In the journey of healing from trauma, compassionately understanding the intricate dance between our brain, body and time is key.
Bessel van der Kolk says the "goal of trauma treatment is finally to be here and not there" - that is to say that trauma, held in our body, can keep us feeing as if we are trapped in the past, and healing is to re-learn how to live in the present.
In this post, I focus on complex trauma (or C-PTSD), because this is, in my experience, the type of trauma that most people in the Western world may carry. We'll look at how and why somatic (body-based) approaches, working with the nervous system, and trauma-informed mindfulness are a key part of the healing journey, to give you hope and understanding of what to expect if you choose to walk this path.
Understanding Complex Trauma:
Complex trauma, or C-PTSD, (unlike PTSD which is from a single event) arises from prolonged exposure to traumatic events or chronic stress, often where escape or relief seems impossible. It's common for complex trauma to have its roots in the developmental years of childhood, but can also originate in adulthood. It tends to be interpersonal in nature; that it arises from relationships with others. This could be parents, caregivers, siblings, partners or co-workers. It isn't just about singular incidents; it's about the cumulative impact of enduring adversity, such as abuse, neglect, or prolonged exposure to violence or bullying. It's important to understand that complex trauma does not only come about from what happened, but also what didn't happen; a lack of attunement and emotional support could leave imprints of complex trauma. These experiences shape not only our thoughts and emotions but also our physiological responses to the world; carrying forwards anxiety, panic, anger, depression and dissociation into our adult lives. If you feel that your past is colouring your present and the idea of complex trauma resonates as a helpful framework to understand your symptoms, then I invite you to read on and find hope in these words.
Some experiences which can contribute* to complex trauma:
Childhood or adult abuse, neglect or bullying.
Abandonment e.g. being sent away or to boarding school very early.
Adverse Childhood Experiences (separation of parents, witnessing domestic violence, alcohol or drug abuse).
Financial insecurity.
Illness (in self or family).
Chaotic home life or moving around frequently.
Abusive partners or relationships. * This is not an exhaustive list, and many people experience some of the above without any complex trauma. Other factors such as resources, social support and neurobiology also determine why some people may experience complex trauma, and others may not.
The Neuroception Skew:
At the heart of complex trauma lies a fundamental distortion in our neuroception—a term coined by Dr. Stephen Porges. Neuroception refers to the process of our nervous system subconsciously scanning our environment for safety or threats. When our past has included prolonged exposure to threats, this neuroception becomes skewed, with the amygdala (our brains survival centre) perceiving more situations as dangerous than they truly are. This skew results in present day situations activating our survival responses (fight, flight, freeze or shut down) as if we are still in the past.
Trauma and the Brain: The Role of the Amygdala and Hippocampus:
The amygdala's role is to keep us safe, so in the case of trauma, it will hold on to traumatic experiences and they become encoded in this lower, subconscious region of the brain. Under safe conditions, our experiences are processed by the higher regions of the brain; the hippocampus (our memory filing cabinet) timestamps our experiences and our pre-frontal cortex (the thoughtful part of the brain) forms a coherent narrative of what happened in our past. With traumatic experiences, the hippocampus is flooded with cortisol (our stress hormone) and this process is thwarted; trauma stays in the amygdala which has no way of telling the time and so cant distinguish between past threats and present safety. We therefore continue to be activated into survival states and feel the same feelings as if we are stuck in the past and still in the traumatic experiences.
Somatic Pathways to Healing:
It is because of the brain regions involved in complex trauma, that a somatic (or body based) approach can provide a pathway to healing. As we have read, traumatic experiences are encoded in the amygdala. This is a subconscious, feeling (not thinking) part of the brain - and the survival states it initiates (fight, flight, freeze or shut down) are all felt in the body. Often there aren't specific verbal or visual memories attached to trauma, and this is because the experience hasn't been processed by the thinking parts of the brain; it stays in the lower part of the brain as what Janina Fisher calls a "feeling memory". I hear many people talk about "its just this feeling I have inside me that doesn't make sense" or saying "why do I always feel X when Y happens" - and this is likely to be a feeling memory, caused by trauma; to me it does make sense.
Our feelings happen in the body, not the mind, so this is why a body up approach is key to healing.
Creating Safety in the Body:
Central to the healing journey is the cultivation of safety within the body. Somatic approaches, rooted in the wisdom of embodied awareness, offer a pathway to retuning the nervous system, and retraining the amygdala to address the skew in neuroception. As the nervous system re-learns that we are safe, the amygdala is able to accept the safety in the moment, and start perceiving more experiences as safe. When we feel safe, we enter into the ventral vagal state (activated by the vagus nerve) and can feel present and connected to the here and now.
By connecting with sensations and feelings in the body, we can gradually ease the grip of trauma and foster a sense of safety in the present moment.
The Role of the Vagus Nerve:
The vagus nerve, a vital component of our parasympathetic nervous system, holds the key to creating an environment of safety within the body. Practices that stimulate the vagus nerve—such as deep breathing, grounding techniques, and gentle movement—activate our body's relaxation response and promoting feelings of calm and connection + the more we use our vagus nerve, the stronger it gets as we increase our vagal tone. The vast majority (80-90%) of the messages being sent by the vagus nerve point upwards from the body to the brain, which is another reason why working with the body in a bottom-up approach (movement, sensation, breath) is key to creating safety.
Trauma-Informed Mindfulness:
Mindfulness, when approached through a trauma-informed lens, becomes a powerful tool for healing. By cultivating present-moment awareness with gentleness and compassion, we create a safe container for exploring our internal landscape. Mindfulness practice increases the connectivity between the pre-frontal cortex (the rational and thoughtful part of the brain that helps regulate emotions) and the amygdala (the survival centre), and as the amygdala re-learns safety in the present moment, it is able to let go of the traumatic experiences it had kept stored there for so long. In guided mindfulness practices, you can learn to to compassionately acknowledge, safely feel and tolerate the emotions associated with
survival states, which allows the feeling memories to be processed by the higher parts of the the brain. You'll also be working on an interpersonal level with a compassionate guide, who can be a supportive witness to these emotions, helping to heal relational wounds and restore your body's trust in safety between humans.
The Incremental Path of Healing:
I think of the journey of healing from complex trauma a bit like tuning the strings of a guitar. It requires patience, compassion, and a willingness to engage in gentle practices consistently. The brain and the nervous system love repetition; its how habits form and pathways strengthen. Complex trauma forms over time and repetition, and the body needs time and repetition to re-learn safety and healing. Helping your body and brain to relearn safety is a beautiful and rewarding process which can help you to live in the present and enjoy your life again.
Some practices I use in sessions for Cultivating Safety:
Breathwork: Engage in deep, diaphragmatic and rhythmic breathing to activate the vagus nerve and promote relaxation.
Grounding Techniques: Use the 5-4-3-2-1 method to anchor yourself in the present moment by grounding in your immediate sensory experience.
Body awareness: Learning how to pay attention to the sensations in your body
Mindful movement: Using rhythmic, slow, conscious movement to gently release tension and create safety.
Glimmers Practices: Finding the glimmers (moments of safety in your day) when your body feels some relaxation, peace or calm.
If you would like to learn more about these practices, or talk about how trauma informed mindfulness and somatic work may help you on your journey healing from complex trauma, please take a look at this page, make an email enquiry or book a free consultation.
References:
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-regulation.
Dana, D. (2018). The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation.
Fischer, J. (2015). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation.
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