In an Unspoken Voice

1. Trauma is stored in the body and can be released through somatic awareness

The mind has forgotten but the body has not—thankfully.

Trauma impacts the entire organism. It disrupts our physiology, emotions, and behavior patterns. Rather than being solely a mental phenomenon, trauma leaves lasting imprints in our bodies that can manifest as chronic tension, pain, and dysregulation. However, this bodily storage also provides an avenue for healing.

Somatic awareness is key to resolving trauma. By tuning into physical sensations and tracking subtle shifts in the body, we can access traumatic memories and frozen energy that may be inaccessible through talk therapy alone. As we cultivate body awareness, we can gently release trauma through trembling, shaking, and spontaneous movements. This somatic discharge allows the nervous system to complete self-protective responses that were thwarted during the original traumatic event.

The body leads the way in healing. Our bodies have an innate wisdom and drive towards wholeness. By learning to listen to and follow the body's subtle cues and impulses, we tap into our natural healing capacity. Trauma resolution occurs through the body, not just the mind.

2. The body has an innate capacity for self-regulation and healing

Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.

Self-regulation is built into our biology. Our nervous systems are designed to maintain balance and return to equilibrium after stress or activation. This innate regulatory capacity allows us to respond flexibly to threats and challenges in our environment. When trauma disrupts this natural process, we can reactivate it through body-based approaches.

Healing happens through discharge and completion. Trauma leaves residual energy and incomplete defensive responses in the body. As we provide a safe container, this energy can be discharged through trembling, shaking, and subtle movements. Allowing these spontaneous processes to unfold supports the nervous system in completing self-protective responses and restoring regulation.

Resilience can be cultivated. While trauma can severely impact our ability to bounce back from stress, we can rebuild resilience through somatic practices. As we learn to track sensations, modulate arousal, and complete stress cycles, we strengthen our capacity to face challenges. The body becomes an ally in cultivating resilience and wellbeing.

3. Emotions are physical sensations, not just mental states

Emotion is about movement—how to find food, shelter and a mate, as well as how to protect ourselves.

Emotions have a physical basis. Rather than being purely mental phenomena, emotions arise from bodily sensations and action tendencies. Fear involves muscle tension and preparation for flight. Anger includes impulses to strike out. Joy is felt as expansiveness in the chest. By tuning into these physical components, we can work with emotions more directly.

Emotional regulation happens through the body. Learning to track and modulate physical sensations is key to managing intense emotions. As we build capacity to contain activation in the body, we expand our window of tolerance for feeling. This allows emotions to flow through us without overwhelming our systems.

Expression is not always cathartic. Contrary to popular belief, simply venting or acting out emotions does not necessarily lead to resolution. Contained experiencing of sensations underlying emotions is often more effective for processing and integration. The goal is to feel and be with emotions, not just express them outwardly.

4. Containment and pendulation are key to processing difficult experiences

Pendulation carries all living creatures through difficult sensations and emotions.

Containment creates safety for exploration. By building our capacity to hold intense sensations and emotions without becoming overwhelmed, we create an internal container for processing difficult experiences. This allows us to approach traumatic material gradually and safely.

Pendulation facilitates integration. The natural rhythm of moving between activation and settling helps integrate challenging experiences. By gently touching into activation and then returning to regulation, we expand our window of tolerance. This back-and-forth process allows traumatic material to be digested in manageable doses.

Key aspects of pendulation:

• Moving between activation and relaxation
• Touching into difficulty then returning to resource
• Expanding window of tolerance gradually
• Integrating experience in manageable doses
• Following the body's natural rhythm

5. Humans are fundamentally instinctual beings with three integrated brain systems

We are more than speaking animals; we are language creatures.

We have three integrated brain systems. The human brain evolved in layers, with each new system building upon and integrating with previous ones:

1. Reptilian brain (brainstem): Governs basic survival functions
2. Mammalian brain (limbic system): Processes emotions and social bonding
3. Human brain (neocortex): Enables abstract thinking and language

Instincts remain a powerful force. Despite our rational capabilities, instinctual impulses continue to shape our behavior in profound ways. Fight, flight, and freeze responses can override conscious decision-making, especially in threatening situations. Recognizing and working with these instinctual patterns is crucial for healing trauma.

Integration of all brain systems is ideal. Optimal functioning involves smooth communication between all levels of the brain. Trauma can disrupt this integration, leaving us stuck in survival responses. Healing involves restoring flexible coordination between instinct, emotion, and reason.

6. Embodiment is essential for authentic selfhood and change

To be traumatized is to be condemned to endless repetitions of unbearable experiences.

Embodiment grounds us in present reality. Being in touch with our physical sensations anchors us in the here and now. This counteracts the tendency of trauma to keep us stuck in the past. As we inhabit our bodies more fully, we open to new possibilities beyond old patterns.

Authentic selfhood arises through the body. Our core sense of self is rooted in bodily experience. By reclaiming connection with our physical sensations, we access a more genuine sense of who we are. This embodied self-awareness provides a foundation for meaningful change and growth.

Change happens through felt experience. Cognitive insight alone is often not enough to create lasting transformation. Real change occurs when we have new experiences at the level of physical sensation and emotion. Embodied practices allow us to rewire our nervous systems from the bottom up.

7. Awareness and mindfulness are powerful tools for transformation

Nothing that feels bad is ever the last step.

Awareness creates choice. By cultivating present-moment awareness of our inner experience, we create space to respond rather than react automatically. This allows us to interrupt habitual patterns and make new choices. Mindfulness of sensations, emotions, and thoughts expands our range of possibilities.

Mindfulness supports self-regulation. Regular mindfulness practice strengthens our capacity to observe experience without becoming overwhelmed. This builds our window of tolerance for difficult sensations and emotions. As we learn to be with experience non-judgmentally, we naturally regulate our nervous systems.

Key benefits of mindfulness for trauma healing:

• Increases body awareness
• Improves emotional regulation
• Reduces reactivity
• Cultivates self-compassion
• Supports nervous system regulation
• Interrupts traumatic patterns

8. Social engagement and human connection facilitate healing

The power of human contact to help change another's internal physiological state (through face-to-face engagement and appropriate touch) should not be underestimated.

We are wired for connection. Our nervous systems are designed to co-regulate through social engagement. Eye contact, vocal tone, and touch can powerfully impact our physiological state. Safe human connection provides essential support for healing trauma.

The social engagement system promotes regulation. When we feel safe in relationship, our social engagement system comes online. This activates the ventral vagal complex, supporting relaxation and feelings of safety. Attuned interpersonal connection helps bring our physiology into balance.

Healing happens in relationship. While self-regulation is important, co-regulation through safe relationships is equally crucial. The presence of a regulated other helps bring our systems into balance. This is why the therapeutic relationship is so powerful for trauma healing.

9. Bottom-up processing through the body is more effective than top-down cognitive approaches

The body initiates and the mind follows.

Bottom-up approaches target the source. Since trauma impacts the primitive parts of the brain and nervous system, approaches that work from the bottom up are often more effective. By starting with bodily sensations and working up to emotions and thoughts, we address trauma at its roots.

Cognitive approaches have limitations. While insight and understanding can be helpful, they often fail to reach the deeper levels where trauma is held. Talk therapy alone may not be sufficient to rewire the nervous system and release traumatic activation held in the body.

Key aspects of bottom-up processing:

• Starts with physical sensations
• Engages the body directly
• Targets subcortical brain regions
• Releases trapped energy and activation
• Rewires the nervous system
• Integrates instinct, emotion, and cognition

Last updated: August 27, 2024