PSYCHOLOGY
trauma
somatic
healing
body-scan
The Body Keeps the Score: Trauma and Somatic Healing
Unexplained chronic pain and tension, could it be suppressed emotions? The limitations of talk therapy and healing through the body.
Somatic Therapist• 7 min read
Emotions are Stored in the Body
World-renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk said, "The Body Keeps the Score." Traumatic events or chronic stress that the mind has forgotten remain intact in the body as shoulder tension, shallow breathing, indigestion, etc.
Somatic Approach
Cognitive approaches asking "Why did you do that?" are difficult to heal deep trauma alone. You must focus on bodily sensations.
- ** Close your eyes and feel your body sensations from toes to head. Recognizing "My chest feels tight" or "My neck is stiff" alone releases tension.
- ** Animals shake their bodies after escaping danger. Physical movements like shaking the body or dancing are the best ways to release trapped energy.