How Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Can Benefit Your Mind And Body
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a therapeutic approach that can be used to help those who have experienced trauma. This approach is generally viewed as a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM). It often involves a combination of talk therapy, mindfulness, and somatic exercises to release trauma that may be trapped in the body. You may be able to find a sensorimotor therapist online or in your local area.
What is sensorimotor therapy?
Key concepts of sensorimotor therapy for healing mind and emotions
Unlike other modalities of therapy, sensorimotor psychotherapy is a type of body psychotherapy, meaning that it is generally a talk therapy that is concerned with bodily functions and how a person perceives their body on the inside. It is rooted in somatic psychology and usually seeks to assist trauma patients by helping them to pay close attention to how their body, mind, and behavior can be interrelated. Its aim is typically to remove the debilitating effects of traumatic memories by turning them into sources of strength for the patient. Clients may integrate talk therapy and somatic exercises of the desired movement that they could not perform during the traumatic event. They may also be asked to perform exercises that focus on certain breathing patterns. This can help them release the trauma trapped inside their body so they can move forward with life.
Physical symptoms of trauma
The following may be examples of physical symptoms related to traumatic experiences, some of which may activate the autonomic arousal system:
- Low energy - You may not feel motivated to do anything.
- Sleep disturbances - This can be connected to low energy, as those with a trauma history may find it difficult to sleep.
- Poor eating habits - Again, this can be connected to low energy, which tends to affect those who don't eat well.
- Somatic symptoms, like headaches and muscle pain
- Freeze, flight, fight – This can be the most common physical symptom of trauma. With “freeze,” it may feel like you can't move, as you may be unsure how to handle a situation. With “flight,” you may want to run away from the situation to reach safety. With “fight,” you may resort to using aggression against the situation you are facing.
The history of sensorimotor psychotherapy
As the pioneer of sensorimotor psychotherapy (SP), Dr. Pat Ogden noticed the mind-body connection while working as a yoga instructor at a psychiatric hospital in the 1970s. She noticed that patients did not seem to see a relationship between their mental health issues and physical sensations. Additionally, she saw that some forms of therapy appeared to trigger past events. Seeking a comprehensive approach, she combined psychotherapy and somatic therapy techniques.
Before spearheading the development of SP, Dr. Pat Ogden was a student of Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, an expert in the field of trauma and its effect on the body. She was also a co-founder of the Hakomi Institute, which generally focuses on the Hakomi method of therapy developed by Ron Kurtz. Hakomi, like SP, can be a body-centered approach to psychotherapy.
Integration of trauma and the body in sensorimotor psychotherapy
Dr. Pat Ogden's Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute began offering training in the early 1980s. In 2006, the first book on SP, titled Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy, was published. A second book, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Interventions for Trauma and Attachment, became available in 2015. These books can explain how bodily intelligence may be an untapped resource and can help therapists and clients alike in their journeys toward understanding complex trauma. Each of these books can explain key concepts of sensorimotor therapy and may be great resources if you wish to learn more about this integrative approach.
Who can benefit from sensorimotor psychotherapy?
Clients who aren’t aware of any trauma but have had issues with attachment can also benefit from this treatment. Attachment theory generally says that your interactions and attachment with your caregivers (also known as attachment figures) and any childhood trauma you experienced can affect your relationships in adulthood. An insecure attachment to your caregivers may result in difficulties in attaching to other adults later in life. Trauma and attachment issues are often interlinked, since insecure attachments are often caused by major issues in childhood, such as neglect or abuse*, which can be traumatic. Therefore, clients who believe they have attachment issues may also consider sensorimotor treatment.
Sensorimotor psychotherapy session basics: integration of mind and body
Therapy sessions can vary and often depend on factors such as the client's ability to process trauma-related memories and the therapist's training. Initially, the therapist usually ensures the client is stable and feels safe before addressing the traumatic history.
The client is generally asked to relate what they recall about the traumatic event and, in particular, what was happening inside their body at the time - shaking, gasping, chills, etc. In addressing the painful memories in such a detailed way, the goal is usually for the client to establish a somatic narrative, which may help them be able to discuss the trauma while becoming acutely aware of their bodily responses.
The client may then begin to work toward resolving the trauma, potentially developing a greater sense of control over how they respond to "triggers." At some point, the client may be guided in performing the type of response they wanted to make but could not in that traumatic moment.
The approach to sensorimotor psychotherapy
Phase one
The therapist may first establish the setting as a place of safety, which can leave the client free to focus on their emotions and physical sensations. In the process of stabilization and symptom reduction, the therapist may observe the client to ascertain how their posture and movement show signs of lingering effects of the trauma they endured. The therapist may help the client develop an awareness of these bodily signs and how they can be linked to memories and feelings.
Phase two
Once the client is ready to speak about the traumatic experience, the therapist can work with them to pinpoint what physical reactions may now be linked to the traumatic memory. This is usually done in a specific fashion, such as determining the exact location of anger or fear in the client's body. During this phase, the therapist may also try to determine the defensive response the client wanted to perform in reaction to the trauma but was not able to, perhaps due to being frozen with fright. Once the client can finish this action, they may experience a sense of triumph and move past the trauma and on with their lives.
Phase three
Re-integration may be conducted by reading the client's posture to see what light this may shed on how they are coping in their daily lives. For instance, issues such as low self-esteem may have resulted from the traumatic experience, and these can be detected by observing the client's posture. The therapist may then attempt to help the client overcome these problems.
One of the ultimate goals of sensorimotor psychotherapy can be getting clients to the stage where they are able to apply the healing experience to various areas of their everyday life.
Finding a therapist to support you
While in-person therapy may be an excellent option for many people, online therapy is often more affordable and available. It can also be more comfortable for some clients who may feel nervous about visiting a mental health professional in person.
As this study explains, online therapy can be as effective as traditional in-office therapy, and it can be used to treat a variety of mental health conditions, including the effects of trauma.
Takeaway
Sensorimotor psychotherapy is often viewed as a type of complementary and alternative medicine that is frequently employed to help clients who are experiencing physical symptoms due to traumatic experiences. In most cases, a sensorimotor therapist will use a combination of somatic exercises and talk therapy to help clients release trauma that may be trapped in the body. It can be possible to connect with a sensorimotor therapist in person or online.
What are the three phases of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy?
Sensorimotor psychotherapy (SP) progresses gradually across three flexible phases: safety and stabilization, processing, and integration. The stages aren't time-bound, and typically, the therapist adjusts treatment during the process according to the client's holistic needs. During the three stages, the therapist will guide the client to use their body to calm the fight/flight response in the autonomic nervous system and pave the way for emotional healing from trauma. The three phases of sensorimotor psychotherapy are:
1. Safety and stabilization
During this phase, the therapist and client will work together to carefully explore the client's memories, images, emotions, thoughts, and bodily symptoms. This work aims to help the client understand how these factors influence their physical sensations and movement. The client explores how they react and cope with trauma triggers or life's challenges to understand the symptoms they experience when confronted with them. The therapist will begin teaching the development of sensorimotor strategies for using the body to respond healthily to the stimuli. They'll also help clients uncover their inner mental resources to cope with triggers.
2. Processing
Once the client feels comfortable enough to do so, they'll progress to the processing phase. This typically includes exploring the client's traumatic memories more deeply and their comprehensive effect on the mind, body, and emotions. During this phase, the therapist and client will identify how past trauma unhealthily impacts their life in the present and draw defined boundaries between their past and present realities. The memories are recalled in smaller, more detailed "pieces" (a technique called titration) using bodily sensations, movement, and words. This gradual approach helps clients imagine and reframe past traumatic experiences safely with a different response, empowering them to use such responses in future challenges. Therapists might also employ "pendulation" in this phase of treatment, alternating between states of distress and comfort, allowing clients to process challenging emotions in manageable ways while staying grounded in the body.
3. Integration
During the final phase, the therapist helps the client explore limiting beliefs and their impact on daily life. From there, the client works to cultivate a stronger sense of self and empowerment to attain better well-being. Eventually, the goal is to learn to address and overcome challenges in interpersonal relationships, working life, familial relationships, and other areas of daily functioning. Part of this phase includes cultivating stronger communication skills, learning to draw healthy boundaries, and caring for oneself to boost positivity.
What are the skills of sensorimotor therapy?
Sensorimotor skills in therapy refer to recognizing the mind and body's responses to traumatic or distressful stimuli and using mindfulness to produce more helpful, positive coping strategies.
Is EMDR a sensorimotor therapy?
EMDR (eye-movement desensitization and reprocessing) and sensorimotor therapy are both modalities of trauma therapy that utilize bodily sensations to address and shift problematic thoughts and emotions associated with traumatic experiences. Both work to help the client find empowerment in using the body to reprocess and reframe those memories. The therapies have fundamental differences, however, particularly regarding technique, uses, and the speed at which therapy progresses.
Typically, EMDR progresses more quickly and reaps more immediate results in addressing acute traumatic events. It is often (but not always) used to treat individuals with PTSD due to combat situations or natural disaster events. In contrast, sensorimotor therapy is a more gentle, gradual process that's often (but not always) more suitable for individuals with chronic or developmental traumatic experiences such as those associated with childhood trauma.
What are sensorimotor exercises?
Sensorimotor exercises within the context of psychotherapy might include (but aren't limited to) guided visualizations, sensory body scans, progressive muscle relaxation, and five-sense perception exercises (inner and outer experiences of sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing). Key sensorimotor activities include:
- Body awareness: Clients are guided to focus on physical sensations in the body, such as tension, warmth, or pain, and consider how they might relate to emotional states.
- Grounding and centering: These techniques help the client feel more present and stable in the moment. Grounding involves sensing contact with the ground, and centering often focuses on noticing the body's internal core and how it can foster emotional stability.
- Movement exploration: SP might include exercises where the client explores how specific bodily movements (such as adjusting posture or breathing patterns) result from and interact with memory and emotions.
- Tracking: Clients learn to track their internal experiences moment by moment, helping them stay present and reduce overwhelm when processing traumatic memories or emotions.
- Gesture, boundary work, and expression: Clients might engage in specific facial expressions or gestures that reflect emotional or somatic stress. The client might also explore personal boundaries through physical gestures to help them understand their relationship with safety, space, and others.
Is sensorimotor therapy effective?
A broad body of research indicates a clear relationship between post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and dysregulation in autonomic responses, paving the way for somatic approaches to psychotherapy. Current studies on the effectiveness of sensorimotor therapy specifically are lacking. However, one recent meta-analysis reported favorable outcomes in 18 studies using body psychotherapy to treat a variety of psychological disorders, including trauma-related conditions.
Sensorimotor therapy can help with a range of disorders, including, but not limited to, PTSD, anxiety, depression, and substance use disorders. Still, there are conditions in which sensorimotor types of therapy aren't recommended. For example, people with bipolar disorder experience complex fluctuations in sensorimotor functioning that may interfere with somatic-related therapies.
How long does sensorimotor psychotherapy take?
The length and frequency of sensorimotor psychotherapy sessions will vary depending on the unique needs of the client and their goals for therapy. In some cases, therapists may recommend their clients to continue with traditional psychotherapeutic methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) after they've made significant progress with sensorimotor psychotherapy.
What is sensorimotor treatment for trauma?
Loosely defined, sensorimotor treatment for trauma is a therapeutic approach that integrates body-based (somatic) therapies with traditional talk therapy to help individuals process and heal from traumatic experiences, cultivate healthier attachment styles, and achieve better overall mental health and well-being.
What are the prerequisites for sensorimotor treatment?
Treatment prerequisites help therapists assess whether SP is an appropriate treatment modality for the client. The prerequisites might be considered at different points in the therapeutic process to reassess SP's potential benefits for the client. For example, the therapist may begin treatment with more traditional psychotherapeutic methods and then integrate SP at some point later during the process. The prerequisites for SP involve psychological, physical, and therapeutic considerations to ensure the treatment is effective and safe for clients. Guidelines include:
- Clients should have a certain level of fundamental emotional stability and an ability to manage overwhelming emotions without becoming severely dysregulated. If they struggle with severe emotional regulation issues, initial work on grounding and stabilization may be necessary.
- Clients should have a safe environment and a support system in place (friends, family, community, or other therapeutic support) to help them manage any emotional challenges that arise during therapy.
- Clients must be willing to engage in the process and explore their bodily sensations and experiences, even if they are unfamiliar or uncomfortable.
- Clients should have some ability to be aware of or connect with physical sensations. For those who are disconnected from their bodies due to trauma, dissociation, or other reasons, therapists may need to spend time helping them reconnect with their bodily experiences before diving into deeper sensorimotor work.
- Clients may need to develop a tolerance for bodily sensations, particularly if they have a history of trauma. The ability to observe and feel physical sensations without immediately becoming overwhelmed is important.
Perhaps one of the most critical prerequisites to sensorimotor psychotherapy is a strong, trusting relationship between client and therapist. The Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute emphasizes the importance of training SP therapists to provide a sense of safety for the client and cultivate trust during the therapeutic process. Therapists must remain vigilant to the patient's comfort and needs during each stage of treatment.
What age is sensorimotor psychotherapy for?
SP is typically used for adults; however, the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute is currently conducting research studies to assess its potential effectiveness for treating children and adolescents with unresolved trauma and attachment issues.
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