Learning to yield: body psychotherapy and complex posttraumatic stress disorder

Abstract

ABSTRACTHistorically, the symptoms of complex posttraumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) have been difficult to treat. Due to the complex and varied manifestation of C-PTSD, treatment of symptoms is not easily resolved with current pharmacologic and therapeutic modalities and approaches alone. Untreated childhood trauma inhibits the ability to regulate arousal to stimulus that may be perceived as threatening; creating chronic nervous system activation even when actual threats are not present. The experiences of our lives shape our bodies and our patterns of movement. Working with the body’s developmental movement patterns as a somatic resource can provide an entry point into the client’s psyche in a way that cognition alone cannot provide. Using techniques, like breathwork, to learn how to notice body sensations improves self-regulation, developing body-based resources the client can use to yield; improving regulation of the nervous system and promoting the reduction of C-PTSD symptoms.