Somatic Experiencing Touch work for Trauma and Stress Processing
Somatic Experiencing Touch work for Trauma and Stress Processing
Somatic Experiencing touch work is an advanced skill applied to the body as a whole. It is NOT to be mistaken for massage or manipulation of the body in any way.
Used in conjunction with Somatic Experiencing verbal psychotherapy, touch work provides greater access to gently releasing bound or braced energies in the body. These energies are types of body tension patterns that can result in migraines, anxiety, physical pain and auto immune issues, to name a few.
Touch can also stimulate the body to move towards regulation when shutdown and collapsed presentations appear. This shutdown often presents as chronic fatigue, depression, low blood pressure, disassociation, and some mental health conditions.
Touch work aims to:
Enable co-regulation and develop the neuroception (felt sense) of safety
Provide grounding
Support coherence of the various systems within the body, such as the immune, digestive and ANS, heart variability and blood pressure, fascia, muscle and bone repair, and the functioning of organs
Move bound trauma energy in joints, diaphragms, muscles and organs
Improve mental and psychical health
Support access to the motor system designed to respond and complete self-protective defences for regulation
Access the parasympathetic system for healthy rest and digestion (the low dorsal tone within Polyvagal theory)
Bring specific intention and attention to the above-mentioned body systems to facilitate greater presence, attunement and regulation
Facilitate the experience of nourishing rest.
Touch work has the potential to offer vital assistance in repairing complex trauma and developmental trauma. The right application of touch can promote physiological healing and connection with self and others.
