When it comes to the treatment of trauma, our work often centers on our clients’ feelings and sensations . . .
. . . and sometimes, those sensations can present as physical pain.
In the video below, Peter Levine, PhD shares a powerful story of how he helped a man trace the source of his unremitting back pain – all the way back to where it began.
Take a look – it’s just 4 minutes.
For more on how to work with traumatic memory, be sure to check out the Treating Trauma Master Series.
You’ll get insights from: Peter Levine, PhD; Bessel van der Kolk, MD; and Pat Ogden, PhD.
Now we’d like to hear from you. How will you use this idea in your work? Please leave a comment below.
what happens when there is massive trauma accumulated. My pain is 11 on a scale of 1 to 10…..I’m aware I have plenty of traumatic memories unreleased…
Dear Chiara, I am hoping you will find the support you are looking for here. This is a site I am coming back to very often to find resources and therapists who really do care. May your day be light. Blessings.
I wish I could use the to overcome the fear of what might happen instead of the possibility of what can happen to get better?
Well, the private practice group that I am involved with have been scheduling me with young (25-35) y/o couples in relationship crisis. I am trained in and prefer Gestalt approaches to couples’ work. What I want/need to do is work with the amazing degree of trauma disclosed by both members of these youngsters’ two-person systems, recognizing that the underbelly of their relational impairment is their ACE-ridden past. So am exploring application of IFS methods in couples work context and since I’m barely a novice with IFS clinical applications I will be seeking more.
I can relate to these fight or flight feeling s that never cease due to PTSD . How did you find a way out ? I feel I’m almost always on the defensive, what do u recommend? I take klonopin and anti depression meds. They help but not completely-Carolyn
The mind body connection has been known to humanity for quite a long time. More than 2 millennia ago people already knew a lot about suffering and how to come out of it without the advanced medicine we have today.. All one needs, is to look introspectively, objectively and for sufficient period of time to acknowledge how suffering is being spawned within…I have been struck with PTSD and it got me stuck in a complete hellish experience for nearly 2 years . My brain and the nervous system were in complete disarray and I was living is a continuous dread and dissociation… I was lucky enough to have a relatively good understanding of how the mind brain system works and even with that knowledge it took me some time to piece myself together and start a journey for recovery. I truly was at the brink of ceasing my existence as the emotional anguish was unbearable. It wasn’t easy since in my state I completely was bereft of awareness and was tense and in fight or flight almost 24/7… Staring the fear in the eye was not simple as well.. the body sensations were just overwhelming. I was litirally torn apart. my lung shrunk and I had sign ificant somatic experience in my chest and throat area. But eventually I managed to crawl out of hell… Life is good…
How did you do it bud?
Thank you for this video! Very helpful to learn about the experience and insights.
I discovered a number of pains in different places in my body, in various organs, spine, neck through a specific type of meditation part of our Physical Intelligence tools. I experienced these pains only in the meditative state. Through sound vibrations, focusing on the pain with breathing techniques I was able to release the stored memories/trauma. In most cases, I had no idea what they were, but as I went through the release process many aspects of myself fundamentally changed. A lot of the pains had to do with tension in the neck and spine area, similar to the story described in the video. I have used this process to work with individuals suffering from eating disorders as well as individuals that have all sorts of other blockages impacting their confidence, how they feel about themselves, even with no specific pains. It is fascinating how the person changes – their confidence, perspective, emotional control, and clarity of thinking throughout the process.
Martina
I have been researching physical pain and its connection with mental health and trauma.
I have been experiencing significant physical pain to the point of not being able to sleep.
I currently am suffering strong chest pain for 3 weeks. I had a car accident years ago that should have killed me, where I broke most of my ribs, particularly on the right side. I am experiencing the exact same pain 20yrs later, but doctors and multiple scans can’t find anything wrong. I am now feeling a bit concerned that my GP might believe I am making it up. I would like your feedback on what you think about mental health, trauma and physical conditions, and their connections.
Try brainspotting
Visceral manipulation
Somatic emotional release
I do use this type of method with trauma clients with somatization.
Understanding how the body and brain holds the traumatic memory is vital to healing.
What a wonderful example- so very skilled.
Thank you so much.
Joanna
I am always so impressed with your work Ruth. You offer the top professionals and for those of us who do not have a lot of money you always offer her some free wonderful information. You are a wonderful questions that are generally right where my mind has been going. I so appreciate your interest in helping others grow in their work. Bravo!
I love this, thank you! I have been having clients identify where they feel things in their bodies for awhile now – it always amazes me how if they can stay with it for a bit, some story emerges! This is going a bit further to address a chronic pain issue. Wonderful work and inspiring to try – which I will soon!
Thanks, this one is easy to note where it can be used.
Have someone with history of docs reporting there is no cure available for multiple issues, all operated on in numerous surgeries. Drugs were the answer but the morphine for multiple years was stopped by patient and brain finally cleared, finally happier. But the pain still persists at times but lessened even though the falls continue due other serious damage in limbs. Will attempt to help him go into the one pain that he addresses at times. It is heavily regulated by a neurological apparatus put into the back years ago to keep stomach regulated from stabbing pains. These stabbing pain persists, much like a neurological apparatus might prevent. I like the questionning regarding where, other muscles as this has already been pinpointed at times and the side differentiation. Things that were probably asked early on, but with changes in docs, this was never followed as easily as is necessary to make progress. Multiple surgeries, done by multiple surgeons in different areas have occurred over many years. How would anyone be able to follow the challenges. Many of the connections were made already. This one has been tabled by many doctors but worth the exploratory questionning that I am sure would be honored as we work on being the master of your nervous system as best as possible. When morphine was stopped as a strong decision made by this patient a better prognosis emerged for patient, trippling his hope. It is believed that this issue might lie dormant in his body. Great strides have been made but this one still hangs on. The falling is finally being honored and finally proper braces made. Hope is always in the heart and this person keeps trying to regain his once healthy body.
Very insightful contribution to assist people to tell their stories for healing.
I need to hear more from Peter and others about fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis, pain which moves around. It seems related to complex trauma, but how can we target it?
Also, more on how opioids seem to make it worse.
I am also taking Gabor Mate’s course, ” Compassionate Inquiry” and enjoy the idea, of not necessarily creating a story. (Where are you feeling this? go deeper) and a million please and thank you’s for allowing me to even be in your presence. I love the simplicity of notice. (Notice) creates engagement from client; definitely an unobtrusive , non threatening mode of connection. I am working with school students, I have presented them with the vagus nerve and mindfulness. This is on Baffin Island where there is much trauma, and my studies declare much mercury. Go slow and be gentle is the message I have gotten by both my studies and this video. Thank you
That was timely as my psychologist and I are talking about starting some of this work. Thanks
As an art and journal therapist I see great relief for clients (and myself) when the body gets outlined and then areas of pain are colored in, then used as a choreographic map for movement, and then a dialogue with both hands. The Body speaks with the non dominant hand accessing the right brain, and the interviewer (aware self) writes with the dominant hand. I see brain integration and certainly experience it when I use the method. I healed a life=threatening, incurable disease this way, which is how I discovered the method.
I would love to know more about this approach Lucia. What would I need to search online to find books and other resources that could help me learn more?
Lucia has written a number of books which can help you in this area. I would recommend you explore them. I discovered her work a number of years ago and that was my introduction to this mode of exploration/self-healing work.
Firstly, thank you for this series – it is an extremely useful resource. Over the last couple of years I have studied and used two techniques which are extremely powerful in updating/reprogramming the subconscious mind and therefore the body. Old outdated pain messages can be switched off or reduced down to a safe level, allowing the client to get on with their lives. These two methods are OldPain2Go taught and developed by Steven Blake and The Swan technique taught and developed by Bob Burns. You can google them to learn more. I am seeing amazing results with people who have held pain in their bodies for years, be able to release it and restore full range of motion. They are gobsmacked at how quick and simple it is. Emotional trauma is held in every cell of the body and every cell has memory – the pain (physical or emotional can be trapped in the muscles until, with understanding and insight, it can be released) The subconscious can turn off those old pain messages. Knowing the reason is helpful, but sometimes the person is unable to access the memory consciously. However, the subconscious knows and remembers and replays its ‘protective pattern’ resulting in physical or emotional pain. Bob’s Swan technique explores the “part” relating to the issue/pain to get more insight and mediate with it to resolve the issue. Steven’s process, uses brain bargining between the conscious and the subconscious mind to address and amiliorate the problem. Both are extremely powerful techniques and can bring long term relief as long as the client has learned to listen to their body and change the thoughts and words they use every day. I’m amazed and humbled to see people become free from chronic pain/fibro etc. There are so many wonderful therapists and therapies which, I believe all have their place. I am also a clinical hypnotherapist and use that modality as well to regress back to ISE when necessary. Love to you all
This was a most helpful treatment method and I plan to include this concept in my work.
Our body is wise and THE Healer, we just have to allow ourselves to trust our body’s wisdom and explore within what must be brought to our awareness to be release. I use body awareness techniques every day with clients and myself, and just by being present with the body in its fullness physical healing can happen.
I love Peter’s work.
Hi Lucia,i just came back from therapy and we tried to work on my body since the trauma it’s there.But i cannot feel anything,i am very aware of my feelings and my inner body,i can feel the “freeze”but in this case when we talk about my childhood and my therapist says to focus on my body,i cannot feel anything.Why is that?
thank you
Hi I am not the person you asked the question to but I can share with you from my own experience as a client.
This work doesn’t always come so easy, it takes time to build trust and work with the layers to get to the trauma, the core of the trauma. My understanding and experience is that there are layers of protection. Check out IFS. Internal family systems, if you don’t already know about it. It has been a big help to me.
Of late, I have had clients who have found that naming an experience has the ability to change that experience; sometimes the experiences has become more acute (using SUDS), but trusting in our relationship enabled the process to improve once the client has accepted that avoidance no longer has long-term viability. Looking the experience in the eyes, as one said, seemed to increase confidence in her ability to relate differently to events associated with the initial experience.
I have been dealing with chronic pain since the 80’s I was a traveling patient, because no doctor knew what was wrong with me. I wasn’t diagnosed until well into the 90’s. I have Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue; as an outgrowth of Fibro, I have had Myofacial Pain Syndrome. It’s extremely painful; I also have referred pain, where you might have trigger points in your shoulder, for instance; then the trigger point in your shoulder refers pain to your eye. It is so terribly painful, that the first time I felt the pain in my eye, I almost fell out of my chair! It feels like an ice pick is stabbing you in the eye. I have done a great deal of cognitive therapy to understand how this pain hinders me and often puts me in bed, where I can’t function at all. I am not a practitioner; I’m the patient. I just wanted to share with you what my struggle has been like. I was traumatized as a child and teenager emotionally, mentally, and physically. I have been told that I “somatize.” I do believe this pain manifests itself when I am terribly stressed…I really can’t handle much stress without feeling it in my body. The pain has evolved. It isn’t as fierce as it was. I believe that’s because I have dealt with it in psychotherapy. I have great empahy for others who suffer with chronic pain. It’s truly a horrific thing, and because it is an invisible disorder, many are very insensitive to one’s pain…and frequently, they just don’t believe it’s there. So, I don’t talk about it, because I have found that people really don’t want to hear it,
As a Core Energetics therapist, after some body movement, I have the client focus on the pain area and mindfully stay with it. On their own, they tend to ignore or move away from it, even make it bad, scolding it. When they explore, often they find images or emotional memories there, that we can work with. I find the finishing of movements that were once initiated most useful, like P. Levine’s client running from the tiger, but also boxing, kicking, speaking up etc. Thank you for this series!
I also do something similar, I am a Survivor, therapist and healer, I help them tune in then use healing to remove the energy into the universe or whatever their equivalent is. With a child part I might use a magic carpet, we put the memory in the carpet and then we shake it out into the universe. If they are afraid of letting it go I use containers or pillar boxes, anything that can be airtight sealed, then we put them a second into the future so no one can see it and the memory can’t come back but it’s still there. I put a one-way slot in it so they can add any residue that comes up between sessions.
I would be interested to participate free of charge
I just want to Thank You for your aware thinking.
For a long time I have felt and thought cellular memories and neural pathways connect and also have stored memory, also linked in with individual DNA…
I want to make it clear I am not a practitioner, though I am a a survivor of severe trauma…
so again I Thank You all for your science based aspects and forward acceptance of lateral thinking in finding true answers in the underlying nature of Trauma and it is my hope treatments without psychotropic drugs becomes the norm; and more whole treatment is able to be administered to victims of Trauma more immediately following their Trauma experience so their body and mind synopses are connected with little to no stored blockages…
That is what this Trauma Series represents to me – the more effective treatment and general awareness of how linked throughout our human system Trauma impacts, and a better acceptance that Trauma responses are normal to human beings and their response behaviour better diagnosed allowing the trauma victim to not feel shamed/crazy, which I believe would have more trauma victims seeking psychological treatment more readily.
Greatly appreciating,
Madeleine
Thank you again, Peter and Ruth! Every client that I’ve worked with who have experienced trauma, especially years of childhood trauma, have had some type of physical pain and or a some type of chronic illness. I’m having more success in assisting these clients in being more in touch with what they’re experiencing in their bodies, along with integrating experiences such as yoga and meditation, which have been helpful in their healing. I still need a lot more experience in finding what works both in emotional and physical experience. These presentations are helpful.
So in this example, Peter allowed him to feel the experience, talk through the image and situation and then the pain was less? Or did i miss how he finished this particular method off?
Thank you for sharing this most valuable & insightful information nicabm members and all other posters here.
Trauma isn’t a conscious decision, so ANY experience can result in pain. Pain is our brains threat avoidance process. ANY physical (sensory) or emotional input the brain is receiving when a threat is experienced can trigger a response. The response is often pain. I help clients reorganize sensory input associated with pain, disassociating the trigger and response. The associated emotional aspects typically fall by the wayside as well.
You put it very succinctly.
How would someone deal with a traumatic sexual abuse experience which occurred at the age of two, of which he has no memory?
I do this with clients without realizing it was done by others. So Cool.
I believe this happens a lot. It is difficult to figure out how to guide them, and when. To allow them to stay on that track vs the memory. Thanks. I very much like this
Do you have any recommendations of resources to learn about the original version of yoga that you talk about?
That’s quite interesting the example u used for the Peter with Back pain. It made me think of my own back pain which startrd a fall from incident of assault. Making question myself if my situation could be similar. After having CbT therapy I managed to deal with some terms of situition but there is a part of the memories that stuck in me and each time I am forced to fac? them I experience intense pain and emotional distress which I have right now as I write this comment. My question is that will I ever get over this coz it seems to be taking all I had despite my resilience to find and face.
I find your video so real for me maybe coz I am a therapist and a victim of trauma.
I hope you will try EFT with a certified EFT practitioner. EFT for trauma has been shown to be effective with pain and many symptoms of trauma.
Visit Nick Ortner’s website. I personally witnessed his successful use of EFT with a man who had chronic back pain related to trauma. In fact a video of this demonstration (it was at a workshop about 4 years ago) may be on Nick’s website.
I am a practitioner and have used EFT for pain relief. Do check it out.
Thanks Carol for mentioning finding a ‘certified’ EFT practitioner. As the Executive Director of Canada’s National EFT Training Institute, I hear far too often from people who had troubling experiences working with someone who had only very cursory training in Emotional Freedom Techniques and no training in all the other aspects of safely and effectively working with people. Perhaps that is a predictable downside of a technique that is so simple that it is easy to learn and apply for self-help. The Tapping Solution (Nick Ortner) website is a wonderful resource for self-help, however even applying EFT/tapping at that introductory level can open up past experiences that the person has no idea how to process or contain. Much safer and effective, for any significant level of suffering, to be working with someone who has invested in certified/accredited training that positions the use of EFT/tapping within a trauma informed framework of transformation.
Makes sense. I think we know this, but we become trapped, and we need help to get out of the trap.
I am interested in whether there is a connection of this information and substance abuse.
I would think so, as you may know it can be just a form of self soothing & denial; escaping what to them is too unbearable. Thus, they aren’t really conscious of the associated painful emotions & experience. This energy is then stuck somewhere in their energetic being. I feel as though a trauma creates a block/freezing of the energetic flow; like a short circuit of sorts.
I work with children and they often can’t identify the actual traumatic event however we work on what our body remembers.
I wonder if this help. From my own experience I only realised that I could not visit the entire memory of the incident for a long time. Through therapy I still failed to go there all I recall of the memory was feeling like I was blind and could not see much but tiny fleeting bits and pieces of event. My strongest sense was feeling the physical contact impact which remained the memory of entire life . You would think an adult would recall more but still can’t get why I become blind each time I try to remember these memories and the sudden pain that comes with it even thought it’s past becomes so real as if it’s current. So you can imagine for children they may even fail to explain like an adult complicating the matter further. Hope this may help from an adult experience.
I am sorry to hear. I am not surprised by your comment that you think since you are now an adult (more time has passed creating some distance in the intensity of this too painful past experience) that you should be able to recall more. However, in reality when trauma is stuck (too hard to process; it is outside you acceptable world boundaries at that time) that part of you remains the age it was when traumatized. It is still too hard for you to process; and thus, you protect yourself by becoming blind. In actuality the mind’s consciousness knows no time; you can relive good and bad experience in your mind as if it is happening right now. Try it with some pleasant experience & see if you don’t feel & experience the actual sensations you did as in the past. Much love & healing to you Engie.
I wonder what the weather was like when the truck was ambushed, to go further into the memory for more healing. Somehow this is important!
Been working with a couple now for two years. Let’s call them Thomas and Caroline. Two physicians, devoted parents with a four year old girl, a two year old girl and, as of last month, a new baby boy. Whenever Thomas feels pressured by Caroline, it could be a simple comment about how he’s managing the kids or a mild criticism, he either withdraws or blows up in anger. It’s the worst whenever he’s out driving with Caroline and the kids. Once he threw an empty IV bag at the driver of a another car who cut him off.
When Thomas was four years old, his parents out driving with him and his baby sister Hannah, were hit by another car. The accident left Hannah with permanent damage in her motor cortex. She’s now 30 years old and lives in an assisted living home.
Thomas has been on Lexapro for the past three years which helps alleviate his chronic back pain. Over the past six months, I’ve been helping him get more mindful of his emotions and what he’s feeling in his body using what I’m learning in sensorimotor training, especially watching Pat Ogden working with clients in her wonderful videos.
I’ve finally convinced Thomas – with Caroline’s blessing – to come in alone for some EMDR. In our last couple session, he carefully inspected my NeuroTek equipment and decided he’d like to work with tapping and possibly the ear phones. Eye movements turn him off.
Thomas is an accomplished, internal medicine physician and I’ve always welcomed and enjoyed his skepticism, especially when I ramble on and on about the cortisol in his hippocampus, the adrenaline in his amygdala and the dirth of myelin in his ventral vegal whenever he loses it. He enjoyed the Polyvegal Blues video I showed him from one of Stephen Porges’ trainings; especially the line, “Ain’t got no myelin!”
So I’ll see what Thomas brings in next week; his images, emotions and where he’s feeling them in his body. Maybe we’ll get to a float back of the four year-old in the car. Maybe a cognitive interweave of Doctor Thomas speaking to his four year-old part. Or even a future template of his emotional reactions to Caroline. Like him, rationally speaking, I’m a sour optimist and a happy pessimist. But unlike him I feel like a happy optimist, bubbling with enthusiasm especially in my heart, impatient to help him. Also unlike Thomas, I both know and feel that I’ll have to be patient. Is this what’s left in me after much effort to reprocess my own struggle with hyper-arousal? Would Pat Ogden call this an Act of Triumph?
Imagine the vast number of mirror neurons that have fired between Thomas and me in the past two years. Imagine what we’ve wired together! Not like the roommates at Wellesley. A different kind of synchrony.
Hello, I work with children ages 5-11 in a school setting with a high ratio of at-risk students. On a daily basis I help students that are in raged with anger and also numb with apathy. I am sworn at, kicked, and hugged daily. The children I see have have so much trauma in their short years that they are easily triggered by the smallest request. I am searching for more tools to help children self regulate and get in tune with their bodies. I cannot afford the classes and am asking for a grant to view the master classes and learn tools to help the children at my school in Michigan. Thank you!
Dear Kathy,
Integrated Learning Systems offers an evidenced based, Safe and Sound Protocol that has proven to be highly effective with hyper-aroused children. Please check out the I.L.S. website.
The Safe and Sound Protocol also seems to be helping this shrink deal with his own hyper-arousal.
Hi Cathy,
Thank you kindly Cathy for your love and dedication to these sweet souls in great need. There has been a lot of success with the use of yoga to get children to become more mindful of their bodies. Many places on-line offer some guidance like the Dr. Deepak Chopra Center. Some places/states offer free classes; Canada offers free yoga & mindfulness practices (www.newleafyoga.org) and AZ a reflection room & nature trail walks (www.turnanewleaf.org) come to mind. I hope this at least gets you some kind of helpful direction. Love, Peace & harmony to us all.
Hi Cathy ! You sound like a very dedicated and loving person . . Your children are lucky to have you ! Can I suggest : art therapy and music therapy . You don’t have to be an artist or a musician to do this ! Drawing is wonderful for traumatized children ! Simple arts and crafts are really good too ! These activities are really good for building self esteem . You and your students could make simple music instruments .. The internet has terrific ideas , that don’t cost much to do . Use our imagination ! Do you know anyone that can come in to have a sing a long , or a story teller ? Anything you can think to redirect negative thinking to creative , positive thinking . Good luck !
I use bodywork through breath concentrating on the painful area. It is through the breath that the person have insight as what the trauma cause the pain. It has worked well in my practice. Thank you for the great series.
This is a very good point that needs to be raised more often and thoughtfully reflected on. How does a field filled with while males holding the majority of positions of power ensure they are not falling into the same traps. There have been so many cases of male spiritual leaders, academics, busineses who take advantage of their power and cause real harm to those around them, mostly Women. How is the trauma field addressing this potential? Not talking about it is certainly a poor strategy.
As soon as I can rule out any medical cause, I will use this exploring/ focusing on the site of pain.
Hope you will be able to address dissociation as well.
It’s the fear of more pain that stops so many people allowing themselves to explore the sensations within their bodies and minds. I have used yoga for many years but more recently have discovered how the most ancient of yoga concepts are the forerunners of modern psychological and psychosomatic therapeutic practices. Yoga, as mostly taught nowadays as a physical practice, is beneficial for the body and will support mental change but the concepts as originally outlined over 2000 years ago have enabled me to help myself and others to go deeper into the long-stored memories, tensions and pain of past trauma.
The interesting material coming from NICABM reinforces these practices by updating with current research – thank you so much. I wish I had many more years in which to help guide clients towards freeing their tensions and opening to wellness.
Do you have any recommendations of resources to learn about the original version of yoga that you talk about?
I have used a similar imaging technique when working with victims of sexual abuse and it really helps. Thank you so much .
I have always felt we carry something with our bodily pain that is reflective of the burdens we feel in life such as back pain when we feel the burden of caring for so many others..
I am a. Somatic psychologist and I work with clients often who have trauma trapped in theirs bodies and they have physical symptoms from it.
I always love to learn mote from the masters like Peter Levine.
Warmly
Dr Paivi Lee
I am a myofascial release therapist. The idea of tissue memory is implicit in my work. Peter Levine’s dialoguing with Chiam was a helpful example for me for bringing awareness and releasing.