Trauma Discharge Massage Therapy is massage that soothes a stressed-out nervous system. It uses techniques that are more deeply relaxing than standard massages and helps the entire body systems to regain a level balance.
Trauma massage therapy can alleviate pain by releasing muscle tension and improving blood circulation. Improves Mental Health This therapy can significantly reduce symptoms of anxiety, depression, and PTSD. The physical touch and relaxation techniques help calm the nervous system and improve mental well-being.
As you release trauma, you may notice that your muscles start to relax, and you feel more loose and flexible. Increased Energy: Releasing trauma can free up energy previously tied up in coping with stress and emotional pain. The increase in energy will be gradual and not overwhelming.
Summary: Trauma-informed massage therapy is an approach to practice and not a massage technique. It's built upon four principles: trauma awareness, safety and trust, collaborative choice and connection, and strength-based skill-building.
Mindfulness and relaxation techniques
Meditation encourages relaxation and mindfulness, helping individuals process and release trauma. Breathing exercises, such as deep breathing, diaphragmatic breathing, or box breathing, can calm the nervous system and reduce stress through deep breath.
Trauma is not physically held in the muscles or bones — instead, the need to protect oneself from perceived threats is stored in the memory and emotional centers of the brain, such as the hippocampus and amygdala. This activates the body whenever a situation reminds the person of the traumatic event(s).
Can you do EMDR on yourself? It is not recommended to do EMDR on yourself. Self-administered EMDR can result in: Ineffective results: If doing EMDR on yourself, you may not be able to process your traumatic memories completely due to the difficulty of effectively addressing the root cause of your distress.
SER is a form of CranioSacral Therapy1—a method established by osteopathic physician John E. Upledger—centered around the belief emotional and physical trauma can have long-lasting effects on our muscles and joints. SER bodywork can help release those damaging tensions, both physical and mental.
TRE exercises explained
The TRE programme works by focusing on deep muscle memory. It uses seven core activities – including muscle stretches – in a process which “activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system.”
The five guiding trauma-informed values and principles proposed by Drs. Maxine Harris and Roger Fallot are safety (physical and emotional), trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.
The psoas muscle, which is located in the lower back and connects to the hip joint, is particularly susceptible to holding onto tension and trauma. When you experience a traumatic event, your body may instinctively contract and tighten the psoas muscle as a way of protecting itself.
If you're wondering how long it takes to heal from trauma, the answer is that it varies from person to person. The healing process can take weeks, months, or even years. It's important to remember that healing is not a linear process, and setbacks are normal.
Neck Tension = Fear and Repressed Self-Expression
Fear and anxiety are also frequently stored in this area, particularly as a physical response to danger (as the neck is a vulnerable area) or strange environments. Neck muscle tension is also related to trust issues.
Physical sensations such as tingling, warmth or a sense of energy may occur. Some people experience muscle twitching or shaking as tension is released. These sensations are often temporary and can indicate that your body is working through and letting go of past stress or trauma.
The hips serve as a storage facility for emotional tension, stress, and trauma. Due to our sedentary lifestyles, poor posture, and emotional suppression, many individuals accumulate tension in the hip region. The hip muscles, particularly the psoas muscle, are notorious for harboring emotional stress.
Relaxation Response: Deep tissue massage activates the parasympathetic nervous system, triggering the relaxation response. This shift from the fight-or-flight mode to a state of calm and relaxation allows the body to release emotional tension and find balance.
Somatic massages help you release trauma in your body by working with the nervous system. When you receive a somatic massage, the therapist will work to release any patterns of tension that may be stored in your body. This can help to break down any barriers that have been preventing you from processing trauma.
Reported side effects include mild nausea and headaches if you overdo it, but TRE is generally considered to be as safe as other exercise-based stress-release practices, such as yoga.
Many people can learn TRE by reading books and/or watching the DVD. However, some may benefit better if guided through the exercises by a Certified TRE Practitioner. One might have an immediate result from the exercises and others might not experience the results until after practicing the exercises a few times.
Whenever you experience something shocking, traumatic, or that you (consciously or subconsciously) perceive as a threat, your psoas muscle constricts and 'locks in' the tension in the body. Once the tension energy is contracted into the body it stays there.
How does PTSD massage help? During a trauma massage session, the massage therapist addresses muscles, muscle groups, tendons, and soft tissues to loosen up tightness, work out knots and trigger points, and create more flexibility and movement for the client.
EMDR does have some drawbacks compared to other forms of therapy. It only works with conditions related to traumatic experiences. If you have a mental health condition because of an inherited condition, an injury or other physical effect on your brain, EMDR is unlikely to help.
Some individuals may cry frequently during EMDR session, while others may not shed tears at all. Each person's emotional response is unique and influenced by their experiences and coping mechanisms. There is no right or wrong way to respond. And your therapist isn't necessarily trying to get you to cry.
While Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT-Tapping) may offer some benefits, particularly in reducing immediate emotional distress, Emotion-Focused Therapy (E-FT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) provide more comprehensive, empirically supported, and ...