Trauma is stored as patterns in the nervous system
When something overwhelming happens, the body mobilises energy to fight, flee, or freeze. If that surge can’t complete, the activation gets “stuck,” showing up later as hyper-vigilance, numbness, startle, digestive issues, pain, or sleep problems. In other words, symptoms are the body’s way of binding unresolved survival energy until it can safely discharge.

What “trauma in the body” looks like day to day
Clients often describe living on a hair-trigger (hyper-arousal) or feeling flat and foggy (hypo-arousal). These are normal trauma adaptations and signs that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is still prioritising threat. Learning to read and regulate the ANS (breath, heartbeat, tension, gut signals) gives us leverage for change.

We can track these states within a “window of tolerance,” noticing shifts toward fight/flight or collapse, and using grounding, posture, and micro-movements to return to steadier arousal. We also work with “neuroception”, the body’s implicit threat detection, so more situations register as safe enough for connection.

How somatically informed therapy helps
In session, I invite you to slow down and notice present-moment impulses, sensations, and protective reflexes. Rather than retelling traumatic events in detail, we titrate exposure and let the body gently complete truncated defensive responses (shakes, breaths, pushes, turns) so stored activation can discharge.

Crucially, we go at your pace. Safety and stabilisation come first; memory processing (if needed) comes later. Many people improve their quality of life by strengthening regulation skills alone, without revisiting every memory.

Mindfulness modifications
Mindfulness and yoga can be wonderful, but for some trauma survivors, they may trigger dissociation or anxiety if introduced too quickly. We can adapt these practices (shorter practices, eyes open, sensory anchoring, movement before stillness) so they regulate rather than overwhelm.

What you can expect
Early sessions focus on:

• Building body awareness without flooding (grounding, orienting, breath).

• Expanding your window of tolerance using posture, pacing, and micro-choices.

• Practising new responses in everyday life so your nervous system learns safety through action.

As you feel steadier, we may touch specific memories in “slivers,” always returning to present-time resources. Over time, the body stops bracing for the past and you feel more at home in yourself.

For more information, check out my recommended reading list or the references below.

References:

• Levine, P. A., & Frederick, A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.
• Ogden, P., & Fisher, J. (2015) Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Rothschild, B. (2017). The Body Remembers, Volume 2: Revolutionizing Trauma Treatment. W. W. Norton & Company.
• Godsey, E. (2023, January 12). What is trauma? https://www.erickgodsey.com/blog/what-is-trauma