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Trauma isn’t just something that happens to the mind—it lives in the body. You may logically understand that the past is over, yet your body still reacts as if the danger is real. This is because trauma rewires the nervous system, keeping it stuck in survival mode long after the event has passed. If you’ve ever wondered why you can’t “just move on,” the answer lies in how your body, not just your thoughts, holds onto trauma.
Why Trauma Gets Stuck in the Body
When we experience trauma, our nervous system activates protective responses—fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. If we don’t have the opportunity to fully process the event, these responses can become stuck in the body, leaving us feeling constantly on edge, emotionally numb, or disconnected from ourselves.
Signs that trauma is still affecting your body include:
✔ Feeling on high alert even when you’re safe
✔ Struggling to relax or feeling numb and detached
✔ Experiencing chronic tension, fatigue, or pain
✔ Reacting to situations in ways that feel disproportionate to the moment
The key to healing isn’t just changing your thoughts—it’s working with your body to restore a sense of safety.
Why Traditional Talk Therapy May Not Be Enough
For many people, talking about trauma isn’t enough to fully heal. While traditional therapy can help make sense of what happened, trauma isn’t just a memory—it’s an experience stored in your nervous system.
Cognitive approaches focus on changing thoughts and behaviors, but if your nervous system is still dysregulated, no amount of logical reasoning will convince your body that it’s safe. This is why people often say, “I understand what happened, but I still feel stuck.”
Somatic therapy, guided by Polyvagal Theory, helps release trauma at the nervous system level, allowing your body to learn that the danger has passed. Instead of just reframing thoughts, this approach teaches your nervous system how to feel safe again—something that talking alone can’t always achieve.
How Polyvagal-Informed Somatic Therapy for Trauma Helps Release Stored Pain
Healing trauma involves regulating the nervous system, rather than forcing yourself to “move on” before your body is ready. Here are some body-based techniques that help:
Breathwork for Nervous System Regulation Deep, slow breathing signals to your body that you’re safe, shifting you out of fight-or-flight mode. Try box breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) to help regulate your system.
Grounding Techniques to Bring You Back to the Present Trauma pulls you into the past, but grounding techniques help bring you into the here and now. Try pressing your feet into the floor, noticing five things around you, or placing a hand on your chest and taking slow breaths.
Co-Regulation: Healing Through Safe Relationships Trauma can make relationships feel unsafe, but healing happens in connection. Being around a calm, supportive person—whether a therapist, friend, or loved one—can help your nervous system learn what safety feels like again.
Somatic Therapy: Releasing Stored Trauma Through the Body Somatic therapy works directly with how trauma is held in the body, using movement, breath, and nervous system awareness to release stored tension and restore a sense of balance. Unlike talk therapy alone, this approach helps your body learn that the trauma is over, allowing true healing to take place.
You Don’t Have to Stay Stuck—Healing Is Possible
If you’ve been feeling like you “should” be over it by now, know this: your body isn’t broken, it’s protecting you. Trauma healing isn’t about willpower—it’s about working with your nervous system, not against it.
Take the First Step Toward Healing
At Creating Space Therapy, our experienced polyvagal-informed somatic therapists, Thelma Razo, LCSW, and Tracy Teichman, LCSW, specialize in polyvagal-informed somatic therapy and are here to guide you through your healing journey to help you reconnect with your body, regulate your nervous system, and move toward true healing. You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode—healing is possible, and we’re here to support you every step of the way.
Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today to explore how therapy can help you move beyond trauma, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe and empowering.
📞 Call us at (630) 601-3460
Your healing journey starts now. Let’s create space for the safety, connection, and relief you’ve been searching for.
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