Sensorimotor approaches to trauma treatment

Abstract

SummaryResearch has consistently demonstrated a connection between affect dysregulation and experiences of early childhood neglect, trauma and attachment failure. Without adequate regulation of the infant's distress states, the nervous system and affect-regulating brain structures fail to develop optimally. Affect dysregulation is a component of all mood, anxiety and borderline personality disorders as well as a contributor to addictive and suicidal behaviour. Methods to increase self-regulation are crucial to the effectiveness of any treatment for these problems. Traditional therapeutic modalities that address distorted cognitions or focus on emotional expression attempt to address affect regulation but fail to modify its underlying basis in the nervous system. Sensorimotor psychotherapy, as a somatically oriented therapy, approaches affect dysregulation as a subcortical issue. Its interventions directly address the underlying causes of dysregulation in the body and nervous system.