Trauma is a profound experience that shapes the way we think, feel, and respond to the world. Renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, highlights a vital truth: understanding your trauma intellectually is not enough to truly heal. While gaining insight into your past and recognizing how it affects you today can provide perspective, reduce shame, and foster self-compassion, it doesn’t address the deeper, embodied nature of trauma. As van der Kolk states, we “need to go deeper than that.” Healing requires addressing the physical and emotional imprints trauma leaves behind.
Trauma Lives in the Body
Van der Kolk’s work emphasizes that trauma is not just a psychological experience but also a physiological one. Traumatic events leave a mark on the nervous system, often trapping the body in a state of hypervigilance or numbness. This can result in:
- Chronic tension or pain
- Difficulty regulating emotions
- A sense of being stuck or disconnected from yourself
Simply talking about the trauma can provide relief by naming the experience, but it doesn’t release the body from these trapped patterns.
Going Deeper: Healing Trauma in the Body and Emotions
True healing requires engaging both the mind and the body. Van der Kolk advocates for therapies and practices that address the full spectrum of trauma’s impact:
1️⃣ Somatic Therapy
Approaches like somatic experiencing focus on releasing stored tension and restoring a sense of safety in the body.
2️⃣ Trauma-Sensitive Yoga
Yoga helps reconnect the body and mind, fostering awareness and releasing tension stored in muscles and tissues.
3️⃣ EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR works to reprocess traumatic memories on a deeper emotional and physiological level, reducing their grip on your present.
4️⃣ Mindfulness and Breathwork
These practices help calm the nervous system and bring a sense of grounding to overwhelming emotions.
5️⃣ Creative Expression
Art, music, and movement therapy offer nonverbal ways to process emotions and reconnect with the self.
Understanding Is the First Step, Not the Destination
Insight into trauma is valuable—it allows you to make sense of your feelings and behaviors and removes the burden of shame. But true healing requires integrating that understanding with physical and emotional work. Trauma lives in the body, and to release its hold, we must engage with the body as much as the mind.
As van der Kolk reminds us, “The body keeps the score.” By addressing trauma holistically, you can move from simply surviving to truly thriving, regaining a sense of connection, safety, and freedom in your life.