Somatic Experiencing Therapy for Trauma

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing is a naturalistic form of therapeutic body work that aids the healing of Post-Traumatic Stress Response (PTSR) and other issues related to trauma. It was established by Peter Levine in the 1970s and has been used in the treatment of trauma. It is based on Wilhelm Reich’s theory of blocked energy in the body and how it needs to be released in order to heal.

Healing comes through Somatic Experiencing by addressing where imbalances occurred through the excess energy that was trapped in the body following a traumatic incident. During a traumatic incident, adrenalin floods the body in order to fight and run for survival. It’s just something the body does in normal reaction mode. When the traumatic event is over, the body gradually goes back to resting state, but sometimes the body can go into a freeze state and the brain can dissociate to leave the present moment and take refuge elsewhere. This can cause energy to be trapped in the body. The excess energy needs to be discharged but the body doesn’t like to waste energy and tends to store it. This is often the root of dysfunctions following trauma. In order to heal trauma, we must release that energy. It can be deeply uncomfortable, however, it is far better to go through it for our mental and emotional health, than let it fester or bury deeper inside.

The Somatic Experiencing approach is to assist a person to notice their physical sensations in relation to difficult thoughts and emotions connected with their traumatic events. Instead of talking about the experience and reliving it, Somatic Experiencing uncovers and identifies the sensations in the body that are energetically linked to the traumatic emotions or memories. For instance, when a traumatic memory comes up, a person would notice where they feel sensations of pain or discomfort in their body. The person would make the connection between that part of the body and the traumatic event. While that connection if fresh, the person would immediately think of a positive thought or memory, such as basking in the sunshine or a favorite vacation spot. By bringing in a pleasant, positive experience, there is a somatic overwrite and the person should feel relief in the form of a tingling sensation, calming or the feeling as if a weight has been lifted.

These are some techniques used in Somatic Experiencing to release traumatic energy trapped in the body:

Breathing can be used to breathe out and release blocked and stored energy.

Mindfulness to strengthen awareness of surroundings, thoughts, and the way the body feels.

Meditation to calm and increase awareness.

Somatic Psychotherapy may be used to talk about the experience and pinpoint correlating body discomfort.

Body movement is used to release trapped energy and identify areas of stress to process it for healing.

Positive Imagery can be used to calm the body and mind to help bring healing to stress areas.

Conclusion

Normally we can sufficiently recover from a traumatic event but we each process trauma differently both physically and emotionally. Trapped energy from a traumatic event can cause imbalances in the body. Those imbalances over time can become chronic pain, behavior disorders or disease. Trauma therapy should be sought at the first sign of trauma symptoms, or right after a traumatic event, but we don’t always realize that we need help. Waiting until pain and discomfort become so unbearable is what normally drives people to seek therapy. Somatic Experiencing is a way to release stored trauma energy by identifying body discomfort associated with a trauma memory. Using positive imagery, the trauma memory energy can be uncovered and released. Relief in the form of a freer, lighter feeling can be achieved.


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Holiday Aftermath

Thanksgiving get togethers can be tricky. Clashes can happen amidst some really wonderful warm happy moments. Those collisions and outbursts indicate unresolved anger, pain, shame, guilt and resentment on someone’s part. Then the memories and uncomfortable feelings that the last couple days may have brought up. We might want to lose ourself in distractions to put as much distance between us and those things that make us squirm. But, if we are willing to face those old ghosts and shadows, we may be able to clear some much needed headspace and free our hearts from chains… and so, we bravely step into it and move through it, like it’s a mirror, emerging out the other side cleansed.

To look at what still gives us twinges in our gut or an ache in our heads. To see things differently and see how strong we are now from what we went through, and be glad for the strength we gained from the experience. To make peace with the realization that we acted with the best intentions and awareness at the time, even if we didn’t get perfect results, unlocks the chains holding bits of us back then and there. To be able to say the things we always wanted to say to clear things up but were too afraid to say them. This enables us to rise above and participate in the higher vibrational aspects of life… or participate in life at a higher vibration.

What about the person who is still carrying a grudge, how can we best help them? We can let them know that they are loved and that we still love them, regardless. Sometimes that’s all it takes. We can also not force them to see or deal with anything for which they are not yet ready. Oh yes, we can plant seeds of little messages that could bring them a lightbulb moment down the line. We can pray for them and call in Angelic assistance. We could even take the tough love route and tell them truth straight up in as non-threatening a way as we can possibly muster. So many choices. One thing I know is that our hearts will be our guide. The energies are so high that anything is possible.

At the dinner table, someone’s fear and hopelessness were probably expressed. How do we assist? We suggest they tap into a strength that comes from a place they carved out from some intense situation they survived a long time ago. We tell them to revisit and reclaim that strength. That strength feeds our faith and hope now. If we let it, hopelessness also motivates us to stand up and be the change we want to see in the world. Sometimes taking action and getting involved is just the thing that those emotions were pointing us toward.

We can use these uncomfortable situations to cleanse ourselves of old resentments that still take up space. We can also help someone else take their first steps toward clearing their own stuff and encourage them to take steps forward. Cleansing the yuck out of our lives feels great, leaving us more alive and ready to take on new challenges. Instead of falling into the same old pitfalls, we can sidestep and leap over them to brighter days.

Lifting Ourselves Up

It’s getting challenging. Families are already stretched and inflation seems to be getting worse. We are getting so used to the struggle that we may not realize we are falling into a pattern of fear, worry and depression. It can lead to falling into hopelessness and despair. That’s not good for us, the people around us, and the collective as a whole. Luckily, there are ways to break the stress cycle, pull ourselves out of the mud and lift ourselves up. If we can form new healthier habits, we can train ourselves not to go into defeatism and low vibrational thinking.

For those who would like to make changes, the following are suggestions to lift ourselves up and out of hopelessness.

  • Count Your Blessings– Putting emphasis on the things for which you are grateful shifts your mood and attracts more blessings toward you.
  • Laugh– Laughter releases natural biochemicals that lift you up.
  • Nature Rules– Go out into nature to soak in fresh air and sunlight. Watch fish, birds and squirrels.
  • Animals are the Best– Always the best medicine to spend time with a pet.
  • Loved Ones– Spend time with upbeat people who are loving. Positive people who care about us give us a boost.
  • Exercise– Gets blood pumping, releases biochemicals, gives clarity of mind and moves stuck energy.
  • Listen to Music– Doing things while listening to music can get you into a state where everything flows.
  • Accomplishment– Set rewarding goals that are within grasp, if that goes well, try for something harder.
  • Self Care– Most of us are trained to think of ourselves last, but changing things up to schedule some regular self pampering does good for one’s mental health.
  • Flow State– Being actively engaged in an activity that allows the mind to go with its own flow lifts vibration. Flow is power, and power flows.
  • Kindness– Do something nice for someone without expecting anything in return.
  • Forgiveness– Do a self assessment and take an inventory of any resentments that could be healed and released through forgiveness and grace.
  • Assistance Naturally
    • Vitamin D, Magnesium, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Lavender, Ylang-Ylang
    • Bach Flowers Rescue Remedy
    • Homeopathic Remedies Kali Phosphoricum and Natrum Muriaticum
    • Essential oils such as Bergamot, Lemon, Chamomile, Clary Sage, Lavender, Peppermint and Orange can boost mood.
    • Mushroom teas made with Chaga, Reishi, Turkey Tail and Lion’s Mane.
    • Electrolytes- We are being depleted of electrolytes, the basic building blocks of our cells. These are minerals found in natural salt that have been stripped out of our commercially produced salt. See this post here.
  • Therapeutic Modalities
    • Energy Healing- Can cleanse, clear and raise our energy
    • Tuning Forks- Hitting a 528 hz tuning fork on a hockey puck and waving it through our biofield can retune and refresh our vibration and align it with Earth’s Love energy vibration.
    • EFT Tapping Sequence- Tap on certain meridian points to nullify fear and doubt. It works.
  • Simplify Life– If we take a good look at our life, we really don’t need to create so many obligations for ourselves. We could probably find things we could do without and once we let them go, we probably wouldn’t miss them. When we clear out clutter, it makes room for wonderful new things to enter our future.
  • Learn– Learning is growth. What will inspire you to generate interest and wonder? What have you always wanted to learn? Is there a hobby or project that you have been wanting to enjoy? Is there something you’ve always wanted to investigate through your own research? Sharing the things that make each of us naturally curious generates passion.
  • Adaptability– When things don’t go as expected, we must adapt. If we let ourselves indulge in anger and frustration that are not helpful to the overall plan, we impair progress from ourselves and the collective as a whole. Oh sure we can complain that it isn’t fair when our expectations are not met but, it is how we choose to proceed when no one is looking, that matters most. In this case, in order to not lose any ground, we must examine our character, summon our strength and make the choice to adapt and move forward.
  • Create– Being co-creators by manifesting a future that makes us feel hopeful. Here are the steps:
    • Feel yourself there.
    • Imagine every detail of that future with all your senses.
    • Believe it to be so.
    • Bless it and know with faith that the Universe will bring that future to you.
    • Step out of the way and allow it to happen.
  • Be Empowered– Our true power starts with being mindful in the moment. Our conscious awareness is a key to being able to steer our life by choosing thoughts and feelings that allow us to gain ground, as a whole.

These tools are available to us in our toolbox to help us cope and pull ourselves up. They can also be used with those around us that need a hand up. As with everything, we have the free will choice to use them. We do still have the free will to choose to complain that things are not going as we expected. I’m going to re-emphasize here that it is how we choose to proceed when no one is looking that matters most. Remember utmost and foremost that we are loved and that we are love.

Let all that you do be done in love. – 1 Corinthians 16:14

Calling on love when we are in a wobble, is applying our sharpest tool. When we call love in, we are calling in a high level force with divine intelligence. One that knows each party involved and has all the details considered. When we want to create a masterpiece, love is the centerpiece.

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. – Colossians 3:14

Both on an internal personal level and in the outer world, we’ve been going through a clearing and cleansing process. We are going to have to pull from deep down inside ourselves now. This is the part of the movie where the hero shows the audience the stuff of which they are made. It is the hero’s journey and we are the stars of the show.

On a higher collective level, we’ve been trying lots of things out and found what doesn’t work. That’s a good thing. We are zero-ing in on the right path to take as we proceed forward. This process is divinely guided. We are adjusting by feel. We’re so close. Lining up our path with our highest and best destiny and……. Magic! Lock it in.

Expanding Our Light Exercise

  • Look inside yourself and find the spark of God inside.
  • It is at your center right above your belly button.
  • It is God’s spark of life but it is also you.
  • Brighten that light and make it a little bigger.
  • Expand that light until it becomes a vertical lighted column from your pelvis up to your collarbone.
  • Now brighten it and expand it until it fills your entire torso.
  • You are now a luminous lantern.
  • That is your light shining from within.
  • Feel the hum and the tingles in your body.
  • That is your body rebalancing and healing itself.
  • Now expand that light down your legs and out your arms and up to the crown of your head.
  • You should feel a hum or buzzing sensation throughout your entire body. You are now lit!
  • Now raise your vibration by imagining you are stepping up five stair-steps.
  • With each step higher, feel lighter and higher and happier.
  • When we are shining our Light and raised in vibration, lower emotions cannot exist.
  • Hold it there at the top as long as possible. This is our natural state for which we were designed.

Managing Anxiety Naturally

Anxiety can be characterized by nervousness, worry and fear. Feeling anxious for big things in life is normal but if they persist daily or become debilitating or paralyzing, then steps should be taken to manage it. Chronic anxiety can throw the body into imbalance leading to health conditions such as high blood pressure and heart disease. Seeing a doctor is advisable so that any medical reasons can be ruled out or addressed, but if one is inclined toward non-invasive ways to manage anxiety naturally, here are some suggestions:

Aromatherapy

Bach Flower Remedies

  • Agrimony- For those who hide their problems behind a smile
  • Aspen- General anxieties and fears
  • Cherry Plum- For those who feel on the verge of a breakdown
  • Crab Apple- Self loathing or disgust, poor self image
  • Elm- Overwhelmed by unrelenting pressure and responsibility
  • Larch- Lack of confidence, defeatism
  • Mimulus- Specific fears such as money, health, the future
  • Red Chestnut- For excessive worry
  • Rock Rose- For panic attacks and anxiety attacks
  • White Chestnut- Overthinking and escalating anxiety
  • Rescue Remedy- For all manner of stress and pain

Behavioral Therapy

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)- Changing thinking and behavior patterns
  • Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)- Acceptance of self and instituting change
  • Exposure Therapy- Repeated exposure to the fear in safe ways
  • Group Therapy
  • Hypnosis

CBD Oil

Diet, Nutrition- Nutrient deficiencies have been found to cause anxiety

Eliminate Caffeine, Nicotine and Alcohol

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

Exercise- Works off excess energy that can lead to overthinking

Grounding Sheets, Grounding Pads and Weighted Blankets

Herbs (in a tea, tincture or capsule)

Homeopathic Remedies

Hot Bath with Epsom Salts– The bath is relaxing and Magnesium has been found to reduce anxiety

Meditation/ Breath work/ Relaxation Techniques

Rife Electromedicine- Programs that run frequencies to the body to maintain calm and focus