Healing from Trauma: Connecting Mind and Body for Lasting Wellness
“When there is no enemy within, the enemies outside cannot hurt you.” — African Proverb
Have you ever noticed that after a stressful experience, your body still feels tense even when the moment has passed? Your shoulders remain tight, your chest feels heavy, or there’s a knot in your stomach that just won’t go away. That’s because trauma doesn’t just live in our minds—it settles in our bodies, taking up space until we pay attention to it.
Trauma can show up in many ways: a racing heart, restless nights, headaches, or even that nagging sense of unease that won’t let you rest. It can be hard to connect the dots between these feelings and the experiences that created them. Healing from trauma means not only understanding what happened but also gently guiding your mind and body back to a place of safety, regulation, and wellness.
Understanding the Layers of Trauma
Trauma is complex and rarely one-dimensional. It can be historical, personal, collective, and familial—all of these layers leave imprints on our minds and bodies. When we talk about healing, it’s not just about one event or moment; it’s about understanding the ways trauma shapes our nervous system, our thoughts, and even our relationships.
Historical Trauma: The legacy of systemic oppression, colonization, and the generational pain that has been carried by marginalized communities. This kind of trauma often lives in our bodies, passed down through stories, behaviors, and even our DNA.
Collective Trauma: Events that impact whole communities, leaving shared wounds that need communal healing.
Familial Trauma: The patterns, pain, and coping mechanisms we inherit from our families—things like silence, avoidance, or overworking to feel worthy.
Personal Trauma: Our individual experiences that leave emotional, psychological, and physical marks.
Each of these layers of trauma can cause our bodies to stay in a state of hypervigilance, making it difficult to relax, rest, or feel safe. Our nervous system can get stuck in “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn” mode, leading to chronic stress, anxiety, and even physical illness.
Decolonizing the Healing Process
Traditional Western approaches to mental health have often focused on the mind, neglecting the wisdom of the body. Decolonizing healing means moving away from a strictly cognitive approach and honoring the practices and traditions that have long recognized the interconnectedness of mind, body, and spirit.
In many Indigenous and African cultures, healing has always been holistic—incorporating movement, community, spirituality, and connection to nature. By reclaiming these practices, we are not only honoring our roots but also expanding the tools available for healing.
Why Healing Must Include the Body
Our bodies hold the memories of our experiences—the good, the bad, and everything in between. Trauma often gets “stuck” in the body, leaving us feeling disconnected, numb, or anxious without understanding why. Healing trauma means bringing the body back into the conversation, allowing it to release what’s been stored for too long.
In my practice, I use several approaches to help clients connect with their bodies in a safe and empowering way:
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy & Somatic Therapy: These approaches focus on noticing and understanding the body’s responses to trauma. By bringing awareness to physical sensations and movements, we can begin to change our relationship with the trauma and find new, healthier ways of being.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): This powerful method involves using eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help reprocess traumatic memories. EMDR is about desensitizing the emotional and physical impact of trauma, allowing your mind and body to reach a state of resolution and calm.
Trauma-Informed Yoga and Meditation: In a world that often pushes us to be “on” all the time, trauma-informed yoga offers a space to slow down, listen to our bodies, and move with intention. It’s not about getting the poses perfect—it’s about finding what feels good and safe for you. Meditation helps cultivate mindfulness, grounding the nervous system and building a deeper connection with ourselves.
Movement as Medicine: The Power of Moving Through Trauma
Imagine your body as a river. When trauma hits, it can create a dam, blocking the natural flow of energy and emotion. Movement—whether it’s gentle stretching, dance, yoga, or even mindful walking—helps break down that dam, allowing the energy to flow freely again.
Movement is medicine. It’s a way to release what’s been held inside for too long. Through somatic practices, we can tune into the body’s wisdom and learn to respond to its cues with compassion. Movement doesn’t have to be elaborate or intense; sometimes, it’s as simple as taking a deep breath or shaking out your hands to reset.
How Healing Practices Support the Mind and Body
Trauma can feel overwhelming, but there are tools that can help you gently navigate the healing process:
Regulation of the Nervous System: Somatic practices help you learn to regulate your nervous system, allowing you to respond to stress with more ease and resilience.
Release of Stored Tension: EMDR and somatic therapy can help release stored trauma in the body, reducing physical symptoms like chronic pain, headaches, or fatigue.
Building a Sense of Safety: Trauma-informed yoga and mindfulness practices create a safe space for your body to be present and connect with yourself.
Integration of Mind and Body: These holistic approaches bring the mind and body into alignment, allowing for more complete and lasting healing.
Your Healing Journey: It’s Okay to Start Slow
Healing from trauma is not a one-size-fits-all process. It’s a journey that unfolds at your own pace, with each step bringing you closer to feeling whole and connected. It’s about finding what works for you, what feels safe, and what allows your body and mind to rest.
In African American culture, there's a saying: “We heal in community.” You don’t have to do this alone. Together, we can explore these modalities and find what resonates with your unique story. My goal is to provide a space where you feel seen, heard, and understood—a place where your healing is about more than just “getting over it,” but about embracing your full, vibrant self.
Let’s Begin Your Journey to Lasting Wellness
If you’re ready to reconnect with your body, release the weight of trauma, and discover what healing feels like for you, I’d love to support you. The body holds the keys to deep and lasting change—let’s unlock them together.
