When people ask me what trauma-informed bodywork looks like, I usually explain that it’s a gentle, hands-on approach that helps the body (and nervous system) find its way back to regulation and safety.
Much of what I practice is inspired by the work of Kathy L. Kain, who integrates Ortho-Bionomy and somatic approaches, Dr. Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing®, and Feldenkrais®, a method of somatic education. The basic idea is simple but profound: when the body feels regulated, our emotions and thoughts follow. We’re more grounded, less reactive, and better able to make healthy decisions.
What a Session Might Look Like
Sessions usually begin with a simple, supportive touch — for example, a steady contact at the small of your back while you remain fully clothed and comfortably lying on a treatment table.
This touch helps support the the adrenal glands, located just above the kidneys, and help regulate stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol — key players in the body’s stress response. When these glands can “settle,” the body starts releasing long-held tension and stress hormones that may have been stuck in the system after prolonged periods of bracing or overwhelm.
When the adrenals are overworked, the body stays in a chronic fight-or-flight state. By helping them find balance, we remind the body how to access its parasympathetic response — the “rest and restore” mode — instead of constantly preparing for danger.
In practice, this might look like my hand resting quietly under your lower back for 10–15 minutes on one side, then the other. There’s no manipulation or movement — just gentle, steady contact that gives your system space to unwind at its own pace. I’ll often check in to see what you’re noticing, since this work is more of a collaborative process than something I do to you.
Deeper Layers of Regulation
Once your adrenal system begins to regulate over time (which can take several sessions depending on your history, nervous system and physiology), we can explore other forms of trauma-informed touch.
For example:
Brain stem holds can calm the nervous system and restore a sense of safety.
Fascia work helps release tension in the connective tissue just under the skin — a place where emotion and stress are often stored.
When fascia is tight or “activated,” it can contribute to feelings of agitation, anxiety, or even physical sensations like chest pressure or a creeping sense of fear. The mediastinum fascia, which wraps around the heart and lungs, is especially sensitive — calming this area can bring a deep sense of ease and spaciousness to the breath and chest.
Viscera work supports trauma healing by gently engaging the organs — where deep-seated “gut reactions” and stress responses often live. By helping the viscera release stored tension, this work can improve emotional regulation, support healthy organ function, and allow for a greater sense of presence and ease in the body.
Releasing Protective Patterns
Many of us live in bodies that are unconsciously bracing — jaw tight, shoulders rounded, chest tense, breath shallow. These are protective patterns that once helped us survive but now keep us stuck in chronic tension.
To support release, I often integrate movement-based approaches like the Feldenkrais Method® or Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. These gentle methods help the nervous system recognize safety through movement and awareness, softening patterns of holding and protection.
Feldenkrais helps your body unlearn old tension patterns that formed in response to stress or protection. As the nervous system discovers new options for movement, a natural sense of stability and calm begins to emerge.
Craniosacral Therapy uses light, attuned touch to help the body unwind from stress and trauma. From a trauma-informed lens, it helps the nervous system feel safe enough to release old patterns and return to a natural state of ease.
Why It Works
By working directly with the body, trauma-informed touch helps regulate the nervous system faster than talk alone. Once your body feels calmer and safer, talk therapy (if part of your process) becomes much more effective — because the body and mind are finally speaking the same language.