Soren Kierkegaard

We arrive into the world, bringing our connection-ready selves and then we interact with the environment and the relationships around us in a continuous and dynamic way. Understanding this aspect of human development, helps us grasp that we are all unique with our own ways of understanding our experiences and our own ways of making sense of them and of healing from them. There are as many ways to recover from trauma as there are people recovering from trauma. In order to begin to think about different healing modalities, we wanted to share some of the variety of things available that can be taken on the journey to deeper wisdom, recovery and healing.

Understanding trauma, means that we know that we can only meet someone as deeply as we’ve met ourselves. There is no them and us; just different points on the journey. Understanding the theories around trauma are so important, but centring lived experience wisdom at the heart of our unique journeys means moving into the body, into the healing space.

Writing for healing is a common practice which can be used as a method for helping people cope with trauma. Expressive writing has been found to improve both our physical and psychological health. One of the benefits of journalling, a form of free flowing personal writing, is that it's inexpensive, requiring simply the cost of paper and a pen. It can also be done anywhere and at anytime.

It’s not necessary to seek assistance with this practice if you’re tentatively beginning your journey to healing. Just putting pen to paper can have benefits. But if you’re looking for guidance or extended support through a communicative block, then we have a free weekly online course that will help you get started and be your guide through the process.

Where writing for healing is concerned, there are no rules. No one is marking you, no one even needs to ever read what you write. You can choose bullet points, descriptive sentences, simply listing your feelings, block capitals, colour coding your thoughts; whatever feels right to you in that moment is right full stop.

A trauma-based approach to yoga makes the already psychologically beneficial practice centralise safety with a deep understanding of how trauma is embodied and can be released with movement addressing the unique needs of individuals. However, to work with the body, it’s essential that you feel like you are in safe hands.

Yoga works at each individual person’s pace, with each person’s unique body movements. Who you choose to embark on your journey with is important. A Trauma-Informed Yoga Instructor is trained to be aware of trauma at all times and understand how it can factor within the practice.

Trauma Informed Yoga includes self-regulation strategies that can:

Although there is an abundance of online yoga tutorials and classes, it is important that you choose someone who is right for you. For online and in person Yoga, we recommend Catherine Watsham who works 1:1 or in small groups. To find our more about Catherine and whether she is right for you, read more here.

Play and Creative arts therapy is the combined use of art, sound, movement, storytelling, play and imagination. It integrates current best practices in trauma-informed care with what is understood about how to assist healing from trauma.

The focus of this approach is to support self-regulation through co-regulation. Play and creative arts interventions are used to not only support individuals’ own internal resources, but also provide various creative, action-oriented approaches to self-regulation and co-regulation when applied within groups or individually.

Here at Trauma Informed Consultancy Services, we recommend Fiona Holiday who mainly works offline but will also work online when required. Fiona has a passion for art, creativity and play working with children and their families. You can learn more about how she applies a deeper understanding of our ‘Search for Safety’ in her booklet which explains how our brains, bodies and minds work together to keep us safe. 

Fiona takes Stephen Porges polyvagal theory as a starting point and then uses the metaphor of landscapes and maps to help explore how we feel when we are in a place of “fight or flight” or “freeze”.

Singing has long been linked to therapy as research has shown that singing improves health and both physical and mental wellbeing. It has been proven to help combat depression and heal trauma! As a group activity singing in choirs, making music and the listening of music has been shown to lower heart rates and blood pressure, as well as decrease stress levels.

Singing is used as a therapy to improve memory for long term disorders such as Alzheimers, in fact, the American Music Therapy Association (AMTA) lists some the benefits of music therapy treatment in cases of traumatic incidents:

Here at Trauma Informed Consultancy Services, we recommend Brenda Rattray who uses singing for healing and wellness and has vast experience in working with trauma ranging from working in women’s refuges, working with people who have suffered domestic violence. She has worked in psychiatric hospitals with adults and children, in male and female prisons and in building the confidence of women who have worked in prostitution and want to raise their self worth and esteem. Learn more about Brenda here.

The increase in popularity for meditation can be somewhat attributed to it’s accessibility, practices and an understanding of the benefits. Used by many as part of daily life, meditation is believed to influence the sympathetic nervous system, keeping blood pressure, respiration and heart rate in check.

Its can help to reduce stress, help us focus on elements such as mindfulness and relaxation and is accessible to anyone either by using guided meditations, walking meditations, group meditations and many more.

As with all trauma-informed healing, how you prefer to meditate will be unique to the individual. Some may find comfort in a supportive group setting, while others may prefer to practice meditation alone.

At Trauma Informed Consultancy Services we recommend Meditation with Nikki Leader. While Nikki is engaged in many spiritual and energetic practices, our Director Lisa recalls that "being led in meditation with Nikki is one of the best meditations I have ever had." Learn more about Nikki here.

EMDR (Eye Movement and Desensitization Reprocessing) is an evidence-based treatment developed to help deal with the effects of trauma. It is recommended in the NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) guidelines as an effective approach for working with both single-event and longer-term relational trauma. 

EMDR, which can be delivered equally successfully via an online platform or in person. This process primarily uses eye movements to reprocess disturbing memories, which are the basis of the trauma and EMDR is very effective in reducing or removing their traumatic effects. Like all therapies, EMDR is not a magic wand or miracle cure, however, it is a powerful and effective tool that has proven to facilitate real cognitive, somatic and emotional change.

Pete Tobias is an Accredited therapist, with 9 years of experience, who provides EMDR alongside conventional talking therapies. 

Pete is passionate about helping people find a way to live as trauma free as possible. He works online and in person, from his practice in London Bridge.

For a free initial consultation or to find out more about how Pete can help you click here.