Somatic Trauma Therapy

Somatic Trauma Therapy is a way of working with the nervous system by feeling into one’s body sensations to help calm and regulate. In doing so, it helps to bring back a sense of safety that was lost due to trauma.  It is all about tuning into the physical sensations of the body as the therapist holds a safe space in order for healing to take place.  By doing this it helps to relieve the discomfort, anxiety, sadness, and loneliness that often come with being traumatised.  Somatic work is empowering work as it brings us back to ourselves and teaches us to listen to our bodies as our bodies know exactly what they need in order to heal.

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What is trauma and what type of trauma do you treat?  Trauma is the response that takes place when something deeply distressing has taken place in your life that overwhelms your ability to cope ( overwhelms your nervous system).  Trauma can be in the form of physical or emotional trauma.  Trauma can even happen with a perceived threat of something that has happened.  This means that even witnessing something could be traumatising.  Therefore, STT helps to work with the nervous system to help calm and regulate it along with working with the physical body as the body will often hold onto trauma. 

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How does the body hold on to trauma?

When a trauma happens such as by a car accident or witnessing abuse, the body will seize up and the nervous system can become overwhelmed due to the overwhelming incident witnessed or experienced.  The body will hold onto these memories until they are fully felt and experienced in a safe space without the nervous system becoming overtaxed.  This is how Somatic Trauma Therapy is useful as this is exactly what we do in our sessions.

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What do sessions look like?  

We sit and we check into our bodies.  As we do this, the body will tell us something.  You may feel a rumbling in your stomach, an urge to move, or your breathing may speed up.  We sit with this and we follow what the body is needing to do.  I will guide you slowly as I look for subtle movements called micro movements that are indicators to help support the body in movement.  As you tune into your body you may notice tingling, shivers, numbness, or many other things.  You are reconnecting to your body and this will lead to a discharge of energy as the nervous system recognises you are safe to do so.  What does a discharge look like?  It may manifest as feeling all of a sudden really lethargic, you may have an emotion come up and then a release, you may feel expansive and empowered.  Discharging does not mean out of control emotional outburst. It means a sort of release that the nervous system and your body are recognising it is ok to let go of whatever you have held on to for years within your body.  This is where chronic pain is often healed or soothed as well as emotional pain. 

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Throughout sessions, I will hold a safe supportive space to support your healing.  We go slowly and respectfully working with where you are in your healing journey.  

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