often become expert at ignoring their gut feelings and in numbing awareness of what is played out inside.” We often have to lean into discomfort to heal but do so in a way thats not overwhelming for our systems.

It’s also important to note that trauma is not bound by linear time. Traumatic symptoms can manifest weeks, months, or years after an event, or rear its head after multiple difficult situations compound to the point where our normal coping methods and resources become maxed out. Stress and trauma can occur from a one event or from cumulative stressors.

The extensive science done on resolving PTSD continually points to the need for the body to be involved in the healing of trauma. The Somatic Experiencing approach facilitates the completion of self-protective responses and the release of hindered survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. Somatic Experiencing helps clients attune to what's happening in their bodies by slowing down and noticing fast energies, and balancing the fight, flight, and freeze responses in the nervous system. By learning how to consciously dip our toe into difficult sensations or emotions, a somatic therapist gives clients a boost in self-awareness, and confidence in their capacity to heal and experience something new, maybe even joyous. These innate and natural somatic practices and tools help clients re-enter a traumatized or dissociated body slowly, at their own pace, and gradually feel more safe in their own skin. Increasing ones ability for difficult body sensations and emotions and tracking the nervous system is not a skill resigned for someone who has experienced trauma. Gaining the tools and skills to do this and expand our nervous system capacity increases our ability to move through the world able to show up for others, perform difficult jobs without burning out, and increase our empathy.

If you can learn to speak your body’s language, and change trauma into positive even empowering experience, your world shifts. You begin to understand intimately your true embodied self. By YOU changing, your relationships change. How people relate to you also changes. Your ability to care for others expands. Sex gets better and feels more fulfilling. You can make decisions with confidence and self assurance instead of doubting oneself or be bound in social conditioning. You begin to use your voice more freely and speak out on things that matter to you.

The truth is trauma is unavoidable. We all will at some point or another burn through our inner and outer resources and get overwhelmed. There are plenty of collective experiences in the world that are contributing to overwhelm for many of us. Be it the ongoing covid epidemic, climate change, racism, sexism, or economic hardships. Our collective hardships get layered with our individual struggles, further compounding stress. Getting help doesn’t mean that you are weak or that there is something wrong with you. If you are interested in decreasing your stress or healing from the frustrating or difficult symptoms of trauma, it shows a great deal of inner strength. The tools and education you learn within Somatic Experiencing are truly remarkable. It taps into the power of our bodies, utilizing our biological survival mechanisms to our advantage. As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, I help people overcome trauma, awaken to their bodies innate ability to heal, and feel at home in their bodies to start living a life they love.