Trauma Lives in the Body - So Does Healing: A Somatic Approach to cPTSD

Understanding cPTSD and How Somatic Therapy Supports Healing

Complex PTSD (cPTSD) is a term that describes the long-term effects of ongoing trauma, often stemming from childhood experiences, abusive relationships, or prolonged stress in environments where safety was uncertain. Unlike single-event PTSD, which is often linked to a specific traumatic incident, cPTSD develops from repeated exposure to distressing situations, leaving deep imprints on the nervous system and overall sense of self.

Many people experience symptoms of cPTSD without realising it. The way we live in modern society - isolated, overstimulated, and often disconnected from nature and community - is far from how we were biologically designed to exist. As a result, nervous system dysregulation is incredibly common, leading to persistent feelings of anxiety, emotional numbness, or being stuck in survival mode.

​Dr. Gabor Maté explains that "trauma is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you."

How cPTSD Affects the Body and Mind

When we experience prolonged stress or repeated trauma, our nervous system adapts by staying on high alert (hyperarousal) or shutting down (hypoarousal). These adaptations, while protective at the time, can become chronic patterns that impact daily life. Common symptoms of cPTSD include:

• Emotional dysregulation – Intense mood swings, overwhelming anxiety, or numbness.

• Hypervigilance – Always feeling on edge or anticipating danger.

• Dissociation – Feeling detached from the body or experiencing memory gaps.

• Chronic fatigue and tension – The body holding onto survival stress.

• Difficulty trusting others – Struggles with intimacy and relationships.

• Negative self-perception – Persistent shame, self-criticism, or feelings of unworthiness.

Because trauma is stored in the body, traditional talk therapy alone may not always be enough to facilitate healing. This is where somatic therapy becomes essential.

The Role of Somatic Therapy in Healing cPTSD

Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing that acknowledges how trauma is held in the nervous system. Instead of only engaging the mind, it works directly with physical sensations, movement, and breath to process unresolved trauma.

By working with the body, somatic therapy helps to:

• Regulate the nervous system – Gently shift out of survival states and into a place of safety and connection.

• Increase body awareness – Recognising physical sensations linked to emotions helps to process and release them.

• Encourage emotional expression – Trauma often silences emotions; somatic practices support their safe release.

• Rebuild a sense of safety – Learning to trust the body again is a crucial step in healing.

  
  

  

  
  

Somatic techniques such as grounding exercises, breathwork, movement practices, and therapeutic touch allow the body to process and release stored trauma, restoring a sense of balance and calm.

We Weren’t Meant to Live This Way

Our ancestors lived in close-knit communities, relied on deep social bonds, and moved their bodies in natural ways. They experienced stress, but they also had natural ways to discharge it -through movement, connection, and ritual. In contrast, modern life often forces us to suppress emotions, ignore bodily cues, and live in a constant state of hyperarousal.

This mismatch between how we live and what our nervous system expects is why cPTSD is so widespread. Many people are carrying layers of unresolved trauma simply because they have never been taught how to process it in a way that aligns with the body’s natural healing mechanisms.

The Path to Healing

Healing cPTSD is not about forcing yourself to "get over it" or rehashing traumatic memories endlessly. It’s about creating safety in your body, gently unwinding old survival patterns, and finding new ways to regulate and connect. Somatic therapy offers a compassionate, body-led approach to healing - one that respects your nervous system’s pace and honours the wisdom within you.

If you recognise yourself in these words, know that healing is possible. Your body is not broken; it is doing its best to protect you. With the right support, you can shift from survival mode into a place of safety, ease, and connection.