Why Trauma Lives in the Body, and How to Release It
Katelyn Key
Somatic Specialist
When people think about trauma, they often focus on the emotional or psychological effects: anxiety, depression, panic, flashbacks. But what many don’t realize is that trauma doesn’t just live in the mind. It lives in the body too.
If you’ve ever felt your heart race in a moment that didn’t seem dangerous, or gone completely numb when something upsetting happened, or noticed that your body shuts down during conflict, you’ve experienced what this looks like in real time. These reactions aren’t random. They’re survival strategies. And they’re signs that something deeper is still waiting to be processed.
Understanding how trauma affects the body can help make sense of why you feel the way you do—and what healing can actually look like.
Your Body Remembers What Your Mind Can’t Always Explain
The nervous system is built to protect us. When something overwhelming happens—whether it’s a single frightening event or years of chronic stress—your body responds automatically. Your heart rate spikes. Your muscles tense. Your breath shortens. Your system does exactly what it’s designed to do: keep you safe.
But trauma happens when the body doesn’t get a chance to fully reset. Instead of processing and moving through the event, your system stays stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. These patterns can become deeply ingrained, especially if you’ve lived through ongoing or relational trauma where escape wasn’t possible.
You might not think of yourself as “traumatized,” but if your body still reacts as if the threat is happening right now, that’s trauma. And it deserves care.
Talk Therapy Alone Isn’t Always Enough
Traditional talk therapy is powerful. It gives you language, insight, and relational safety. But sometimes, understanding the story isn’t enough to move the trauma out of the body.
This is why many trauma-trained therapists use body-based approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, sensorimotor work, or polyvagal-informed techniques. These approaches help the nervous system complete the survival responses that got stuck. They aren’t about re-experiencing pain. They’re about finding a new, more regulated way to relate to what happened.
This kind of work can be slow, gentle, and deeply respectful of your body’s pace. You’re not forced to relive anything. You’re supported in learning how to listen to your body, notice what it needs, and begin releasing what it’s been holding onto for too long.
What Releasing Trauma Can Actually Look Like
Releasing trauma isn’t always dramatic. Sometimes it looks like crying for the first time in years. Sometimes it’s being able to take a full breath. Sometimes it’s a shift you don’t notice until you realize your shoulders have been relaxed for a week and you didn’t even think about it.
Other signs that trauma is releasing:
Feeling more present in your daily life
Being less reactive to certain triggers
Having clearer boundaries
Noticing when you’re activated and knowing how to care for yourself
Feeling less shame, and more compassion for the version of you who survived
This is the kind of healing that doesn’t just live in your head. It shows up in how you sleep, how you breathe, how you move through your day.
You Can Come Back to Yourself
You don’t have to live in a constant state of tension, hypervigilance, or shutdown. Your body isn’t the problem. It’s trying to tell you something. And with the right support, it can finally start to let go.
At Nashville Therapy Group, we offer trauma-informed care that honors both the emotional and physical effects of what you’ve been through. Many of our therapists are trained in EMDR and other somatic approaches that help the body find its way back to safety.
There’s nothing weak about needing help. There’s nothing wrong with you for still feeling what happened. And there’s no timeline for healing. But if you’re ready to begin, we’re here to walk with you.
We Are Here For You
At Nashville Therapy Group, our team of clinicians is here to help you work through what’s hard and move toward meaningful change. Connect with us today to get started. We’d be honored to help you heal.
