When we experience events that are overwhelming, our feelings are not easily integrated. This is especially true in childhood. Our feelings at the time of the experience may have been unacceptable, either by our own standards or by the caregivers we depended on. These intense feelings don’t simply disappear. They become frozen in the body’s cells as unconscious memories. Rosen Method is known for its ability to help those who have experienced abuse, trauma, and physical and emotional pain.
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Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences Peter Levine’s work, which deals with the resolution and healing of trauma, is called Somatic Experiencing®. His insights stem from observations of animals that are hunted for food (prey animals). They are rarely traumatized by their experience, despite the daily occurrence of frequent threats. When an animal is subjected to a traumatic experience, its body produces an extremely high level of energy arousal. Animals in the wild have an innate mechanism for discharging this energy, sometimes witnessed as a violent shaking. Humans have this same ability, but it is frequently inhibited. As a result, the nervous system does not return to equilibrium after a trauma, and the undischarged energy remains in the body, producing physical and emotional symptoms. This work parallels the underlying assumption of Rosen Method mentioned above — that chronic tension stems from emotional experiences we were unable to express. Somatic Experiencing uses awareness of body sensations to guide individuals through a ”renegotiation” of their traumas and can be very effective. Many Rosen Method practitioners incorporate Somatic Experiencing into their work. Here’s a link that will get you to practitioners in Northern California. Here’s a link to Peter Levine’s website where there is more information on this work and a directory of practitioner’s throughout the US and other countries. |
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Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence – from Domestic Abuse to Political Terror This book is noted for the parallels it draws between private terrors, such as rape, and more public traumas, such as the experiences of combat veterans and victims of political terrorism. But it’s much more than an intellectual discourse on the subject. I recommend this book to clients who have experienced trauma and to practitioners who work with them. |
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Peter Levine’s website, The Foundation for Human Enrichment. There’s a list of articles (with links) here. This site contains valuable links to other websites that deal with trauma. |
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David Baldwin’s website of Trauma Information Pages. This site is intended primarily for clinicians and practitioners. There are extensive lists of books, resources, and articles, all with links. |
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Rosen Method Releases Pain and Emotion The relation between physical pain and its emotional causes: How physical therapy and Rosen Method Bodywork complement each other. |
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