FAQ about Trauma

What are the tell-tale signs of unresolved Trauma?

You may wonder if you’ve been traumatized… in most people, the theme of hopelessness and helplessness is predominant once there was a traumatic event. This is quite understandable since much trauma comes from childhood experiences in which we didn’t have the resources to stand up for ourselves or escape an awful situation.

Together, we will update this pattern, becoming aware that now, as an adult, you have many more empowering options!

We will discover resources together so that you have new ways to handle crises that make you feel good about yourself.
You will become familiar with positive states until your nervous system, which influences your emotional, physical and mental state, is so stabilized that crises are no longer crises but just challenges. 
Kathy Kain calls this developing the “Pleasure Map”.

Another sign of Trauma is unexplainable tension and pains in the body.
Because the body wanted to defend itself or fight off the danger and couldn’t, the physical system got stuck in the tension and produced a constant flow of adrenalin to keep alert. This is unhealthy. It depletes the adrenal glands, and the body develops stiff muscles and pain.
Inflammation or recurring hurting oneself can also be seen in trauma survivors.
Stress hormones can impede sleep… so disturbed sleep patterns can be another way Trauma manifests in one’s life.

Is Trauma physical, emotional, or both?

Most of the time, it’s both physical and emotional. Not every event is traumatic for everybody who experiences it because we all have more or less resilience in our body-mind-system to bounce back from traumatic experiences.

Even when the trauma is emotional, it is always physical because our bodies react with physical signs to it. The body will go into a fight-flight or freeze state. There will be hormones released into the blood. Defensive structures in your body will be mobilized. These defensive movements have often been blocked by social norms or because they haven’t been successful or available during the traumatic event. Then, the physiological response becomes a blockage that hinders our body’s “natural” movements, becoming energetic and physical blockages.

What does an emotional Trauma look like?

I want to explain that with an example: an uncle pats his young niece on the behind at a Christmas party. Often, that is seen as: “Okay, he’s drunk, and no harm done,” … BUT it may be that this young woman has had this kind of behaviour before in her life. And she could never stand up to it because it would have embarrassed her, or she was told to keep it a secret. So then, there may be build-up tension in her muscles that would have liked to push her uncle away or even hit him. Also, emotions of shame, anger, and helplessness have probably been suppressed at this moment.

What does physical Trauma look like?

As a child, you played on a swing and fell off it. Or, as an adult, you missed a step and dropped on the pavement. The body may have felt disoriented; it got hurt, a concussion… or something broke. Then, it’s essential to work through it so it won’t happen again. Go through what is needed so the body does not hurt itself again. Releasing the energy of the shock is crucial. Otherwise, it will stay in the body and wreak havoc.

What’s the benefit of using “Somatic Practice” to release Trauma?

That’s why it’s so important to work with trauma, as much with as within the body! Somatic Practice works with the body, in the body.
Trauma is stored in the cells as tensions or physical sensations, and the emotions that go with trauma are also stored in the body!
So, being mindful of sensations, breath, emotions, and the accompanying thinking while talking about something traumatic, like an accident, abuse, or whatever the traumatic event was, which Somatic Practice does, will discharge the trauma.

Then, we will find ways and tools together for you to release tensions and let go of the blocked energy in your body. This allows harmony and an all-over whole well-being. The breathing becomes more spacious, and joy and a new sense of lightness in your life are engendered or emerge.

We can do this in person with touch or online, with intentional distant touch, or just with the attention on the physical, bodily places we work with.

Why can’t I just relax and get it done for me?

“Just give me the pill, man!”

We are living in an “instant” world, where taking a painkiller or other medication helps immediately and does the job for us. Also, we are trained to have people working on us, telling us what to do, what is good for us, etc. So, it’s no wonder we would like this done for us and get on with our lives… However, when it comes to dealing with trauma, fundamental transformation requires an active and internal process.

Somatic Practice can be a powerful tool for releasing trauma, but it’s essential to understand that it’s not a quick fix. While I, as the practitioner, will guide and accompany you all the way, ultimately, it’s up to you to use the tools we develop in our work together to come back to wholeness. This may require time and effort, but the benefits of healing and resolving trauma will be life-changing.

“Can’t we just do a couple of sessions and be done with this?”

It’s important to note that everyone’s healing journey is unique and different. Therefore, it’s not possible to say how many sessions or how much time is needed to resolve trauma. It depends on you and your specific trauma circumstances. However, it’s necessary to understand that resolving trauma is an ongoing process. We will work in little increments, by and by.

And we don’t want to push too far, too fast! Your nervous system is not used to too much well-being and joy. Because the high energy of joy risks bringing you back in the opposite direction. Into the area that Kathy Kain calls the “Danger Map,” which you know so well. It’s like a pendulum swinging from one side to the other.

That’s why travelling this way takes time and patience. And it’s well worth it. We build trust and develop new ways to help you finally feel better.