Blog Archives

Healing Past Trauma, Part Two

12/12/2017

My Approach:
Pillars of My Practice

by Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM

"The body keeps the score. If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems...this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic assumptions."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

Treating anxiety and the effects of trauma can be tricky.

There are many methods, which generally involve counseling. Finding the right counselor for you can be invaluable when you're navigating PTSD, trauma and anxiety.
However, sometimes it's not enough.

Sometimes we need a more integrative approach to healing.

Example Patient Case

A patient is attempting to process a traumatic experience from years before. They feel like after that traumatic experience, they haven’t been the same. They don’t sleep well. They feel on edge. They experience a sensation of anxiety in their body that feels like they're shaking from the inside out. Sometimes their heart races, and they can’t feel their legs. These experiences impact their life every single day. They’ve been working with their therapist, and it helps quite a bit, but they aren’t making the progress they want to make. And sometimes, talking about their experience worsens their anxieties.

This is when they wind up in my office. 
The traumatic experience could have been emotional, physical, environmental, sexual… the effects are similar in all cases. Fear, hypervigilance, sleep disturbance and feeling disconnected from yourself, your body or your life are some examples of the effects of trauma.

Pillars of My Practice
Healing at the Root

Pillar #1: Chinese Medicine
I practice a fusion of medicine rooted in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

According to TCM, everything is connected: mind, body and spirit. In fact, working with the emotions and our “spirit” is considered an essential aspect of treatment for any symptom or disease in TCM. Your spirit is the essence of who you are and what makes you uniquely you. This aspect of Chinese medicine is the foundation of my practice of medicine.

I see everything as interconnected.
Working with the unique essence and spirit of each person I treat is fundamental to everything I do.
...

Pillar #2: Body-Centered Medicine
Another core aspect of my approach is what I refer to as “body-centered medicine,” which means I treat the body in order to affect the whole being.

This method is based on the fact that our body holds our history. It is also rooted in the idea that we all possess the innate ability to heal. Working with the body creates a powerful healing effect across all levels: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

In order to access our own healing potential, we must restore harmony to imbalanced systems in the body and mind.
...

Pillar #3: Treating the Root Cause
Why is working with the body so powerful when it comes to balancing emotions and healing past trauma? It treats the roots of emotional experience.

A primary condition we treat through the lens of TCM is called stagnation. Stagnation implies there is some sort of holding pattern that is creating a lack of movement, which then creates an array of symptoms (from pain to anxiety to fatigue and so on). Without healthy movement and flow in our bodies or minds, disease and bothersome symptoms arise.

In the case of trauma, an experience or event sends a shockwave through our entire system that has lasting effects of stagnation. We can become "stuck" or stagnated in the experience- physically, mentally and emotionally. But here's the amazing part... we can treat the roots of trauma and anxiety by unlocking these stuck places in the body.

This means that the effects of traumatic experiences that have become stuck in a holding pattern in our body and minds finally have the opportunity to be set free.
...

Releasing past trauma means just that-
We let it move through us, and then we let it go.

Check out the final article in this series which will offer guidance on this process of letting go of past traumatic experiences. When you begin to reconnect with yourself, you will learn how to move past fear and into your own power.

Part ThreE: From Fear To Power

Interested in working with Cailin?
Schedule a complimentary consultation.

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Healing Past Trauma, Part One

12/4/2017

2 Comments

The Body is Our Story-Teller

by Cailin O'Hara, MAcOM, LAc, Dipl OM

“…our bodies are the agents by which we exist in the world. They are also the receptacles of memories that, often vanished from our conscious awareness, are still deeply etched within our being. When those memories are triggered, we experience suffering at a highly existential level that transcends consciousness.”

Anyone that experiences anxiety, flashbacks or panic will tell you that their feelings are not only in their minds but also in their bodies.

A rapid heart rate, sweats, shakes, sensations of numbness or feeling like you're not actually in your body are all examples of this. When we experience any kind of trauma, whether it be shock, grief, abuse or a physical event (like a car accident), this creates a shock to our physical system. This abrupt stop can create holding patterns and stagnation in the body.

In effect, we hold our experiences in our being.

"Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

I would argue that Chinese medicine is a somatic approach to healing on all levels- mind, body and spirit. The wisdom of this medicine transcends the study and compartmentalization of symptoms alone. Chinese medicine is holistic in the truest sense. It follows the laws of nature and takes everything into account- physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

...

My Approach:
"Body-Centered Medicine"

I refer the to the work that I do as “body-centered medicine,” which means that I engage and harmonize the body in order to heal the whole being. I consider the body to be our greatest story-teller. It holds our stories and experiences. It tells of the past in how it moves and functions. I can perceive small imbalances in areas of the body that speak to deeper root causes. It can be an ache in the back that is actually more connected to a person’s stress at work. It can be a sensation of numbness that a person experiences that is actually a remnant of past trauma. It can be as obvious as arthritis that has set in deep within an ankle that was broken decades ago.

On every level, our body tells our story.

When you don’t honor the power and innate intelligence of the body, you’re missing the point in providing medicine.

...

In the medicine I practice, it’s the smallest adjustments that can make the greatest impacts. A subtle shift in posture lights up the mind-body connection and sends a ripple effect across all systems. Through literally and physically coming into alignment, everything has the potential to shift for the better. And the body is incredibly intelligent! It wants to be harmonious and well. It works tirelessly to achieve that state 100% of the time. Our symptoms, in fact, are often signs that our bodies are trying their very best to heal whatever imbalance exists.

The Present Moment:
The Only Place You Can Heal

When you work with the body, you come into the present moment. And it is here in this very moment that all the power to change and heal exists. When you stay lost in mental stories about why something is happening or how it happened and neglect to dial into the here and now and how it’s manifesting, change is less likely to occur.

Connecting with the body in order to heal the whole person has proven in my practice to be a deeply transformative way of healing.

...

If I’m working with someone and they tell me they have “anxiety,” I ask them what that means to them and where they feel it in their bodies. I ask them to describe where it sits within them, how it moves, if it has a color. This is a powerful way to connect to emotions and feelings. It helps the person feeling them to become more of an observer of their experience instead of getting overwhelmed by it. More so, it brings them into the present moment, quiets their racing mind, and provides essential clues about where their feelings are affecting their physiology and physical body. I then use this to inform my diagnosis and treatment.

Have you tried to work through your anxiety or past traumatic experiences only to feel more anxious, triggered or retraumatized?

I understand how that feels. I know how frustrating and overwhelming the process of healing can be when you can’t find your way through your pain or symptoms. But I have also learned one of the most effective and powerful ways to treat the spectrum of anxiety, panic, grief and PTSD.

Stay tuned for the next article in the series where I will offer a more in-depth look at my experience, my approach and how I can help you.

part two: my approach

...

Other Articles You May Like...

>> How Acupuncture Treats Anxiety

>> Navigating the Dark Times of Life

>> FAQ Acupuncture + Anxiety

Interested in working with Cailin?
Your first consultation is free.

Schedule Now

2 Comments

Healing Past Trauma, Part Two

My Approach:
Pillars of My Practice

"The body keeps the score. If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems...this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic assumptions."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

Pillars of My Practice
Healing at the Root

I see everything as interconnected.
Working with the unique essence and spirit of each person I treat is fundamental to everything I do.
...

In order to access our own healing potential, we must restore harmony to imbalanced systems in the body and mind.
...

This means that the effects of traumatic experiences that have become stuck in a holding pattern in our body and minds finally have the opportunity to be set free.
...

Interested in working with Cailin?
Schedule a complimentary consultation.

Healing Past Trauma, Part One

The Body is Our Story-Teller

"Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

When you don’t honor the power and innate intelligence of the body, you’re missing the point in providing medicine.

Connecting with the body in order to heal the whole person has proven in my practice to be a deeply transformative way of healing.

Interested in working with Cailin?
Your first consultation is free.

Author

Archives

Categories

Healing Past Trauma, Part Two

My Approach:​Pillars of My Practice

"The body keeps the score. If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems...this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic assumptions." -Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

Pillars of My PracticeHealing at the Root

I see everything as interconnected.Working with the unique essence and spirit of each person I treat is fundamental to everything I do. ​...

In order to access our own healing potential, we must restore harmony to imbalanced systems in the body and mind. ​...

This means that the effects of traumatic experiences that have become stuck in a holding pattern in our body and minds finally have the opportunity to be set free.​...

Interested in working with Cailin?Schedule a complimentary consultation.

Healing Past Trauma, Part One

The Body is Our Story-Teller

"Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies."​-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

When you don’t honor the power and innate intelligence of the body, you’re missing the point in providing medicine.

Connecting with the body in order to heal the whole person has proven in my practice to be a deeply transformative way of healing.

Interested in working with Cailin?Your first consultation is free.

Author

Archives

Categories

My Approach:
Pillars of My Practice

"The body keeps the score. If the memory of trauma is encoded in the viscera, in heartbreaking and gut-wrenching emotions, in autoimmune disorders and skeletal/muscular problems...this demands a radical shift in our therapeutic assumptions."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

Pillars of My Practice
Healing at the Root

I see everything as interconnected.
Working with the unique essence and spirit of each person I treat is fundamental to everything I do.
...

In order to access our own healing potential, we must restore harmony to imbalanced systems in the body and mind.
...

This means that the effects of traumatic experiences that have become stuck in a holding pattern in our body and minds finally have the opportunity to be set free.
...

Interested in working with Cailin?
Schedule a complimentary consultation.

"Trauma victims cannot recover until they become familiar with and befriend the sensations in their bodies."
-Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD

Interested in working with Cailin?
Your first consultation is free.