Somatic counseling has tremendous benefits. Did you ever meet someone who seems to reflect their suffering physically? Indeed, you might be able to tell by their posture, their facial expressions, or body language.
Why does pain sometimes seem to show up this way? And, why can't we just think about the hurt and decide to be done with it?
Often, trauma impacts far more than our minds. The crises actually shape us in life-defining and unexpected ways. In the long run, the effects of trauma are chemical, neurological, hormonal, and more. Therefore, it makes sense that the physical body is part of any trauma treatment plan.
When attempting to recover from a past traumatic event, it is essential to remember that it isn't just a cognitive matter. Because of this, you can’t always think your way out of it. Let's explore that further below:
5 Reasons Why You Can’t Think Your Way Out of Trauma
1. More Than Your Thoughts Matter
Somatic therapy pioneer, Peter Levine studied how the parts of a traumatic experience can be left unaddressed by more conventional therapy. He found that particularly disturbing occurrences are a blend of the following key components:
mental images of the trauma
feelings and emotions linked to the trauma
sensations connected to the trauma
behavioral impulses associated with the trauma
meaning assigned to the trauma
This being the case, only emotions and behavior are addressed via thoughts. So, what happens to the imagery, stuck sensations, and understanding of the trauma's impact on your life? They are discovered and processed differently.
2. Your Brain's Memory Storage System Can Confuse Things
According to neurological research, your brain stores traumatic memories in key locations. These include:
Thinking areas of the prefrontal cortex
Emotional regions of the hippocampus and amygdala
As a result, such memory storage can make your symptoms more severe and make recovery more complex. This is common in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
3. Trauma is Not Just a “Cognitive” Issue
Studies have found that past trauma often results in a number of physical symptoms. Such as:
Decreased immune function
Sexual dysfunction
Digestive problems
Unexplained physical pain and tension
Hormonal imbalances
Addiction
Depression
Anxiety
Therefore, learning to see trauma as a result of ongoing, internal tension helps to increase the success of body-oriented therapies.
4.Calm Returns As the Limbic System is Soothed
Your limbic system is where highly-charged memories and emotions are stored in your brain. Therefore, reactions to these stored feelings can be irrational unless the limbic system is sufficiently calmed. For example, self-help methods to soothing this system involve 15 to 30 minutes per day of activities like:
Meditation
Physical exercise (yoga is an ideal example)
Listening to music and/or playing a musical instrument
Mindfulness practice
Deep breathing techniques
5. Trauma-Induced Havoc Requires Respect and Attention
Within our culture, there is a massive disconnect in how we perceive physical and mental health issues. For instance, no one would urge you to “snap out of it” if you had broken your arm. This would be absurd. Thus, it's just as unrealistic to assume anyone could think their way out of any emotional disorder. As well as a traumatized state, or a persistently reactive condition. So, just as you would reset a broken arm in a safe, stable environment, somatic therapy can help improve awareness and reframe your traumatic experience.
How Somatic Counseling Benefits Victims of Trauma
Somatic Counseling is a holistic approach. Deeply rooted in the mind-body connection. "Pushing through” trauma is not the goal. Therefore, think of somatic counseling benefits as a nervous system “re-set”. You’ve gone through something terrible. As a result, a massive surge of internal energy exists.
Essentially, unaddressed emotions will continue to re-emerge when they are triggered by a real or perceived similar threat. Both your mind and body must digest and process this energy before you can re-set. Somatic therapy recognizes that we aren’t always able to use the above-mentioned energy to flee from a threat or defend ourselves. For example, sometimes — especially as children — we are forced to stay and endure the traumatic event. We are prevented from completing our natural survival response. Somatic counseling benefits you by allowing you to unlock and access this stored trauma energy. Finally, if you suffer this way and feel “stuck,” you can re-set yourself and, in the process, reduce or eliminate the mental and physical symptoms of trauma.
Somatic Counseling Benefits:
Let's Get Started
The benefits are clear and the advantages are increasingly well-known. All in all, the link between what we experience mentally and absorb physically is powerful. Let me help you re-set your life.If you would like support and are looking for a psychotherapist, please contact us for a free consultation to learn about how we can be of service.
To attain somatic counseling benefits for yourself, read more about somatic therapy. Serving Boulder, Longmont, Denver.
For your other needs, you can count on April Lyons Psychotherapy Group, to help you heal and grow through EMDR therapy, somatic therapy, trauma therapy, and PTSD treatment – because we believe in your strength and potential for recovery.
