In the article I share my personal experience with talk therapy and provide a potential answer to a society obsessed with how they feel. I also skim the surface of a sea of similarities between somatic experiencing psychotherapy (SE) and psychology.
It’s been a long 15 years of singing from the rooftops that the body holds emotional muscle memory. Evidence that trauma is stored in the body, not just in the mind is fortunately becoming mainstream by Gabor Mate and his talks with popular podcasters such as Joe Rogan and Jordan Peterson.
My outspoken nature has offended a few colleagues of talk therapy. By stating its limitations and sometimes uselessness. While discussing traumatic events may help clients understand their experiences cognitively, more often than not it retraumatises and neglects to access the deep, unconscious patterns of physical tension and dysregulation that trauma can create in the nervous system. This is why our Naturo therapists use Somatic Experiencing (SE) over traditional talk therapy. Purely because it is seriously effective, long term!
Unstuck yourself
SE focuses on body awareness and the natural ability of the body to regulate itself. Which again fits perfectly with Real Naturo philosophy; to create an environment for healing and self regulation.
Trauma responses often get “stuck” in the body, leading to chronic stress, anxiety, and other physical symptoms. SE allows the body to gradually release this stored energy by working with subtle physical sensations rather than diving into the traumatic narrative, which can re-trigger or overwhelm clients. It promotes gentle, incremental healing (titration) that helps the nervous system return to balance without re-traumatisation.
I’m Not Traumatised, Why do I need Naturo therapy?
To a degree, everyone carries a level of stored trauma in their bodies. Trauma isn’t only the result of extreme events like accidents or abuse. Everyday stress, emotional pain, or overwhelming experiences can also create “stuck” responses in the nervous system. Naturo therapy helps you gently release this stored trauma by tuning into the body’s sensations, allowing for deeper healing and restoration of the nervous system’s natural balance.
While everyday minor traumas are not as extreme as major traumatic events. They can still accumulate and affect a person’s well-being. Some relatable examples include:
- Criticism or Rejection: Being harshly criticized by a boss, teacher, or loved one can create feelings of shame or self-doubt.
- Embarrassment: Moments of public embarrassment, like making a mistake in front of a group, can create lasting discomfort or anxiety.
- Conflict in Relationships: Regular arguments or emotional tension in relationships, even if not physically harmful, can be a source of stress.
- Work or Academic Pressure: Constant stress from meeting deadlines or performing under pressure can lead to burnout, chronic anxiety, or a sense of inadequacy.
- Bullying or Teasing: Even mild teasing or exclusion in childhood or adulthood can leave emotional scars and affect self-esteem.
- Minor Accidents: Experiences like slipping and falling, car fender benders, or sports injuries can cause the body to hold tension or hypervigilance, especially if the response wasn’t fully processed.
- Loss of a Pet or Object: The death of a beloved pet or losing something sentimental, while not life-threatening, can still lead to feelings of grief or sadness.
- Unmet Emotional Needs in Childhood: Consistently feeling ignored, invalidated, or unappreciated can create underlying feelings of insecurity or disconnection.
These seemingly “minor” traumas can accumulate over time, impacting emotional regulation and physical health.
Compartmentalise Your Feelings
In today’s culture, there’s immense pressure to constantly focus on feelings. Without somatic techniques this is a self obsessed heady cycle. Leading to emotional overwhelm or self-absorption.. Constantly reflecting on how you feel (without feeling into your body), combined with frequent dopamine hits from social media or instant gratification, overloads your brain. This cycle exhausts mental energy, making it harder to focus, think clearly and regulate emotions. Over time, it can negatively impact both mental capacity and overall health. Resulting in a sick culture that fluxes between woke and nihilistic. If only people knew that simple Naturo therapy is the remedy.
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Here are some useful references on Somatic Experiencing and stored trauma:
- Levine, P. A. (1997).Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.
- This foundational book by Dr. Peter Levine outlines the principles of Somatic Experiencing and explains how trauma impacts the body and how to resolve it through body-focused therapy.
- Levine, P. A. & Frederick, A. (2010).Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body. Sounds True.
- This work further explores trauma’s effects on the body and offers practical exercises and insights into SE’s therapeutic process.
- Van der Kolk, B. (2014).The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
- Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s book highlights the role of the body in trauma recovery and aligns with the principles of Somatic Experiencing, demonstrating how trauma is stored and processed in the body.
- Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006).Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy. W. W. Norton & Company.
- This book presents another body-centered approach to healing trauma, closely related to SE, with emphasis on the mind-body connection.
- Scaer, R. C. (2005).The Trauma Spectrum: Hidden Wounds and Human Resiliency. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Scaer provides insights into how trauma affects the nervous system, including less obvious, everyday traumas, supporting the idea that trauma can be stored in all of us.
