How Somatic Therapy Supports Trauma Healing

Our understanding of trauma has come a long way from the 1970's when those that experienced the devastating effects of war where referred to as suffering 'shell shock' (Bessel van der Kolk, 2014). During this time, diagnoses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) didn’t exist and the effects of trauma were perceived to be in the mind in the form of flashbacks.

Whilst our understanding of trauma has improved considerably over recent years, many people still assume trauma to be a large, once off devastating event, or one that it causes some form of physical injury. Whilst such single events can be traumatic, trauma can also be inflicted on an individual as a result of relationship abuse, financial struggles, bullying, violence, parenting attachment styles, chronic illness, gender identity crisis, racial discrimination and even learning to navigate neurodivergence.

What we now understand about trauma is that it is not the event that matters, but how an individual’s nervous system responds and recovers following the event. Two people may experience similar traumatic events and only one of them experience traumatic symptoms. The reason lies in how one processes the event and how the nervous system recovers through resourcing, grounding, social engagement and the natural pendulation process bringing one back towards homeostasis (balance).

This blog will discuss how somatic therapy in trauma healing is an important adjunct to traditional forms of cognitive therapy.

The symptoms of trauma

So if the event itself doesn’t define trauma, what does? According to scientific research, trauma lies in the nervous system and is by definition unbearable and intolerable to the individual in which normal coping mechanisms are overwhelmed (Cozolino, 2002).

Leading trauma expert Bessel van Der Kolk describes it as:

“An imprint left by an experience on mind, brain, and body. This imprint has ongoing consequences for how the human organism manages to survive in the present. Trauma results in a fundamental reorganisation of the way mind and brain manage perceptions. It changes not only how we think and what we think about, but also our very capacity to think ” (Van der Kolk, 2014).

How does trauma leave an imprint in the body and nervous system?

 When we are faced with a threat to our safety (physical, or emotional) our autonomic nervous system activates the most primitive parts of the brain primed for safety and survival. This is done without our conscious awareness. Our sympathetic nervous system becomes activated in an attempt to escape the threat in the form of flight (run and flee) or fight (address the confrontation) response. This stress response is energetically demanding. Being in this high state of arousal depletes the body of resources, inhibits our metabolism and reproductive systems. Our body remains physically tense and alert to the threat.

This form of sympathetic activity is not designed to last for long periods of time. Our system needs time to recover and to re-set with the help of the parasympathetic nervous system. When we have escaped the threat, our sensory body (sight, sound, smell, touch) and our social engagement system (receiving support, connection and validation from others) allows our nervous system to resume normal healthy functioning and balance.  

However if we are unable to flee the threat (in the form of ongoing abuse or violence) or, we don't have access to adequate support or coping tools that assist in regulating our nervous system, we remain in a heightened, aroused and stressed state, even if the threat has passed. When we can't cope, can't flee and don't have the resources to regulate the nervous system trauma symptoms begin to appear.

Trauma symptoms may include:

Extreme or chronic stress symptoms

Being over reactive/ or under-reactive to everyday stress

Easily overwhelmed, agitated, or restless (particularly in the body)

Emotionally unstable

Poor memory, lack of organisation skills

Zoning out, feeling vague or disconnected

Suffering poor sleep, nightmares/ flashbacks, unexplainable fatigue

Lack of boundaries with money, relationships, or sexual boundaries

Long history of medical investigations with no clear diagnosis, or treatments that don't work

Auto-immune conditions

Chronic pain

Reproductive concerns or menstrual health complications

plus many others.

How Somatic Therapy Supports Recovery

Until recently talk therapy in the form of cognitive behavioural therapies (CBT) have been the top form of therapy for PTSD and trauma recovery. However recent neurobiological research developments have demonstrated that trauma is held in the primitive parts of the brain not involved in cognitive processing (Giotakos, 2020). So whilst talk therapy may help someone understand and come to terms with their trauma at a cognitive level, it does little to resource the nervous system back towards regulation and an internal sense of safety. This is often why individuals may feel incomplete with their therapy if they just focus on cognitive approaches.

So how do we resource the nervous system and cultivate an internal sense of safety?  By working with the body including the sensory body and creating interoceptive awareness (internal awareness) of what the body may need to heal.  

Somatic therapy typically involves creating awareness and connection to the body through body movements (such as yoga, dance, shaking, and more), breath awareness, vocal sounds, engaging the sensory body and cultivating mindfulness. When we can cultivate a deeper connection to our internal states including internal sensations, emotional states, and physical discomfort we also create the opportunity to respond in kind. This is becomes a form of resourcing- recognising when we are internally distressed and providing the tools and compassion needed to support the body in that moment.

Whilst psychoeducation can play an important role in somatic therapy, it is largely body focussed in developing a greater connection and awareness of your body, its cues and signals and how to respond to its needs. This creates an opportunity to release the effects of trauma on the physical body, reduce the occurrence of triggering and providing the opportunity for the nervous system to recover. Essentially we are allowing the body to recognise the threat has passed and that recovery can now begin.

This can be exceptionally empowering for the individual in their healing journey.

Through nervous system regulation and releasing the effects of trauma on the body, this may enhance the effects of cognitive therapies in providing an internal sense of safety in which to navigate trauma recovery.

References:

Cornell, A. W., & McGavin, B. (2020). The concept of “felt sense” in embodied knowing and action. In The Art and Science of Embodied Research Design (pp. 29-39). Routledge.

Giotakos O. (2020). Neurobiology of emotional trauma. Psychiatrike = Psychiatriki, 31(2), 162–171. https://doi.org/10.22365/jpsych.2020.312.162

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The body keeps the score. Brain, mind and body in the healing of trauma. Penguin Books

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Interested in exploring Somatic Therapy for yourself?

Dr Alison Bremner has 10 years experience in providing trauma-informed somatic therapy. She works compassionately to resource the nervous system enabling trauma processing to feel more comfortable and complete.

To make a booking head to https://www.findingher.com.au/book-online