Somatic Trauma Therapy

 

Somatic trauma therapy developed by Babette Rothschild, is a body psychotherapy, without body contact, which uses a variety of techniques to help a person get their feet back on the ground, and increase the quality of their life after experiencing a trauma.

 

Traumas are events that threaten one's life and/or limb, which are overwhelming for a person. They can be physical, emotional or mental. Post traumatic stress disorder can result from one big trauma or a gradual build up of many lesser traumas that eventually surpass the individual's stress threshold.

 

The after effects of traumas may be panic attacks, fears, nervousness, reduction in life quality, avoidance of particular places or feelings and nightmares.

 

Somatic trauma therapy helps a person

 

  - build up external and internal resources

​

  - become more aware of their body and

    feelings

​

  - develop dual awareness, i.e. be able to

    notice what sensations they are feeling

    in their body and at the same time be

    able to describe things in the room

    where they are at the present moment

​

  - develop control over memories to

    enhance resources and to decrease

    threatening sensations and thoughts

​

  - understand that the traumatic event

    happened in the past and that they

    survived it. This works with the limbic

    system in the brain.

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  - develop trust in themselves

​

  - develop an understanding of their

    boundaries

 

Somatic trauma therapy can support many other therapies and help to make them safe for the client.