Trauma Lives in the Body: How Trauma-Informed Bodywork Supports Healing

Trauma is a word we hear everywhere these days—but what does it really mean when people say trauma “lives in the body”?

At its core, trauma happens when we lose safety, choice, or the ability to resolve a threatening situation. It can stem from a single event—like an accident or disaster—or from ongoing experiences like abuse, neglect, or bullying. What feels traumatic to one person might not to another, but everyone carries some version of it.

How Trauma Shows Up in the Body

Our nervous system is wired to protect us. According to Polyvagal Theory, it shifts between three main states:

• Safety (ventral vagal): calm, connected, present.

• Fight/flight (sympathetic): fear, panic, anger, tight muscles, racing heart.

• Freeze (dorsal vagal): shutdown, numbness, dissociation.

These states are adaptive in the moment, but when stress responses don’t get resolved, the body holds onto them. Over time, this can look like chronic pain, tension, fatigue, or a sense of being “stuck.” This is what people mean when they say trauma lives in the body.

Why Bodywork Helps

Massage and bodywork can provide a safe space to release stored tension—but only when offered through a trauma-informed lens. Unlike a “fix it” approach, trauma-informed bodywork recognizes that the body carries memory and that healing happens at the client’s pace.

A trauma-informed practitioner:

• Prioritizes safety, consent, and collaboration.

• Uses touch that adapts moment by moment to the client’s needs.

• Practices co-regulation—staying grounded so the client’s nervous system can mirror that sense of calm.

This work isn’t about pushing through discomfort or quick fixes. Healing requires repeated experiences of safety. Each supportive session helps the nervous system slowly learn it can return to regulation and connection.

Finding the Right Fit

If you’re looking for trauma-informed bodywork, ask potential practitioners about their training, how they handle boundaries, and how they support clients who feel triggered. Most importantly, notice how your body feels with them—safe, heard, and respected is the right direction.

Trusting the Wisdom of the Body

Trauma-informed bodywork honors the body’s wisdom. With time and consistency, it can help shift patterns of stress into patterns of safety, allowing more ease, connection, and resilience in daily life.

✨ If this resonates with you and you’d like to explore trauma-informed bodywork for yourself, I’d love to support you. Book a session with me here.