Somatic Therapy for Birth Trauma
Soma refers to the body: ‘of the lived experience’.
Somatic therapy works with the body has got to tell us, at the pace and capacity of the client. The way that trauma is experienced by the body, is very much in the body, and can often result in energy that becomes trapped in the body.
This is for many reasons, but primarily it occurs because as humans we have evolved to be able to intellectualise and rationalise, and that has moved us further from being able to complete an energetic cycle of threat within the body.
Rather than the body releasing the energy that emerges from the trauma response, it keeps hold of it, as we move on and try to cope, avoid, or make meaning of what has happened to us.
The practices that we use to cope with trauma help to keep us safe when there may be a lot of ‘unsafe’ in the body.
We absolutely need them.
And, there comes a time, when we may be ready and able to do the somatic and embodiment work that can support the dissolution and processing of trauma.
What is the importance of working with trauma, and the body?
When there is unreleased contraction within the body, which is what occurs when we experience a traumatic event, or a period of prolonged threat, a person can find themselves experiencing:
Low mood
Repetitive and intrusive thoughts
Feeling stressed often
Quickly feeling overwhelmed
Physical pain, such as back spasm, muscle soreness
Poor immunity
A twitch or tic somewhere in your body
Being reactive to situations in life
Low libido
Difficulty in being intimate
Any of these physical or emotional by-products of holding trauma will have some life limiting impact, that means that someone is not living as freely or ease-fully as they may like to.
With birth trauma in particular, it can impact how a person (birth trauma can be experienced by birth partners as well as the woman giving birth) is able to parent, experience connection and intimacy, conceive again should they wish to, or approach life in general.
Is all somatic therapy the same?
There are many modalities of embodiment and body-first healing. These can include sound, movement, physical touch, and no-touch therapeutic approaches. While all approaches will be focused on connecting you to your body, they may be more or less appropriate for where you are at in your healing journey.
I work with a no-touch approach called Focalising. I work with trauma, at its root, in the body.
It is an intentionally slow, non-judgemental, compassionate, curious approach that allows a client to step into their healing journey wherever they are at.
Whether someone is familiar with embodiment practices, or has never considered healing beyond talking therapy, Focalising centres the client and allows the space to move at a pace needed by them.
There is a deep trust that with time, capacity, and resource, whatever needs to emerge via the body, will. It can take time for the client to build this trust, and that is okay, there is no right or wrong when it comes to your direct experience, nor is there any pressure to ‘fix’ - you do not need fixing.
If your experience of birth was traumatic, did not feel safe for you, or has left you feeling unheard, unseen, or let down, you may find value in somatic therapy. If you would like to arrange a call to discuss working together, you can do so here.
Charlotte is a somatic therapist and holistic birth coach, supporting women in healing from trauma in relation to fertility, conception, birth, and loss, to support living with ease and freedom.
