Trauma and the Body: Healing Holistically

By: Rashanda Belin, Intern Therapist

Created: January 31, 2025

Published: February 6, 2025

“When you start approaching your body with curiosity instead of fear, everything shifts,”  -Bessel van der Kolk

For many years, trauma was primarily understood as a psychological experience that could be healed through mental or emotional work. However, research, including in fields like neuroscience and trauma therapy, has shown that trauma also has a significant effect on the body. By exploring how trauma influences our brain, body, spirit, and soul, individuals can find the strength to heal and take back agency over their lives once more. 

According to Bessel van der Kolk (2015), a psychiatrist, trauma researcher, and author of The Body Keeps the Score, traumatic experiences fundamentally reshape how the brain processes the world, leaving lasting imprints on the nervous system. His work explores how trauma disrupts areas of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, memory, and the stress response. This often manifests as heightened reactivity, difficulty managing emotions, and even chronic pain. Since trauma can reside in your body, healing from trauma can be supported by rebuilding your connection with your body.  One evidence-based approach is somatic therapy, which focuses on bodily awareness and sensation. According to the Harvard Health Blog (2023), somatic therapy helps individuals release stored trauma through techniques such as breathwork, grounding, and mindful movement. 

Practical Tools for Healing

Here are some easy tools you can use to foster a sense of safety and presence in your body:

Grounding Techniques

When you feel overwhelmed, try grounding exercises to anchor yourself in the present moment. For example, focus on the sensation of your feet touching the floor or engage in the “5-4-3-2-1” method: identify five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste (van der Kolk, 2015).

Breathwork

Deep breathing calms the nervous system and promotes relaxation. Try this: Inhale for four counts, hold for four, exhale for six, and repeat. Menakem (2017) refers to this as engaging the "soul nerve" (vagus nerve), which helps regulate stress responses.

Resourcing 

Identify and reflect on positive memories or sensations that bring feelings of safety, resilience, and joy. Try keeping a journal of these memories for quick access when needed. (Menakem, 2017)

Mindful Movement

Engaging in yoga, dance, or even a gentle walk can help you release tension held within your body. As van der Kolk (2015) suggests, these activities enhance your awareness of your body and nurture your emotional well-being.

Strength in Community

Healing truly blossoms when we connect with one another. Menakem (2017) beautifully emphasizes the importance of creating safe spaces within our communities to address collective trauma. By participating in support groups, therapy, or sincere conversations, we foster resilience and deepen our understanding of one another.

Embracing Tomorrow

Healing from trauma can feel overwhelming, but you are not alone, and there is always hope. Remember, this journey isn’t about perfection; it’s about progress. Some days will feel lighter than others, but every step forward, no matter how small, is a victory worth celebrating. Always remember to be gentle with yourself and practice self-compassion. 

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References:

Harvard Health Publishing. (2023). What is somatic therapy? Harvard Health Blog.  Retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-somatic-therapy-202307072951

Menakem, R. (2017). My grandmother’s hands: Racialized trauma and the pathway to mending our hearts and bodies. Central Recovery Press.

van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking.

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