Somatic Healing

Red Sleeve Panther, Cheyenne warrior
PTSD survivor?  photo credit: L.A. Huffman, 1879

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is seemingly epidemic and Integrated Medicine's (IM) cache of promising interventions effectively address this catastrophic malady.

"Post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death."  Source: healthline.com

1.7 million people are effected by a traumatic brain injury every year.  There are tens of thousands of veterans coming back from war scenarios,  PTSD is a major health factor; it is estimated 1 out of 6 vets will be homeless in their lifetime due to non-addressed PTSD.  Currently, pain and underlying PTSD symptoms are being treated with opioids (not effectively); therefore, addiction can be a side effect of PTSD untreated.  Countless others (on the record and off) have suffered birth trauma, sexual abuse, assault, accident, natural disasters and violence all making them likely victims of PTSD. Like cancer, if you haven't experienced PTSD yourself, chances are a loved one has.


Neuroscientific research validates the truth that the body and mind are not separate but are interdependent and deeply interconnected. Whereas trauma impacts dramatically on a person's mental and emotional well-being, the physicality of the trauma is stored in the body, in the cells and the patterning of the autonomic nervous system.  One might not even remember the trauma, but the body does not forget.  Trauma actually becomes embedded in the nervous system.  As long as it is stored or veritably trapped in the body, trauma will wreak havoc on a person's physical, mental emotional and spiritual wellness. An example is, a client's assault trauma remained minimized for ten years.  When a minor injury in the same area of the original trauma occurred, a full blown physical, mental and emotional response was elicited throwing the client into crisis.  Trauma energy (no matter how old) is unintegrated, fragmented and extremely charged.  Unresolved trauma can impact charged positive states as well, such as sexuality, compassion, gratitude and joy as stored trauma is extremely energized and in the central nervous system's aroused state, (posititive or otherwise) mirrors the parallel heightened state in the trauma event.  

As one might guess, talk psychotherapy is not usually the best way to approach PTSD.  The body memories can't be talked out of what was experienced.   Somatic Experiencing and Somatic Emotional Release are both extremely valuable body work modalities, effective in dealing with PTSD.  When in the hands of a compassionate and competent practitioner, miracles can happen.  Shamanic rituals and nature-based healing practices (which I wouldn't doubt Red Sleeve Panther above, might have utilized in recovering from what was probably multiple traumas in his lifetime) also mend and repair a dysregulated nervous system.  We have several layers of energy fields and when one of those fields is violated by trauma or major stress, all the related fields akin to it are adversely effected. Tantric Medicine, Therapeutic Touch, Reiki, Healing Touch, EFT, energy medicines like flower remedies, homeopathy, essential oils and botanicals all go a long way in smoothing out a ruptured energy field and aid in rebuilding one's inherent life force stream.  There are a host of approaches.  One or many might strongly resonate with one's personal path; choice should be determined by a vibrational affinity and the severity of the trauma.

Foundation for Human Enrichment. (2007) Somatic Experiencing healing trauma. Boulder, CO
Levine, P. & Frederick A (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma.  Richmond, North Atlantic Books
Rothschild, B (2000). The Body Remembers: The psychophysiology of trauma and trauma treatment.  WW Norton and Co.
Carleton, J & Gabay, J (2012) Somatic Experiencing: A Neuroscientific Approach to Attachment Trauma. Annals of Psychotherapy and Integrative 
        Health, Vol.15-1 pp 52-67

Following are other resources:
Somatic Emotional Release
About Somatic Experiencing | Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ... 
http://www.authenticmovementjournal.com/?p=813--Tantric Medicine
http://www.authenticmovementjournal.com/?p=54  Connecting Authentic Movement with Other Practices to Transform Trauma