How Trauma Manifests in the Body and How Somatic Therapy can help

Trauma isn’t just “in your head” but did you know it lives in the body too? You might notice it as a tight chest when you’re stressed, a knot in your stomach before a difficult conversation, or feeling on edge for no apparent reason. Trauma can cause our nervous system to stay in a constant state of distress or alert which can show up as physical symptoms like tension, pain, exhaustion, or a sense of being disconnected from yourself. Over time, this can create both physical and emotional pain or patterns that become so familiar we hardly notice them until they start impacting our daily lives!

So what do we know for sure? Trauma affects the nervous system and brain. When something overwhelming happens, the body’s stress response (driven by the autonomic nervous system) can get “stuck,” keeping us in fight-or-flight, freeze, or even fawn mode long after the event has passed. Research shows that chronic stress and trauma can alter brain structures like the amygdala and others that impact memory, emotional regulation, and our ability to feel safe. Polyvagal theory, another body-based therapy, adds another layer when addressing trauma and other concerns, explaining how our largest nerve called the vagus nerve (running all the way from our neck down to the gut) plays a central role in regulating these states of safety or threat. By working directly with the body with exercises or experiences, such as massage of this nerve or other areas, breath, movement, and awareness, somatic therapy helps signal to the nervous system that it’s safe to relax, allowing both body and brain to reset and move with past experiences more easily.

Somatic therapy may be different from other therapies as it works from the idea that the body holds these experiences on a physiological level, and that healing isn’t only about talking through memories, but can also include releasing what’s been “built up” physically. This often means tuning into sensations, breathing more deeply, or gently moving to help shift stuck energy. Somatic work can help us notice where we may be holding these physical memories and over time support our system in finding more balance. Simple exercises like lengthening your exhale, shaking out your arms and legs, or noticing where you feel supported when you sit can start to bring you back into your body in a safe way and even challenge how trauma may be impacting you physically and mentally.

Personally, I’ve used somatic therapy to help manage my own anxiety, and it’s been a game-changer! There’s something powerful about realizing that my body isn’t my enemy but that it’s been trying to protect me. By working with my signals of stress or relaxation instead of fighting them, I’ve been able to feel more grounded and connected, even in stressful moments. Somatic therapy can be combined with other approaches like CBT, mindfulness, or even EMDR to create a fuller picture of healing. It is our belief that giving ourselves more ways back to safety, connection, and wholeness, mind and body together, is the key to trauma-informed care!

Find out more about how we use this in practice at: https://www.vitalminds.ca/therapy-service/somatic-therapy/. Book with one of our somatic therapists here.