Do you feel like your body is always on alert even when life is calm?
When trauma happens, it doesn’t just live in the mind, it lives in the body. You might notice tension in your chest that never quite goes away, a heaviness in your stomach, or a sense of numbness where you used to feel joy. For many people, it’s not about recalling what happened, but understanding how the body continues to relive the experience.
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Body-based trauma healing isn’t about “fixing” what’s wrong with you. It’s about learning to notice what your body is communicating — and helping it find safety again.
You might feel disconnected from your body.
Trauma can create a deep sense of disconnection — from your emotions, your physical sensations, even from yourself. You might feel like you’re just “going through the motions,” or that you’re living outside your own skin. For some, the body feels like an unsafe place to be, so it shuts down to survive. Therapy helps you gently rebuild that connection at a pace that feels right for you.
Your body feels tense, tired, or stuck and you can’t explain why.
Maybe you’ve tried to “think” your way through the pain, but your body keeps reacting as if the threat is still there. Your shoulders are tight. Your breath feels shallow. Your heart races for no reason. These are your body’s protective patterns — the ways it has learned to keep you safe. Together, we help your nervous system learn that it’s safe to release.
You long to feel calm, grounded, and safe again.
After trauma, it’s common to feel like your body isn’t your own. You may crave peace but don’t know how to access it. Through body-based therapy, you’ll learn tools that bring you back into the present — deep breathing, gentle movement, grounding exercises, and mindfulness-based awareness. Safety starts with noticing what your body is saying and responding with compassion.
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At Purpose Counseling, we know healing takes courage. You don’t have to relive every detail of your past to begin to feel better — we’ll focus on how your body is experiencing the present moment, helping you reconnect with yourself from the inside out.
How Body Based Therapy Works
Healing the body takes patience, presence, and curiosity. In sessions, we’ll explore what’s happening in your body rather than to your body.
Here’s what that might look like:
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Start with safety. We begin by helping your body feel safe enough to relax — often through grounding, breathing, or awareness practices.
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Notice what’s happening in the body. Together, we bring gentle attention to sensations — tightness, warmth, movement — and learn what they might be communicating.
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Explore movement and release. We may incorporate elements like stretching, deep breathing, somatic awareness, or simple yoga-inspired movements to help release stored tension.
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Integrate awareness. Over time, you’ll learn how to recognize when your body feels dysregulated and practice tools to help bring it back to calm.
Why Work With Us
At Purpose Counseling, we understand that trauma isn’t just a story — it’s an experience your body continues to hold. Our approach is grounded in Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s research on the body’s role in trauma recovery and the idea that the body keeps the score.
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Our therapists integrate body-based practices such as:
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Deep breathing and grounding techniques
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Gentle, movement-based exercises and body awareness
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Somatic mindfulness and guided relaxation
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Exploration of how the body responds to emotion and stress
We work at your pace — helping you build a sense of safety, stability, and trust in yourself. Many of our clients say they finally feel like their body and mind are on the same team again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to talk about my trauma in detail?
No. Body-based trauma therapy focuses on the present, how your body feels now, not on reliving or analyzing past events. You’ll always have control over what you share and when.
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What if I’m nervous about focusing on my body?
That’s completely normal. Many people feel unsure about what they’ll notice or afraid of what might come up. We’ll move slowly and check in often to make sure you feel safe and grounded every step of the way.
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Is this the same as mindfulness or yoga therapy?
While mindfulness and yoga-inspired movement may be part of the process, body-based trauma therapy goes deeper. It’s about understanding how your body responds to safety and threat, and working directly with your nervous system to support healing.
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Can this help if I don’t think I have trauma?
Most people carry some form of stored stress or emotional pain in their body, even if they don’t identify it as “trauma.” This work helps anyone who feels disconnected, tense, anxious, or constantly “on edge.”
We make it easy to get started.
Book a free consultation: We’ll answer your questions and help you find the right therapist for you.
Schedule directly through our online booking page — Choose a time that works best for your schedule.
Prefer to talk first? Give us a call or send a message. We’ll return your call within 24 business hours.