333 Grand Avenue #206, Saint Paul, MN 55102
Trauma and Stress
Stress or Trauma?
Trauma has many forms. At a fundamental level, Trauma can be described as "too much, too fast, too soon". It could be a shock to the system: a major or minor car accident, a slip and fall, or surgical procedure. Or it could be emotional in nature, like the loss of a loved one or a major life change, yet its aftermath effects seem to linger and remain. (e.g., “I’ve never felt the same since it happened”). It can also include early-life developmental trauma that can manifest as physical, medical or relational issues. (This is when trauma can be described as "too little, too slow, too late").
Signs of Traumatic Stress
Trauma is not the event itself but the symptoms that develop from an unresolved stress response. Experiencing sudden impact of any kind is a normal human occurrence, and your nervous system’s response is natural: it exists to keep you safe; its job is to tell you "something's not right, and that might be bad - here's what to do or not do." It is the perception of danger, either acute or ongoing, whereby the body’s inherent survival energies are activated, and the neurological system becomes overwhelmed. This can result in a “freeze” state, gripping the body and mind in an exhausting, repetitious cycle, even when threat is no longer present.
The Freeze Response
Symptoms of a nervous system response to trauma can manifest as mental or emotional ones: hypervigilance, anxiety, irritability (even rage) panic, depression, a sense of helplessness and disconnectedness, and loss of vitality. The physiological effects of ongoing stress can result in physical breakdown: chronic muscle tension and pain, limited mobility, digestive dysfunction, migraines, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Physical manifestations can include alcohol abuse, disordered eating and shame resulting in self-harm.
Your whole body - your whole Self - seeks relief, but your body doesn't seem to be doing what you really want it to do. It's like all the energy to Do Something is fighting with the Exhaustion - that's a freeze response, when the inability to fight or flee leaves shutdown as its only option. The "somatic massage" you might be looking for might not come in the form of anyone touching your body - your search is to find relief.
The word "somatic" comes from the Greek word meaning "body". Whereas a psychotherapist works mainly with the "psyche", or "mind", I work with your nervous system from the body's perspective. A massage therapist for 15 years, I have thousands of hours of hands-on knowledge of the deeply subtle ways a human organism can shift and change.
Important Note
I am NOT accepting clients seeking only traditional massage therapy. I use touch only in conjunction with Somatic Experiencing® or in the form of gentle craniosacral techniques. The work I do is NOT traditional massage therapy. My use of touch is limited, gentle and very specific to the needs of your nervous system, especially if you seek relief from trauma responses. I value and rely on your commitment to the process of Somatic Experiencing, which includes verbal interaction. toward a renewed relationship with your body, and a deeper understanding of your own responses.