Trauma lives in the body as much as in the mind. You feel like you’re fine and things are looking brighter one day, only for the old memories to surface. Your body tends to store trauma in muscles, digestive system, joints, shoulders, hips, and chest, or any part you can build physical tension.
When trauma lingers in the body, it can trigger a freeze response, a survival mechanism that shuts down emotions and movement. If traditional talk therapy isn’t helping you address this trauma, somatic therapy is worth a try.
What Is a Freeze Response?
Your body responds to danger with either fight, flight, or freeze. When fight or flight isn’t possible, the body shuts down to protect itself, which is called a freeze response. People with unresolved trauma often stay stuck in this freeze state long after the threat has passed.
People react differently but some common symptoms include chronic fatigue, feeling disconnected from reality, feeling emotionally numb, and muscle tension.
When trauma isn’t treated, over time it can cause chronic digestive issues or autoimmune disorders. Your body holds onto memories and emotions from past experiences, which makes you feel trapped in cycles of anxiety, stress, or even depression.
Can you process emotions through your body?
Yes, you can because your body remembers events that your mind might forget. Somatic therapy focuses on body-based practices to help emotions move through and out of the system.
Let’s take an example. If you feel tightness in your chest, it is probably sadness, grief, or anxiety. Your body is sending you signals and with somatic therapy you’d be able to identify them. During therapy, you’ll also learn practices and tools that help these stored emotions move and make space for healing.
How Somatic Therapy Helps
Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body. Your first few sessions will be about understanding different sensations like tension, tightness, and soreness and what’s causing them.
Techniques like deep breathing, gentle movements, and grounding exercises help your body relax. Over time, you will build resilience and feel more in control of your emotions and responses.
Trauma is released gradually and in a way that’s not overwhelming for your nervous system. Here’s how somatic experiencing techniques are used:
Titration: You break down traumatic memories into smaller, digestible parts, so they are easy to process.
Pendulation: It moves you between states of discomfort and calm. Eventually, your nervous system learns how to regulate itself and also builds tolerance to distress over time.
Resourcing: During therapy, positive sensations or comforting memories act as anchors to help you stay grounded. When emotions run high, these memories or sensations help your mind feel safe.
Can Somatic Therapy be used with other therapies?
Yes, somatic therapy works well with other therapies and is often used in a holistic mix. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), helps you release negative emotions, while Psychodynamic Therapy makes you more body-aware and allows deeper emotional exploration without getting stuck in the mind’s defenses. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another recommended therapy.
Reclaim control and rebuild your sense of safety. Curious to know more about somatic therapy? Book a free 15-minute consultation with me today.