About Me

What is trauma ? “Trauma originate as a response in the nervous system, and it does not originate in an even. Trauma is in the nervous system and not in the event” Peter Levine 

“.. trauma energy remains trapped in the nervous system where it can wreak havoc on our bodies and mind” Peter Levine 

Gabor Mate describes the types of trauma into 2 categories. Big T and little T. Big T is your shock trauma such as car accident, and little T trauma is when your parents or caregiver was not able to meet your needs when you were younger and were mistuned to you ( either because they were depressed or anxious, or because there nervous system was not regulated and they were not able to be their with you for your emotions).  

Every person on this planet has little T trauma’s some of us more that others. And its how our nervous system and attachment system responds to these as to whether it leave a wound in our body that then wreaks havoc on our mind and body. 

For most people what we experience everyday is a product of our past. How we interact in our romantic relationships, how we parent our children, what we achieve in our career and our health are all based on the past. This is because over time we have lost connection to our true self. That is until we learn to live in the present and heal the wounds of our past. Wounds are triggers. 

Triggers are echoes of memories stored in our bodies: If in a couple, both people have been traumatized in their life, it can happen that their fear and their anger will escalate, ricocheting off of each other. What is happening here is that our brains are wired to perceive threat and all the intense emotions ensuing as caused by something real. Our partner may do something, or not do something, or give a look, or say something, and all of a sudden our body reacts by developing a knot in the stomach, a tightening in the shoulders, faster heart beat… Our brains look to find causation for this symptomatic response, and often will attach blame to anyone near by! In this way we enter into situations where we begin believing “this must all be about you”, when in reality it is most often the result of an echoing of earlier memories stored in our own body. A relationship and interaction will go nowhere when both people are stuck in this velocity trap of blaming and shaming. (Dr Peter Levine) 

Did you know that Dr Peter Levine along with Stephen Porges, PhD, and Bessel van der Kolk, MD discovered and proved via science that its our nervous system and attachment system is where our wounds/trauma is held. That right out Trauma and thus our patterns- the way we act, interact and believe is all held in our body. Its out body that has the ability to rewire our brain and help us live in the present movement. 

Dr. Peter Levine, along with esteemed researchers such as Stephen Porges, PhD, and Bessel van der Kolk, MD, has played a pivotal role in advancing our understanding of trauma and its effects on the body and mind. Through their groundbreaking work, they have demonstrated that trauma is stored in our body- our nervous system and attachment system. 

This understanding highlights the profound impact trauma can have on our bodies, influencing our behaviors, interactions, and beliefs. Moreover, it underscores the body’s remarkable capacity for healing and resilience. By tapping into the body’s innate wisdom and utilizing techniques such as somatic experiencing, individuals can rewire their brains and liberate themselves from the grip of past traumas. This enables them to live more fully in the present moment, free from the constraints of past wounds and patterns.