Trauma and Body Work
One of Kate's preferred modalities is polyvagal system regulation through body work. Sounds like a magic spell, doesn't it? Well, it is kind of magical.. What does that mean and WHY is it effective? Our body is like a container for all our experiences, thoughts and emotions. All our hurt and pain is locked in our tissues, bones, and viscera. Trauma, especially prolonged in time – like living with abusive partner or being a child to parents with drug addiction – does not only mess up with our head. Such stress literally sinks in deeply in our body: it slows down our metabolism, interrupts healing processes and impacts all our vital systems. There is a plethora of studies now that indicate worse health outcomes and increased health risks for people with trauma.
What is trauma, you ask? Trauma is not necessarily an experience itself - it is how we react to it. Perhaps, you had really difficult start in life, or as an adult had some rough times. Some people don’t even know what exactly happened to them, they just know it did. You don’t really want to look behind those closed doors in your mind, because.. well, who knows what you might find there, and yet, you cannot help but wonder. May be you notice intrusive thoughts about the past. May be you wake up at night from being chased by a monster, or you grind your teeth in your sleep. Do you tense up or even jump when someone tries to hug you or even put their hand on your back? And then there is this uneasy yucky feeling in your body.. When we are not able to process it and integrate, it becomes that fragmented frozen yuck that is not woven into our coherent life story.
In our sessions we will learn to listen to the body, recognize the story it has to tell. At first, people are often surprised by the slow pace and the intensity of the focus on nuances of body reactions, but as they get familiar with the process, they learn that that their body is an ally; you will feel the relief and hope, and find the health that was never lost.