Overcoming Trauma with a Holistic Approach to Therapy: Mind, Body, and Soul

Sitting on a couch is a therapist with a clipboard. We talk about our problems. We discuss them in great detail. We connect them back to problems in our childhood. Then we expand upon those problems. Sometimes we leave the session feeling more anxious and distraught than when we started. Or maybe we leave the session feeling better because we had a chance to vent, but then we go back next week and do it again.

This process, from one perspective, can be cathartic. From another, it’s like tracing the lines of a picture over and over, making it darker, stronger, and more concrete every time we retell and analyze the problem. Our subconscious mind holds on to the stories of pain with even more strength and every time we vent without doing the healing work and release of the pain, we make it more ours. We own it. It becomes us. And in time, we become the pain.

There is another approach to healing that is worth looking into. Consider the idea that we aren’t meant to carry pain and that to heal from trauma, we must begin to see the stories we tell as essential tools for healing. By taking a holistic approach, we can introduce alternative healing approaches that help us get to the root of the pain and heal it.

Here are a few therapeutic approaches to look into that will help you heal by addressing your pain in a holistic way with the understanding that:

We can store pain from experiences in our bodies.
We operate from our subconscious beliefs, often rooted in fear and protection (flight, fight, or fawn), unless we change them.
Our conscious mind doesn’t know how to release pain nearly as well as the deeper part of us, so we must learn to connect to that part of ourselves to release the pain.

Interested in learning more? Take a look at some of these therapies that may be right for you or someone you know.

Somatic Healing

Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented therapy approach that focuses on healing trauma symptoms by developing an awareness of stored trauma in the body and releasing it.

Energy healing

Practices such as acupuncture, Qigong, Reiki, or acupressure work with the body’s energy systems to promote balance and healing. These approaches can release blocked energy and help the Qi (pronounced “chee”), or life energy flow, freely through the body. These practices have been around for thousands of years and continue to provide relief for many.

Subconscious Healing

Practices like hypnotherapy using regression can help you access your subconscious wounds and heal them at their root. Rapid Transformational Therapy gives you the tools to go in and rewire subconscious beliefs you hold about yourself. This healing therapy can have a powerful impact, allowing you to release pain and find freedom.

Transpersonal Psychology

Transpersonal Psychology focuses on the exploration of spiritual aspects of the human experience. This therapy facilitates connection to the higher self, using practices such as meditation, visualization, and mindfulness.

Holotropic Breathwork

Holotropic Breathwork focuses on breathing to explore altered states of consciousness to access inner wisdom, self-exploration, and a sense of connection to the higher self. The heightened oxygen in the brain from this practice allows for a deeper connection within.

Soul-Centered Therapy

This approach combines traditional psychotherapy with spiritual exploration to foster intuition and connect individuals to their authentic selves for personal growth and healing. Soul-centered therapy can be beneficial in healing from trauma and reconnecting with your purpose, identity, and values, and cultivating an inner work journey.

Shamanic Healing

Shamanic Healing is a transformative experience focused on the interconnectedness of things and the ability to find healing within those connections. ‘Journeying’ involves entering a trance-like state to connect with spirits for guidance, healing, or divination. The shaman may use rhythmic drumming, repetitive sounds, or other methods to induce an altered state of consciousness.

While these holistic approaches to therapy may be worth exploring when seeking release from pain and trauma, remember that each person’s healing journey looks different. It’s essential to lean into the approach that feels right for you and know there is no one way to heal. Talk therapy might work for many, but there are other options for those needing something else.

If you or someone you know experiences mental health issues, it is important to seek help from a qualified professional. Our Resource Specialists can help you find expert mental health resources to recover in your community. Contact us now for more information on this free service to our users.

Contact a Resource Specialist

About the Author: Felicity Powers is a Clinical Hypnotherapist who specializes in helping women overcome the symptoms of trauma and live uninhibited powerful lives.

FelicityPowers.com

Kuhfuß M, Maldei T, Hetmanek A, Baumann N. Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review. Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021 Jul 12;12(1):1929023. doi: 10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023. PMID: 34290845; PMCID: PMC8276649.

Warber SL, Bruyere RL, Weintrub K, Dieppe P. A Consideration of the Perspectives of Healing Practitioners on Research Into Energy Healing. Glob Adv Health Med. 2015 Nov;4(Suppl):72-8. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2015.014.suppl. Epub 2015 Nov 1. PMID: 26665045; PMCID: PMC4654782.

Boorstein, Seymour. (2000). Transpersonal Psychotherapy. American journal of psychotherapy. 54. 408-23. 10.1176/appi.psychotherapy.2000.54.3.408.

Miller, Tanja, and Laila Nielsen. “Measure of Significance of Holotropic Breathwork in the Development of Self-Awareness.” Journal of alternative and complementary medicine (New York, N.Y.) vol. 21,12 (2015): 796-803. doi:10.1089/acm.2014.0297

Weiss LB. Through Time Into Healing: Discovering The Power Of Regression Therapy To Erase Trauma and Transform Mind, Body and Relationships. USA: Touchstone; 2012. 116 pp. [Google Scholar]

McClenon, James. “Shamanic Healing, Human Evolution, and the Origin of Religion.” Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, vol. 36, no. 3, 1997, pp. 345–54. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/1387852. Accessed 18 May 2023.

Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on U n splash

The opinions and views expressed in any guest blog post do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in the article or linked to therein. Guest Authors may have affiliations to products mentioned or linked to in their author bios.