How the Body Stores Trauma—and How Somatic Therapy Releases It

Somatic therapy offers a powerful approach to healing trauma by working directly with the body's stored memories and tensions. When difficult experiences happen, your body doesn't just forget them. Instead, it holds onto these memories in ways that can affect you for years. Traditional talk therapy alone might not always feel complete, and that’s where somatic therapy can fill in the blanks.

When Your Body Keeps Score

Trauma lives in your body long after the event has passed. Think about how your shoulders tense up when you're stressed or how your stomach churns when you're anxious. These physical responses happen without conscious thought. Your nervous system reacts to perceived threats by preparing your body to fight, flee, or freeze.

When trauma occurs, your body activates these survival responses. If the experience is too overwhelming, your system may not fully process what happened. The energy meant for running or defending yourself gets trapped inside. Your muscles might stay tight, and your nervous system can get stuck in high alert mode.

These stored responses can show up in unexpected ways. You might experience digestive issues that don't seem to have a medical cause, or feel on edge even when you're safe. Your body is essentially still responding to a threat that is no longer present.

Decoding Your Body’s Stress Signals

Many people don't connect their current physical symptoms to past difficult experiences. Common signs that your body is holding trauma include chronic pain without a clear medical explanation, frequent headaches, persistent fatigue, and difficulty sleeping. You may also experience a disconnection from your body or be detached from physical sensations.

Some people describe feeling like they're watching themselves from the outside, going through life on autopilot. Others notice they startle easily or have trouble relaxing even in comfortable situations. This happens because your nervous system, unaware that the danger has passed, is employing survival strategies.

Why Somatic Therapy Works

Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between mind and body. Rather than only talking about what happened to you, this approach helps you tune into physical sensations and release that trapped energy.

During sessions, a trained therapist will guide you and teach you how to notice what's happening in your body. You might explore areas of tension, track sensations like warmth or tingling, or observe your breathing patterns. Through awareness and specific techniques that you'll learn, you can help your nervous system complete the protective responses that got interrupted during trauma. This process allows stored energy to release gradually and safely.

Healing only happens when your body feels safe enough to let go. Sessions often include practices like body scanning, gentle movement, breath work, and mindfulness. You learn to track sensations and build tolerance for uncomfortable feelings without becoming overwhelmed.

Finding Stillness in the Storm

Somatic therapy emphasizes working at your own pace. The goal isn't to force anything but to create conditions where your body feels safe enough to release what it's been holding. This might mean starting with small, manageable areas before addressing any deeper trauma.

Learning your body’s cues allows you to recognize triggers and choose the right tools to reset. You might feel tension release through trembling, deep breaths, or a wave of warmth, all signs that your nervous system is finally letting go of the stress.

A New Baseline

Stored trauma affects every part of your life. Relationships, work, sleep, and overall well-being are impacted. Somatic therapy provides a way to address these deep-rooted patterns by working with your body's inner wisdom.

If you've tried other approaches and still feel stuck, exploring body-based healing might offer the breakthrough you've been seeking. To learn more about how a somatic therapist can support your recovery, call me to schedule an appointment. Take the next step to live a life defined by your choices rather than your past.