The Body Keeps the Score: Healing Trauma with IFS and Somatic Embodiment
Jul 29, 2024Our bodies are remarkable repositories of our life experiences. Every emotion, memory, and trauma leaves an imprint, often deeply ingrained in our physical selves. This concept, famously discussed in Dr Bessel van der Kolk's Body, keeps the score and highlights how our bodies hold onto trauma, impacting our mental and physical well-being.
Trauma isn't just an emotional or psychological experience; it is a somatic one. For example, our bodies respond to traumatic events with various physiological reactions—heightened heart rate, muscle tension, or chronic pain. These responses can persist long after the event, leading to a state where our bodies are constantly on high alert, ready to fight, flee, or freeze.
The Role of Internal Family Systems (IFS)
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is a transformative therapeutic approach that helps individuals understand and heal their internal landscapes. In IFS, we recognise that the mind comprises multiple parts, each with its perspective and feelings. Trauma often creates parts that hold pain and fear, known as exiles, and protective parts that try to keep us safe but can sometimes be maladaptive.
Through IFS, we can:
Identify and Connect with Parts: Understand the roles and perspectives of different parts of ourselves.
Heal Exiles: Provide the attention and care needed to the wounded parts, allowing them to express their pain and begin the healing process.
Transform Protectors: Help protective parts find new, healthier roles that support overall well-being.
Somatic Embodiment Practices
Somatic embodiment practices involve tuning into the body's senses and experiences, fostering a deep connection between mind and body. These practices are crucial in trauma therapy as they help release the physical tension and trapped energy that trauma can cause.
Techniques include:
Mindful Movement: Activities like yoga, Tai Chi, or dance that promote awareness of the body in motion.
Breathwork: Conscious breathing exercises can help regulate the nervous system and release tension.
Body Awareness: Practices that focus on scanning the body for sensations, noticing where tension or discomfort lies, and gently working through these areas.
Integrating IFS and Somatic Embodiment
Combining IFS with somatic embodiment practices offers a comprehensive approach to healing trauma. IFS addresses the mental and emotional aspects, while somatic practices attend to the physical manifestations. This integrated method allows for a more profound and holistic healing process.
As we work through IFS to connect with and heal our parts, somatic practices can help release the trauma held in our bodies, fostering a sense of safety, peace, and overall well-being. By acknowledging that the body keeps the score, we can begin to untangle the complex web of trauma and step into a space of healing and self-compassion.
Healing from trauma is a journey that involves both the mind and the body. Through the combined use of Internal Family Systems and somatic embodiment practices, we can effectively address the multifaceted nature of trauma, fostering holistic healing and empowering individuals to reclaim their lives. Remember, it is a compassionate process, and taking the first step towards this integrated healing approach can lead to profound transformation.
