Trauma is often understood as a psychological experience, but growing research shows that trauma is also stored physiologically within the body.
When a person experiences overwhelming stress or threat, the nervous system automatically activates survival responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. If the experience is too intense or prolonged to be fully processed, the body may continue holding patterns of stress activation long after the danger has passed.
This may present as:
- Chronic tension or tightness in the body
- Sudden emotional reactions that feel difficult to control
- Persistent anxiety or hypervigilance
- Feeling emotionally numb or disconnected
Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk famously describes this phenomenon by saying “the body keeps the score.” This means the nervous system retains memory of traumatic experiences even when the mind attempts to move forward.
Body-Based Approaches to Trauma Healing
Somatic and body-based therapeutic approaches focus on helping the nervous system complete unfinished survival responses and restore a sense of internal safety.
Techniques such as grounding exercises, breath regulation, gentle movement, and body awareness practices can help regulate physiological stress responses and reconnect individuals with a sense of stability.
By addressing both emotional and physical dimensions of trauma, therapy helps individuals build resilience, emotional balance, and improved nervous system regulation.
Healing becomes possible when the mind and body are supported together.
Mzima Counselling
Healing relational wounds. Restoring wholeness.
