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The experience of trauma body is feeling uncomfortable in our skin, tense, overwhelming sensations or an inability to feel our body at all. We can feel chronically unsafe, anxious, chronically angry or walk around not feeling our sensations at all. We can feel uneasy around others and/or alone.
Bringing our body to a present sense of safety is key. This entails both processing experiences where we felt unsafe by making contact with the body sensations at the time while simultaneously bringing present awareness to the here and now through one's senses which connect to safety,

Feeling safe and engaged AND calm and alert, are not mutually exclusive. When we have achieved coherence in our bodies we can feel regulated by ourself and/or with another. We can move between a social situation, to a learning environment, to being alone, to meditation with ease.

First you need to recognize whether you are identified with your Trauma Body or not identified with your Trauma Body.
Trauma Body-Identified: This is when you believe the trauma that impacted your body symptoms are your battle wounds. Your body is now defined by the trauma.
Trauma Body: Non-Identified: This is when we know our sensations
First you need to recognize whether you are identified with your Trauma Body or not identified with your Trauma Body.
Trauma Body-Identified: This is when you believe the trauma that impacted your body symptoms are your battle wounds. Your body is now defined by the trauma.
Trauma Body: Non-Identified: This is when we know our sensations or lack there of are results of unprocessed trauma or feeling unsafe. I became a psychotherapist because I am passionate about helping people live their best lives. I have experience working with a diverse range of clients, including those with chronic mental health conditions.

Many individuals can experience somatic (body) symptoms associated with past painful and traumatic circumstances. Hyper-sensitivity to sensations, lacking ability to feel sensation or feeling out of control of our body are the most common trauma presentations. You can achieve healing with basic somatic tools and when these are not giving
Many individuals can experience somatic (body) symptoms associated with past painful and traumatic circumstances. Hyper-sensitivity to sensations, lacking ability to feel sensation or feeling out of control of our body are the most common trauma presentations. You can achieve healing with basic somatic tools and when these are not giving you enough symptom relief, there are many approaches that can help.

Somatic therapy can be beneficial to you if you are ready to have your body awareness be part of your therapy session. Studies have shown that our awareness to our internal experience is the necessary elixir to creating feelings of safety inside our own bodies. There are different somatic therapies; Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor and Hakomi, to name a few, are solid approaches that can help.
1) Fine a piece of paper. Draw a body on a piece of paper (stick figure is fine)
2) Use one color to identify where in your body you feel the most energy when you are angry, experiencing panic or anxiety or tense.
3) Use a different color to identify where in your body you have the most awareness of feeling spaced out, dissociative, sleepy and down and depressed. If you have no awareness, then mark where you start to have awareness when you come 'back online'.
4) State out loud where you feel the energy of HYPER arousal (number 2 above). If you have a friend or partner, state it out loud to them too. If possible, have them state it back to you by using your name, such as: 'Sue feels tension in her chest and hands when she is angry, etc.'
5) State out loud where you feel the energy of HYPO arousal (number 3 above). If you have a friend or partner, state it out loud to them too. If possible, have them state it back to you by using your name, such as: 'Sue feels her shoulders slouch forward and collapsed in her stomach when she is down, etc.'
6) Then try one of these steps below:
For HYPER arousal, you will need something CALMING:
For HYPER arousal when you are above a 5 out of 10, you will need a DISCHARGE activity first and then something CALMING:
For HYPO arousal, you will need something ALERTING:
Remember if you are feeling hypo (low energy or spacey) than you need something alerting for your nervous system, and if you are feeling hyper (over threshold, irritated, anxious) than you need something calming (after something discharging if you are over a 5 out of 10).
If you are feeling both, then you need something alerting than calming.
1) Mobilization helps in both states. Fast (really good if angry) or slower pace (good for grounding). Just moving your bodies always helps. Walking helps.
2) Bi-lateral movements (eyes, ears, feet, fists, smell) always helps.
3) The third shortcut is to re-‘orientate’ by using your dominant sense to connect with something in your immediate environment for at least 30 seconds.
4) Scent/Smelling (olfactory) always helps. It is the most immediate shortcut for the brain to regulate to the immediate present. As long as the scent is pleasurable to you.
5) If you tend to co-regulate, it will help you to put one hand on your chest and one on your stomach to help you self-regulate.
If you tend to avoid, then it will help you to look in someone’s eyes and then away, then back to their eyes then away, to try to facilitate more co-regulation.

Introduction to Healing Trauma: Basic Somatic Skills and Tools workshop is offered in person at least once a year. Click for more details: https://karensprinkel.com/intensives-%26-workshops
The Thriving Self: A New Paradigm in Healing Trauma in the Mind, Body and Spirit and Moving Beyond It