Julia Scott has recently undertaken somatic trauma therapy training with Babette Rothschild, body-psychotherapist, specialist trainer in the treatment of Trauma and PTSD, and author of The Body Remembers.

About somatic trauma therapy

In the face of danger, our nervous system is activated for fight/flight. Once the danger has passed, the nervous system is supposed to return to its normal, balanced state. However, when it is overwhelmed, rather than return to a balanced state, the nervous system remains "stuck on", resulting in Post-traumatic Stress (PTS) or Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Somatic trauma therapy is a relatively gentle approach to recovering from post-traumatic stress. It involves working with both body and mind to restore the nervous system to a state of balance. It is not always necessary or advisable to revisit past traumatic experiences; often restoring balance to the nervous system is sufficient.

If, once the nervous system is in balance, you decide that you would like to process past trauma, this is done by reviewing the events surrounding the trauma, without reliving it. Again, we work with the body to restore body awareness, body acceptance and body integrity.

Somatic trauma therapy can take anywhere from a few sessions to several years. The duration will depend on the nature of the trauma, how old you were when it happened, whether it was an isolated trauma or an ongoing period of trauma, and on your resources and strengths.