Somatic Psychotherapy for Trauma Support

What is trauma?

  • Trauma is the individuals response to an overwhelmingly distressing event or encounter that disrupts their sense of safety, well-being, and their capacity to cope.

  • Trauma activates the body's stress response system, commonly known as the fight-or-flight response. This response is designed to protect us in times of danger by triggering a surge of adrenaline, increasing heart rate, and preparing the body for immediate action.

  • When the trauma is severe or ongoing, the body's stress response can become dysregulated, leading to a chronic state of hypervigilance or hyperarousal.

    What are trauma symptoms?

    Traumatic experience can result in many different distressing responses.

    Here are just a few examples:

  • experiencing vivid images or physical sensations of discomfort or pain

  • ruminating about past events, try to find missing details or avoid thinking about it all together.

  • experiencing lingering and frightening thoughts, dreams, or sensations about the event.

  • feeling stuck, frozen, or on high alert.

  • spacing out, have increased irritability, or unexplained fear.

    These reactions are a result of the overwhelming nature of trauma and are understandable given the circumstances. It's crucial to approach these behaviors with patience and empathy in order to create a safe space for healing and recovery.

How do you work with Trauma?

It's completely normal to find it difficult to recall what happened or to feel resistant when it comes to discussing your experience.

Recalling a traumatic event can be incredibly overwhelming. Sometimes our system gets stuck or continues to respond as if the event is still occurring. That is one reason for working with the body or somatically. A somatic approach works with the nervous system to allow any incomplete threat responses to complete or move through.

Like putting together a puzzle, we will work slowly, one piece at a time. This will allow for the time and space your system needs to help integrate the experience and set a pace that fits for you.

Somatic Psychotherapy

In the process of exploring and understanding your experiences you might notice a shift in your emotional landscape. You may begin to experience a wider range of emotions – like moments of joy, newfound desires, or a deeper sense of connection to your body. These emotional shifts have the potential to bring about a profound sense of relief.

Receiving trauma informed care can have a transformative effect on your overall well-being. It is crucial to receive support and know you can feel better again.

A woman lying on her back on a white furry rug, covering her face with her hands, with dark hair spread around her head.