Personal (emotional) trauma is an individual's response to a lived experience that has left a deep imprint on their body, emotions, and mental state. Trauma can result from singular events (such as an accident or the loss of a loved one) or prolonged exposure to negative factors (like family stress or emotional and physical abuse). Trauma arises when an event overwhelms a person's ability to cope.

On a physical level, trauma often manifests as chronic muscle tension, disrupted breathing, and movement restrictions. The Feldenkrais Method and Hanna Somatics view the body as an integral part of our lived experience, offering movement practices and mindfulness techniques to help release the body and mind from the lingering effects of trauma.

How Does Trauma Harm an Individual? Trauma impacts all levels of a person’s being: physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual.

 

Physical Harm:

• Chronic tension and disruptions in body awareness.

• Movement restrictions that cause pain and discomfort.

• Impaired breathing and overall body tension.

 

Emotional Harm:

• Difficulty recognizing and expressing emotions.

• A predominance of “negative” emotions, such as anger, shame, and helplessness.

• Persistent feelings of anxiety or internal tension.

 

Mental Harm:

• Black-and-white thinking patterns.

• A distorted belief system about oneself and the world.

 

Social Harm:

• Challenges in forming close relationships.

• Feelings of isolation and difficulties in trusting others.

 

Spiritual Harm:

• Loss of trust in others and the world at large.

• A diminished sense of life purpose.

• Loss of a sense of wholeness and connection with oneself.

 

Somatic exercises based on the Feldenkrais Method, Hanna Somatics, and Somatic Experiencing offer gentle yet effective tools for restoring bodily integrity and harmony between the body and mind.

 

How Can Trauma Be Treated? Modern approaches to trauma treatment emphasize the importance of working with the body. Through embodied practices, individuals can restore mindfulness and "rewrite" traumatic experiences. Somatic exercises developed within the frameworks of Somatic Experiencing, Hanna Somatics, and the Feldenkrais Method are powerful tools for body-based healing. These body movement practices gently restore natural movement patterns, bringing back freedom and ease.

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Here’s how they work:

• Release body tension. Gentle, mindful movements help muscles and the nervous system let go of chronic tension.

• Reconnect body and mind. Exercises restore the ability to experience the body as a unified whole.

• Rewrite traumatic experiences. Through conscious movement, individuals learn to respond to stress more harmoniously.

By combining these approaches in individual sessions, we create a safe and effective path to healing, helping you regain wholeness, balance, and a renewed sense of self.