Body-informed trauma treatment integrates, regulates and heals

By Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP

​Welcome to a phrase that I've just coined -- body-informed care.  The words "trauma-Informed" have become a well-used phrase when discussing the care and treatment of survivors of trauma in the the fields of health and wellness. However, I've come to believe that if we are to be trauma-informed, we must   become body-informed as well.

Attention to the physical body is crucial in trauma treatment. Although we would like to think otherwise, trauma is not solely a psychological experience that affects the thinking brain. The fact is that traumatic experiences can leave a lasting impact on the body, leading to physical sensations, tension, and dysregulation, and sometimes illness and worse. By focusing on the body, trauma treatment can address the somatic aspects of trauma and promote truly holistic healing.

The practitioner is charged with rewriting the nervous system into a new pattern of safety. This challenge means that practitioners must not only be trauma-informed but also body-informed. As we learn more about the neuroscience of co-regulation -- the idea that one person's nervous system impacts another's nervous system, the practitioner must be the "more regulated" one in the session and learn and practice how to stay in his, her or their own body so they can be present when they are working with a traumatized person.
 
Here are some reasons why attention to the body is important in trauma treatment:

 The body stores trauma. As psychiatrist and trauma researcher Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of best-selling The Body Keeps the Score, tells us, traumatic experiences can become trapped in the body, leading to symptoms such as chronic pain, muscle tension, and physical discomfort. By paying attention to the body, therapists can help survivors release and process these stored traumas.
 
Regulation of the nervous system. Trauma dysregulates the nervous system, leading to heightened states of arousal or dissociation. By including the body in trauma treatment, psychotherapists and other healing professionals can help survivors regulate their nervous system responses, promoting a sense of safety and stability.
 
Accessing non-verbal memories. Trauma memories are not always easily accessible through verbal communication alone because the body holds non-verbal memories and sensations related to the trauma. By attending to the body, helpers can support survivors to access and process these non-verbal memories, facilitating a deeper understanding and integration of the trauma.
 
Empowerment and self-awareness. Focusing on the body and the body's natural intelligence empowers survivors to develop a greater awareness of their physical sensations, emotions, and boundaries. This increased self-awareness allows survivors to regain a sense of control over their bodies and their healing process.
 
Integration of mind and body. Trauma disconnects ourselves from the body, so that we miss cues of the body's needs-- for instance, when it is hungry, tired and in physical pain or distress. This means that true self care is bypassed as we may push ourselves to produce, excel or practice various kinds of self harm.    By integrating the the body with the thinking brain,  body-informed trauma treatment can help trauma survivors reconnect with their physical selves, fostering a sense of wholeness and well being.

Slowing down and encouraging people to notice "What's happening in your body?" and making referrals to massage therapists and bodyworkers who are trauma-informed is a good start. In addition, more practitioners are seeking training in methods of healing that include or focus on the body, including psychodrama, Family Constellations, yoga therapy, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR and bodywork interventions and applications. 

However, it is also important to be able to assess when body-based interventions --  such as EMDR and yoga -- will not be helpful and respond in other ways. This is the route of being a body-informed psychotherapist.

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Karen Carnabucci, LCSW, TEP, is a nationally board-certified practitioner of psychodrama, sociometry and group psychotherapy and the founder and director of the Lancaster School of Psychodrama and Experiential Psychotherapies. She will be co-teaching the class "Becoming a Body-Informed Trauma Therapist and Practitioner"with Gisele Silva, LMT,where you can learn more here. In addition, you may subscribe to Karen's e-letter here.