This Form of Therapy Can Heal Generations Of Body Trauma

In recent years, concern for mental health has increased. Talk therapy serves as a safe place for many to discuss feelings and emotions and learn new and helpful ways to cope with life stressors and trauma. 

While this style of therapy can be effective in rewiring harmful thought patterns, our bodies should be part of the conversation. 

Somatic therapy focuses on how emotions manifest in the body. Trauma registers on a cellular level, allowing our bodies to hold, express, and store our experiences, trapping unresolved trauma inside. This form of therapy could be game-changing for our bodies, which have been keeping score for centuries. 

Dr. Joy DeGruy, clinical psychologist and author of Post Traumatic Slave Syndrome, explains that generations of trauma have undeniably harmed Black people’s total health. Scientists who study epigenetics support this with findings that show that our ancestors’ trauma has changed their DNA and influenced the behavior of generations of their descendants. 

In somatics, the mind-body connection teaches people to feel safe in their bodies. By using techniques like body awareness and pendulation, somatic therapy can help ease conditions like PTSD and anxiety. 

Our bodies have always been sacred, and we owe it to ourselves, our ancestors, and future generations to care for our bodies, minds, and spirits.