A big part of my job is tracking body-based cues, behaviors and coping strategies that signify the client is in an activated state, or if their nervous system is in a chronic state of dysregulation. Through tracking the client somatically, I am able to work with them to map what dysregulation looks like, how their particular body knows how to cope with stress, and from there, can develop a plan to start to unwind the trauma.

One of the basics of healing trauma is building our capacity to remain regulated in more stressful situations. One of the ways this is done is using somatic resourcing. This is why, when working with clients, I’m curious about the ways they already take care of themselves, and build on that to find the right resourcing practices for them. Every body is different and has different ways that will settle the nervous system.

This the idea that the body contains the knowing of when and how to unwind and integrate trauma. As a practitioner, it’s my job to be present, witness, and support trauma integration when your body deems it’s safe enough to do so.

Trauma-informed practitioners know that the pace of healing can be slow. I’m suspicious of healers that guarantee healing in a short amount of time, or otherwise have their own agenda about the pace of the work, or how it should look. I often say when talking about trauma: “Your body is the smartest part of you,” and we hold it in this respect throughout the process.

In the inequitable world we live in, your proximity to systemic oppression and intergenerational hardship can impact the way your body sustains and heals trauma. Folks from marginalized communities can develop nervous system adaptations from living under stress, in the form of a chronically dysregulated (or differently regulated) nervous system. This adaptation - while brilliant in its survival - can lead to the manifestation of stress-related physical health problems, and contribute to the continued snowball effect of disadvantage.

Privilege can also impact someone’s trauma response, because privilege can create a lack of resilience. A resilient nervous system is one that can easily move between threat responses and a regulated state, and if you have few experiences of adversity, you have fewer opportunities to build this resilience. This can lead to disconnection from others’ experiences and produce a lack of empathy.

(These are just two examples among a myriad of different ways that culture can impact trauma healing and resilience, the complexity of which will not be done justice here)

When I’m working with clients, taking into account their cultural context is an important part of mapping their nervous system, and helping to get a broader understanding of what their resilience, armor, and weaknesses may be.

Healing trauma is not about getting rid of anything, but integrating and inviting wholeness. All of our experiences make up who we are. Trauma fragments us. The process of healing trauma is about reuniting those fragments, and recovering parts of ourselves that were frozen in time or buried deep.