FAQ about Trauma

Trauma influences one’s whole life! If untreated, it has a tendency to leak out when we least expect it. I understand the journey of releasing trauma, being a trauma survivor myself.

Gabor Mate, a Canadian Trauma Pioneer, therapist and trainer, defines trauma as: “not what happens to a person but what happens within them.”

What does Trauma mean?

The word trauma comes from the Greek language and means ‘wound” (physical or emotional), And because the wound can be overwhelming, we defend in a way that makes us rigid and often unable to feel and be present.

Trauma happens to almost everybody. We often think it must be something huge, like a death, earthquake or something along these lines. Any experience or situation that’s overwhelming as a child or even as an adult can be traumatizing, which undermines our ability to be resilient.

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 the 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 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 adrenalin constantly to keep alert. This is not healthy for the body. 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. And 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. Often, these defensive movements have 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’d like to explain that with an example: at a Christmas party, an uncle pats the young niece on the behind. 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 been embarrassing for her. So then, there may be build-up tension in her muscles that would have liked to push her uncle away or even hit him. And, probably also emotions of shame, anger, and helplessness have been suppressed at this moment.

What does physical Trauma look like?

You are playing on a swing and fall off it. The body may feel disoriented; it got hurt, a concussion… or something breaking. Then it’s essential to work through it so it won’t happen again. Go through what is needed for the body not to 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 find together ways and tools for you to release tensions and let go of the blocked energy in your body. This allows harmony and 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 help immediately and do 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 that we would like this to be done for us and just get on with our lives… However, when it comes to dealing with trauma, real transformation requires an active and internal process.

Somatic Practice can be a powerful tool for releasing trauma, but it’s important 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 together that are helping you to finally feel better.

Not sure this will work for you?