Somatic Trauma Therapy—How Healing Happens Through the Body
As our collective understanding of trauma continues to evolve, so does our recognition of its widespread impact—not just on the individual, but across systems, relationships, and even generations. One of the most profound insights in recent years is the realization that trauma is not solely a psychological experience. It is a deeply embodied one.
More than just thoughts or memories, trauma lives in the body. It shapes how we breathe,
how we hold ourselves, and how we respond to everyday stressors.
The body, in many ways, carries the weight of what the mind cannot process.
The renowned physician and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté captures this truth succinctly when he says, “Trauma is not what happens to you. It’s what happens inside of you as a result of what happens to you.” His words highlight an essential truth—trauma resides in the internal responses—specifically, in the nervous system’s reaction to overwhelming events. When those responses are not fully processed, they can become “stuck,” leading to a host of symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and other mind-body conditions.
Understanding Trauma as a Nervous System Injury
When something traumatic happens, our body does what it’s wired to do—it reacts in service of survival. The autonomic nervous system takes over, triggering a protective response—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. These states aren’t chosen—they’re reflexive. They’re our body’s built-in emergency responses designed to keep us alive.
In a healthy nervous system, once the danger has passed, the body should return to a state of regulation. But with trauma, especially when the threat was ongoing, overwhelming, or inescapable, the nervous system can get stuck in those survival states. It’s as though the body never received the signal that it’s safe now.
This kind of dysregulation—whether chronic hyperarousal (anxiety, agitation, anger) or hypoarousal (numbness, dissociation, fatigue)—can linger long after the trauma ends. And because the nervous system influences everything from our heart rate and digestion to our sleep patterns and emotional regulation, unresolved trauma can manifest in a wide array of symptoms, including:
Panic attacks or chronic anxiety
Difficulty concentrating or memory issues
Muscle tension, pain, or chronic health issues
Sleep disturbances and nightmares
Emotional numbness or mood swings
Shame, self-blame, or a persistent sense of dread
Disconnection from the body or the present moment
Trauma changes the way the nervous system perceives and responds to the world. Situations that are objectively safe may still feel threatening, and the body may react as if danger is still present—even if the mind “knows” otherwise. This is what makes trauma so complex: it’s not about what’s happening now, but how the nervous system is interpreting it based on the past.
That’s why healing from trauma requires more than just talking about what happened. Insight and reflection can be helpful, but if the nervous system remains dysregulated, those cognitive tools may not be enough. True healing involves engaging with the body, supporting the nervous system in finding balance, and creating safe, embodied experiences that help us feel present and in control again.
Top-Down vs. Bottom-Up Approaches to Healing Trauma
In the field of trauma therapy, there are two primary frameworks for healing—top-down and bottom-up approaches.
Top-down approaches—like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and narrative therapy—focus primarily on the mind. They aim to help individuals understand and reframe their thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors. These therapies are powerful tools, especially when someone has regained enough safety and regulation to reflect on their experiences.
However, during or after trauma, the prefrontal cortex—the part of the brain responsible for logic and reasoning—can go offline. When the nervous system is in a state of survival, cognitive processing becomes difficult or even impossible. This is why individuals often find themselves “stuck” in trauma, even when they understand it intellectually.
This is where bottom-up approaches come in.
What Are Bottom-Up Somatic Approaches?
Somatic therapies work with the body first. These approaches acknowledge that healing must begin with the felt sense—the internal awareness of our physical and emotional state. By supporting regulation at the level of the nervous system, somatic therapies lay the groundwork for deeper, lasting healing.
Some of the most effective bottom-up approaches include:
Somatic Experiencing (SE)—Developed by Peter Levine, SE helps clients track bodily sensations to gradually release trauma stored in the nervous system.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)—While often viewed as a hybrid approach, EMDR has strong somatic components. Somatic EMDR takes this a step further, using body-based awareness alongside traditional EMDR techniques to deepen processing.
Yoga Therapy—Trauma-informed yoga offers gentle movement, breathwork, and mindfulness that help reconnect people with their bodies in a safe and empowering way.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy—This approach blends somatic awareness with attachment theory and mindfulness to help clients process trauma through bodily experience.
Breathwork & Polyvagal-Informed Therapy—Practices that engage the vagus nerve—such as deep breathing, humming, or cold exposure—can support nervous system flexibility and resilience.
These therapies work by helping individuals:
Reclaim a sense of safety in their bodies
Release stored trauma responses
Build resilience through nervous system regulation
Reconnect with themselves in an embodied, compassionate way
The Body Remembers—And It Can Also Heal
The idea that “the body keeps the score,” as famously stated by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, is now a cornerstone of trauma-informed care. It acknowledges that trauma doesn't just live in our memories—it lives in our muscles, our breath, our posture, our gut, and our nervous system. Our bodies remember what our minds might try to forget.
But just as the body holds the imprint of trauma, it also holds the blueprint for healing. The body remembers how to move, how to breathe freely, how to rest, and how to feel safe. These innate abilities may become buried beneath years of tension, vigilance, or dissociation, but they are not lost. They can be reawakened.
Somatic healing is not about re-experiencing trauma or forcing the body to "let go" before it's ready. Instead, it’s about gently and respectfully guiding the body back to regulation, one moment of safety at a time. Healing happens through micro-corrections—a slowed breath, a grounding touch, a movement that says, “I’m here, and I’m safe now.”
Many trauma survivors have learned to disconnect from their bodies as a means of protection. In somatic therapy, we honor that disconnection as a survival strategy—and we gently invite reconnection only when the body is ready. This work isn’t about “fixing” what’s broken, but about rebuilding trust in the body’s capacity to support and protect.
In this space, healing might look like:
Noticing and softening chronic tension that’s been held for years
Feeling safe enough to breathe deeply
Recognizing the difference between real and perceived threat
Reclaiming agency through movement
Allowing emotions to rise and pass without overwhelm
Developing a felt sense of being at home in your body
These shifts are often quiet and subtle. But over time, they build into profound transformation. Clients often describe a growing sense of clarity, groundedness, and empowerment—a feeling of coming back to themselves after years of feeling hijacked by their trauma. At its heart, somatic trauma healing is an act of reconnection. It’s an invitation to return to the body not as a source of pain, but as a place of wisdom, strength, and possibility. When we begin to listen to the body with compassion, it responds—not all at once, but slowly, steadily, and often beautifully.
Moving Toward Wholeness
Recovery from trauma is a deeply personal and non-linear journey. It’s not about erasing the past—it’s about learning how to live fully in the present while honoring what you’ve endured. No two healing journeys look the same, and there is no single path or timeline. What matters most is finding what feels supportive, empowering, and sustainable for you.
For many people, the most meaningful healing comes from an integrative approach—one that addresses both the mind and the body. Cognitive, insight-based therapies like CBT, ACT, and psychodynamic therapy can help individuals make sense of their experiences, challenge unhelpful beliefs, and create new narratives about who they are. This is the top-down approach: healing through understanding.
But understanding alone is often not enough—especially when trauma has left the nervous system in a constant state of alert or shutdown. That’s where bottom-up, body-based therapies become essential. Somatic practices, like EMDR, trauma-informed yoga, mindfulness, breathwork, and nervous system regulation techniques, help clients process trauma where it lives—in the body. These approaches don’t just talk about safety and regulation; they create the conditions for clients to feel it.
Together, these methods form a powerful synergy:
🧠 Top-down work helps reframe old beliefs and integrate meaning.
🫀 Bottom-up work restores the felt sense of safety, aliveness, and self-trust.
When both the mind and body are invited into the healing process, clients often experience deeper breakthroughs, greater resilience, and a renewed connection to themselves and others. This integration leads not only to symptom relief, but to true transformation—a sense of wholeness that feels both empowering and lasting.
At Spilove Psychotherapy, we understand the complexities of trauma and the courage it takes to begin healing. Our trauma-informed therapists are trained in both traditional and somatic-based modalities, including:
EMDR to reprocess and integrate traumatic memories
DBT to build emotional regulation and distress tolerance
Mindfulness practices to cultivate presence and awareness
Body-based approaches that support nervous system healing and self-connection
We believe in the wisdom of the body, the power of human connection, and the resilience of the human spirit.
Our goal is to help you reconnect with yourself—not just intellectually, but emotionally, physically, and energetically—so you can move forward with clarity, confidence, and peace.
Begin Your Somatic Healing Journey
If you’re feeling disconnected from your body, overwhelmed by stress, or stuck in survival mode, you’re not alone. Trauma lives in the body—and that means healing must include the body too. At Spilove Psychotherapy, we offer somatic trauma therapy that gently helps you reconnect with yourself, regulate your nervous system, and create a new sense of safety from the inside out.
Somatic therapy invites you to tune into your body’s wisdom, shift out of chronic fight, flight, or freeze, and restore your natural rhythms of calm and connection. Whether through somatic EMDR, trauma-informed yoga, mindfulness practices, or other body-based approaches, our therapists are here to guide you with compassion and attunement every step of the way.
You don’t need to force healing. You can allow it—at your own pace, in your own way.
Here’s how to begin:
Book a free 15-minute phone consultation to explore how somatic therapy can support your healing process.
Browse our blog to learn more about body-based trauma treatment and nervous system regulation.
Discover how Spilove Psychotherapy can help you feel more grounded, embodied, and empowered.
Your body holds the story—but it also holds the key to healing. When you're ready, we’re here to support you in finding your way back home to yourself.
About the Author
Jessi Mitchell, MS, is a trauma-informed therapist at Spilove Psychotherapy who specializes in healing complex trauma through a compassionate, body-centered approach. With training in EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic therapy, and Trauma-Sensitive Yoga, Jessi helps clients reconnect with their bodies, process unresolved pain, and cultivate a sense of safety and self-trust. She works closely with individuals navigating childhood trauma, grief and loss, identity exploration, and body image concerns.
Jessi is especially passionate about supporting LGBTQIA+ individuals and those who have felt disconnected from their bodies due to trauma. Her integrative style honors the mind-body connection and offers clients multiple pathways to healing—whether through movement, mindfulness, or deep inner parts work. At the heart of her approach is a belief that every person deserves to feel at home in their body and empowered in their healing journey.
Other Therapy Services We Offer in Pennsylvania
In addition to our focus on somatic therapy, our skilled therapists offer a variety of other mental health services. These include Ketamine-assisted Psychotherapy, LGBTQIA+ therapy, and treatment for eating disorders. We also provide specialized EMDR therapy or trauma therapy, family and relationships therapy, yoga therapy and couples therapy.
Our qualified therapists conduct DBT skills groups as well.
If life coaching is more suited to your needs than traditional therapy, we provide in-person life coaching in Pennsylvania and online services across the US.
