Somatic Approach to Complex Health and Stress Trauma

Accessing Physiological Safety — A Somatic Approach

At Soma Clinic we work with a layered and multi-pronged approach to treating complex health. In addition to treating medical symptoms directly, we work with the following philosophies

Down-regulation

Often, during complex health conditions, the ANS is caught in a dysregulated fight or flight response — the body is in a danger loop. The body is in a constant state of up-regulation (it is being flooded with information). If the ANS cannot access ventral vagal/rest and digest mode, there is no opportunity for the body to self-regulate. Because the nervous system is the governing system of the body, when we work to down-regulate (reduce input of cellular information) and access a rest and digest state, all other systems in the body may be offered a chance to regulate also.

Down regulating therapies at Soma Clinic include:

Craniosacral therapy, Acupuncture, Jin Shin Jyutsu, Myofascial release, Hypnotherapy

Biopsychosocial Complex Health Mapping

When we look at the complex health condition from a broader perspective, we can create a map that outlines the Biopsychosocial presentation of the condition. This can give clues as to how biological symptoms have developed in conjunction with social/environmental factors and emotional baseline. Once a narrative is formed, we are better equipped to find access points to alter the complex health story from an integrated perspective.

Somatic Awareness — building physiological safety

On the basis that there may be a level of neuroceptor miscalibration, we work with somatic awareness and felt sense to identify where and how danger exists in the body. Through talking and sensing, we can inquire if the neural signals and somatic experience is truly a danger response, or a misfiring ANS response . Somatic Resourcing accesses and builds a safety response in the body which can help to recalibrate neurocepetion and create new pathways to safety and self-regulation.

Self-care Support

While therapy sessions provide a safe environment for down-regulation and awareness, it is in everyday life where recovery occurs. Many of our therapists offer self-care support practises that can be used to continue down-regulation, somatic awareness and resourcing, and the ability to stay aware of triggers and predisposed responses.

Self-care practises may include:

Meditation, somatic awareness exercises, self-hypnosis recordings, movement exercises, breath techniques to activate rest and digest response, essential oil application.

For more information on our somatic approach to complex health, please click the button below.

Originally published at https://www.nataliarachel.com on October 15, 2019.