TAO OF TRAUMA

Lindsay holds a certificate in the Tao of Trauma, a postgraduate course addressing trauma by combining Somatic Experiencing (based on Peter Levine’s work) with Five Element Theory/Chinese Medicine.

This system integrates Western knowledge with the understanding of how trauma affects our nervous system and brain, alongside the thousand-year-old Chinese Five Element Theory. The two not only parallel each other but, together, form a powerful—yet very gentle—somatic bodywork practice.

This therapy can be practiced with or without needles. And while it’s not a substitute for talk therapy, the bodywork can access trauma in the body in ways that words or cognitive thinking often can’t. This work is very different from EMDR. The point is not to re-live or re-experience a trauma. It’s about understanding where in the body the trauma is held and re-learning/re-teaching the body to feel safety and exist in a regulated state. This work not only allows the patient to slowly and safely reinhabit their body, but also to process sensations and emotions that arise without sending them into fight, flight, or collapse mode.

We use the Chinese Five Element Theory model to understand where in the trauma cycle the patient is stuck and how bringing regulation back to their constitution can help them move through past trauma—and future challenges as well. The longer we move through life in an unregulated state, the narrower our “zone of resiliency” becomes. Therefore, when we are met with future traumas or difficulties, we have less and less capacity to deal with them (we can get easily overwhelmed, our sympathetic nervous system can kick too quickly into high gear, etc.).

This type of care is excellent for those trying to move through trauma in their lives. It is also incredibly helpful for what we call “Complex Multi-System Illness.” This is characterized by ongoing and usually unexplained long-term fatigue, exhaustion, pain, anxiety, cognitive issues, autoimmune illnesses, gastrointestinal symptoms, and malaise. For some people, unresolved trauma can manifest as a physical condition rather than a mental/emotional one.

If this system resonates with you or you have any questions, please feel free to reach out for a consult call.