Healing Trauma Through the Body: Insights from Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory, and Bessel van der Kolk

Trauma is not just a psychological wound—it is a physiological imprint that lives in the body. Over the past few decades, a growing body of research has shifted the understanding of trauma from a purely mental health issue to a complex interplay between the brain, body, and nervous system. Three pioneering frameworks—Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine), Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges), and the work of Bessel van der Kolk—have revolutionized how we understand and treat trauma.

Somatic Experiencing: Completing the Threat Response

Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing (SE) is based on the idea that trauma results from the body’s inability to complete its natural defensive responses to threat. When a person experiences a traumatic event, the body instinctively prepares to fight, flee, or freeze. If these responses are interrupted or suppressed, the energy mobilized for survival remains trapped in the nervous system.

Levine emphasizes that trauma is not in the event itself but in the nervous system’s response to it. This unresolved energy manifests as chronic tension, anxiety, dissociation, and other symptoms. SE helps individuals “renegotiate” trauma by gently guiding them to sense and release this stored energy through body awareness and micro-movements.

Key principles of SE include:

Tracking bodily sensations to identify areas of tension or numbness.
Titration, or working with trauma in small, manageable doses.
Pendulation, the natural rhythm between states of activation and calm.

By allowing the body to complete its defensive responses, SE restores balance to the autonomic nervous system and promotes healing.

Polyvagal Theory: The Science of Safety and Connection

Dr. Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory provides a neurophysiological framework for understanding how the autonomic nervous system (ANS) responds to safety and threat. Central to this theory is the vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the heart, lungs, and digestive system and plays a crucial role in regulating emotional and physiological states.

Porges describes a hierarchical model of the ANS:

Ventral Vagal State (Social Engagement) – A state of safety, connection, and calm.
Sympathetic State (Fight or Flight) – Mobilization in response to danger.
Dorsal Vagal State (Shutdown/Freeze) – Immobilization in response to overwhelming threat.

Trauma can cause individuals to become “stuck” in sympathetic arousal (anxiety, hypervigilance) or dorsal vagal shutdown (numbness, depression). Healing involves restoring access to the ventral vagal state, where social engagement and co-regulation are possible.

Polyvagal-informed therapies emphasize:

Creating cues of safety through tone of voice, facial expression, and environment.
Co-regulation with others to restore nervous system balance.
Body-based practices like breathwork and movement to shift autonomic states.

Understanding the polyvagal hierarchy empowers individuals to recognize their physiological responses and develop tools for self-regulation.

Bessel van der Kolk: The Body Keeps the Score

Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s seminal work, The Body Keeps the Score, synthesizes decades of trauma research to show how traumatic experiences are stored in the body and brain. Unlike ordinary memories, traumatic memories are often fragmented, non-verbal, and sensory-based. They can be triggered by sights, sounds, or bodily sensations that bypass conscious awareness.

Van der Kolk emphasizes that trauma affects:

Memory – Traumatic memories are often inaccessible to verbal recall but live on in the body.
Perception – Trauma alters how individuals perceive themselves and the world.
Bodily Sensations – Chronic pain, tension, and dysregulation are common.

Traditional talk therapy may not fully address these embodied aspects of trauma. Instead, van der Kolk advocates for body-based therapies. His work underscores the importance of integrating the body into trauma treatment to achieve lasting healing.

Integrating the Theories: A Holistic Approach to Trauma Healing

While each of these frameworks offers unique insights, they converge on several key points:

Trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind.
The nervous system plays a central role in trauma responses and recovery.
Healing requires body-based interventions that restore regulation and connection.

A holistic approach to trauma healing might include:

Somatic Experiencing to discharge incomplete threat responses.
Polyvagal-informed practices to cultivate safety and co-regulation.
Body-based therapies to integrate traumatic memories and restore agency.

This integrative model empowers individuals to reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and reclaim a sense of safety and vitality.

Concluding Thoughts

Trauma is not a life sentence. With the right tools and understanding, the body can become a powerful ally in the healing process. By drawing on the wisdom of Somatic Experiencing, Polyvagal Theory, and Bessel van der Kolk’s research, we can move beyond survival and toward a life of resilience, connection, and wholeness.

Bibliography

Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. Norton.
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
Somatic Experiencing International. https://traumahealing.org
Polyvagal Institute. https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org
The Trauma Research Foundation. https://www.traumaresearchfoundation.org
Carlson, E. B., & Dalenberg, C. J. (2000). A Conceptual Framework for the Impact of Traumatic Experiences.
Sage Publications. History and Theoretical Foundations of Trauma.
Mission Connection Healthcare. Understanding Trauma Theory.

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