Discover somatic and body-based approaches to trauma healing that recognize the profound connection between mind and body in the recovery process.
Trauma lives in the body. Body-based therapies help release trapped energy and restore the natural connection between mind and body.
Traditional talk therapy, while valuable, may not fully address how trauma is stored in the body. Trauma affects not just our thoughts and emotions, but also our nervous system, muscle tension, breathing patterns, and overall physical well-being.
Body-based therapies work with these physical manifestations of trauma, helping to:
Help move the nervous system out of chronic fight, flight, or freeze states into a more balanced, regulated state.
Help people reconnect with their bodies in a safe, gentle way, rebuilding the capacity to feel and trust bodily sensations.
Allow the body to complete interrupted survival responses and discharge trapped traumatic energy.
Bridge the gap between cognitive understanding and felt sense, creating more complete healing.
These approaches are particularly helpful for people who feel disconnected from their bodies, have difficulty accessing emotions through talk therapy alone, or experience significant physical symptoms related to their trauma.
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing is based on the observation that wild animals, despite regularly facing life-threatening situations, rarely develop trauma symptoms. The key difference is their ability to discharge the intense energy mobilized during survival responses.
Developed by Dr. Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy integrates cognitive and emotional processing with direct attention to the body. It recognizes that trauma affects not just what we think and feel, but how we move, hold ourselves, and organize our physical experience.
Thoughts, beliefs, meaning-making
Feelings, emotional responses
Body sensations, movement, posture
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY) adapts traditional yoga practices to be safe and accessible for trauma survivors. It emphasizes choice, agency, and present-moment awareness while avoiding practices that might be triggering or retraumatizing.
Participants are always offered choices and never forced into any position or movement.
Focus on noticing bodily sensations to rebuild the connection between mind and body.
The breath is a powerful tool for regulating the nervous system. Various breathwork approaches can help trauma survivors shift from states of activation to calm, and rebuild capacity for emotional regulation.
Movement and dance therapies use the body's natural capacity for expression and healing. These approaches can help trauma survivors reconnect with their bodies, express difficult emotions, and experience joy and vitality.
Uses movement and dance to support emotional, cognitive, physical, and social integration.
A meditative practice where participants move freely while being witnessed by another.
There are many other body-based approaches that can support trauma healing:
The best body-based approach for you depends on your individual needs, preferences, and circumstances. Consider these factors:
Our directory can help you find practitioners who specialize in somatic and body-based approaches to trauma healing.