Body-Based Therapy for Trauma: My Journey to Embodied Healing
Trauma isn’t just something that happens to us—it’s something that happens within us. It lives in our bodies, shaping the way we move, breathe, and experience the world. I know this firsthand. When I lost sight in my right eye, it wasn’t just a physical loss—it was an upheaval that shook me to my core.
At first, I tried to process my grief and anxiety through words. I talked about it, intellectualized it, and tried to make sense of it logically. But my body was telling a different story. My nervous system was in overdrive. I felt an underlying tension in my muscles, a holding pattern I couldn’t shake. I wasn’t just grieving the loss of sight—I was grieving the loss of safety, of control, of the way I had once moved through the world. That’s when I turned to body-based therapy, and it changed everything.
Understanding Body-Based Therapy for Trauma
Body-based therapy, or somatic therapy, recognizes that trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind. It acknowledges that healing requires more than just talking—it requires moving, breathing, and feeling our way through the experience. Trauma disrupts the body’s natural rhythms, trapping us in cycles of hyperarousal, dissociation, or chronic tension. Through somatic practices, we can begin to unwind these patterns and restore a sense of balance and safety.
How Losing My Sight Led Me to Body-Based Therapy
When I first lost vision in my right eye, I felt like I was living in a body I no longer recognized. My depth perception was off, my balance was shaky, and simple movements felt unfamiliar. But more than that, I felt disconnected from myself. My nervous system was stuck in survival mode, and no amount of rational thought could calm the deep unease I felt.
That’s when I began exploring somatic practices—gentle movement, breathwork, and expressive arts. Instead of trying to talk my way through my trauma, I let my body lead the way. I learned to slow down, to tune into the sensations within me, to give myself permission to feel without judgment.
I discovered that movement was a language my body understood. Through dance, I processed emotions I couldn’t put into words. Through breathwork, I calmed my nervous system and found moments of stillness. Through somatic art therapy, I externalized my internal landscape, giving form to the chaos within me. Little by little, I reclaimed a sense of trust in my body and in myself.
The Benefits of Body-Based Therapy for Trauma
If you’ve experienced trauma, you may recognize some of the ways it manifests in the body—chronic tension, fatigue, numbness, restlessness. Body-based therapy offers a way to move through these experiences with compassion and care. Some of its benefits include:
Reconnecting with Your Body: Trauma often creates a sense of disconnection from bodily sensations. Somatic practices help rebuild trust and awareness.
Releasing Stored Tension: Movement and breathwork help discharge trapped energy, allowing the body to return to a state of ease.
Regulating the Nervous System: Practices like mindful breathing, grounding exercises, and movement help shift from survival mode to a state of safety.
Empowering Self-Expression: Expressive arts therapy, dance, and somatic movement provide ways to process emotions beyond words.
Finding Your Own Path to Embodied Healing
If you’re curious about body-based therapy for trauma, here are some ways to start:
Listen to Your Body: Pay attention to the subtle cues it gives you—tension, restlessness, breath patterns. Your body is always communicating.
Explore Somatic Practices: Gentle movement, dance, yoga, or breathwork can help you reconnect with yourself in a safe way.
Engage in Expressive Arts: Painting, drawing, or journaling can help externalize emotions that feel difficult to verbalize.
Seek Support: A trained somatic therapist can guide you through embodied healing in a way that feels safe and supportive.
Be Patient with Yourself: Healing is a journey, not a destination. Every small step counts.
My journey through losing sight in my right eye was one of deep grief, but also deep discovery. It taught me that healing isn’t about “fixing” ourselves—it’s about coming home to ourselves. It’s about listening to our bodies, honoring our experiences, and finding new ways to move forward. If you’re navigating trauma, know that your body holds wisdom. And when you learn to listen, healing begins.
