Somatic Trauma Therapy My Journey to National Geographic

Last week, I had an incredible opportunity to contribute to an article for National Geographic about Somatic Trauma Therapy.

Somatic Trauma Therapy is a deeply personal topic for me as a person and therapist. Practicing somatic trauma therapy changed my life.

If you’ve followed my vlog posts, you might have seen the one where I talk about how challenging it is for me to be seen.

This struggle is real, and the beliefs tied to these fears have held me back in many areas of my life—friendships, career aspirations, and even physical health.

My Journey With Somatic Trauma Therapy

Over the past two years, I’ve been diving deep into my own trauma work. While I wasn’t neglected or physically abused as a child, I experienced significant birth trauma.

I grew up with a parent who had PTSD. My other parent had untreated depression and chronic health issues. This added layers of complexity to my emotional landscape.

None of these factors registered consciously as affecting functioning in my daily life at first.

However, as I continued learning to become a better somatic trauma therapist, I began unraveling the puzzle of my nervous system.

It became clear how these life events were subtly influencing every aspect of my existence.

Lessons Learned from My Trauma

Through this journey, certain lessons ingrained themselves into my psyche:

• Be small and be quiet: A survival mechanism that kept me from drawing attention.
• People-pleasing (fawning): An automatic response aimed at avoiding conflict and trying to ensure everything is ok.
• Freezing during conflict: A paralyzing reaction that prevents effective resolution and keeps me stuck in the feelings or situation.
• Identifying as an anxious person: Accepting anxiety as a core part of who I am, not realizing that the anxiety was a trauma response.
• Taking care of others: Feeling responsible for ensuring everyone else’s well-being for survival, which carried into adulthood.

The Negative Impacts of These Lessons

These lessons had far-reaching negative impacts on various aspects of my life:

Emotional Well-being

Living with constant anxiety took a toll on my mental health. The need to be perpetually vigilant left little room for relaxation or genuine joy.

Relationships

My tendency to people-please often led me into unhealthy relationships where my needs were secondary—or entirely overlooked.

Conflict avoidance meant unresolved issues festered over time.

Taking care of others left me exhausted with nothing in my tank at the end of the day, feeling alone and insignificant.

Career Aspirations

Fear of being seen stifled many professional opportunities. Despite having skills and ambitions, stepping into the spotlight felt terrifying and unsafe.

I remained in jobs with hostile coworkers and I was dissatisfied. I believed there was something wrong with me.

Physical Health

Chronic stress manifests physically through tension headaches, digestive issues, and general fatigue. My body bore the brunt of unprocessed emotions stored within it and I developed an autoimmune disease.

How Somatic Trauma Therapy Helped

Somatic Trauma Therapy focuses on healing through bodily awareness rather than just working to change our thoughts about things.

How this Works

Reconnecting with My Body

Learning to listen to my body’s signals—recognizing when I’m tense or relaxed helped me identify triggers and patterns previously unnoticed. I was then able to work with the triggers.

Releasing Stored Emotions

Through guided exercises and somatic practices, I’ve been able to allow my body to let go of trauma, fear, and shame.

Building Resilience

Working with a safe therapist in a safe therapeutic environment, I’ve built resilience against anxiety-inducing situations—empowering myself both personally and professionally.

Contributing to National Geographic About Somatic Trauma Therapy

The culmination of this healing journey allowed me not only to share but also celebrate it by contributing an article on Somatic Trauma Therapy for National Geographic—a milestone that once seemed unattainable solely because fear dictated otherwise!

Sharing insights gained from personal experience alongside professional expertise felt like closing one chapter while opening another full of possibilities previously unimaginable!  I have been afraid of being seen, of not being good enough, or being too much with my input unwanted.

These beliefs held me back in many instances.

Having done somatic trauma therapy for those beliefs I was able to feel grounded in my expertise and share about a topic I am passionate and knowledgeable about.

Conclusion

Trauma shapes us profoundly yet does not define our future unless we let it!

Through dedicated therapy focusing on mind-body connection such as somatic trauma therapy clients can find new ways to heal. Often clients have been in talk therapy for decades, don’t want to talk about the trauma, or get too triggered when they talk. This is not your typical talk therapy.

If you find yourself resonating with any part of this story remember you’re alone there’s a path of healing for you to embark upon today!

To find out more about Somatic Trauma therapy read this blog post.

Book a session with me now to learn how somatic trauma therapy can help you find the life you want to live.

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