Implicit (physically held) memories and unresolved survival responses can be experienced as symptoms including but not limited to: panic, sleep issues, freezing/ feeling stuck, behavior problems, shutdown, depression, anxiety, tension, substance abuse, and eating disorders. The word trauma is used a lot these days. Its roots include ‘wound, loss, and a dislocation of parts.’ This includes experiences and/or various types of neglect that are too overwhelming to integrate resulting in dissociation and a fragmented sense of self.

Some trauma is single-incident and some is on-going or chronic. Some is relational involving other people and some is not. The inability to integrate traumatic events results in structural and emotional fragmentation that can persist after the need to disconnect to protect has passed.

Creative and somatic therapies respond to the need for elemental engagement to restore wholeness. These modalities support the resolution of healthy survival responses. You may experience an implicit memory of an event but minimize it because there is no concrete explanation. This is normal because our prefrontal cortex (cognitive and executive function area of the brain) goes offline during traumatic events to help protect us and to expend energy where it is needed most- for protection.

Because trauma symptoms are experienced in the present, past experiences are studied and worked with in the here and now with new experiences. Using expressive art mediums and neurobiologically informed talk therapy mitigate the risk of re-traumatization. We will collaborate to find the right pace and combination of modalities for you to grow.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy for trauma

• a body based talk therapy that attunes to the needs of the nervous system to establish safety and stability

• works with how each individual organizes different aspects (thoughts, feelings, sensations, movements, perception) of experiences to discover internal maps for healing

• collaborates with the client to access the wisdom of the body and enhance agency

  For more about this somatic modality please visit the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute