What is Sensorimotor Psychotherapy?

Sensorimotor psychotherapy is a holistic approach specifically designed for the treatment of trauma, trauma-related disorders, and difficulties stemming from unhealthy attachment patterns in infancy and early childhood. It is a therapy approach that welcomes more awareness in the body in the experience of the present moment, allowing it to guide us by accessing and processing challenging traumatic and developmental experiences. It is a “body-centred talking therapy”, an all-encompassing approach on a somatic, cognitive and emotional level.

A deeper explanation…

The human mind is designed to constantly analyse, process and calculate possible risks. It is also designed to forget. Our body, on the other hand, keeps the score. When I refer to our body, I actually mean our Nervous System (NS). It is such a wise system, who’s main concern is to keep us alive, no matter what. Therefore, in certain traumatic moments in life, our NS takes over by calculating what the least risk-taking choice of action is to stay alive, and whether we like it or not, puts it into practice. In these moments, our amygdala in our brain is activated, putting us in a state of alarm where we either fight, flee or freeze. Our frontal cortex, the part of the brain that houses logic, is turned off. This means we often cannot choose a different action we may have preferred, during a perceived ¨dangerous¨ situation. These situations do not always have to be extremely traumatic or dangerous, such as being faced with a lion, being in a car crash or being present during a natural disaster. These situations are, more often than not, developmental traumas, and their importance is subjective. It may be a specific moment in our childhood we were told off, or told a comment that really stuck with us and had a big effect on us. It may be a continuous experience of being bullied, or abused. It may even happen within the best of experiences, like a lovely and attentive childhood, but that was missing certain needs you had. There are countless moments in our lives that are at the root of present experiences

SP uses a three-phase treatment approach to gently guide the client through the therapeutic process – Safety and Stabilization, Processing, and Integration. In other words, it works with the objective of getting to the root of our experience whilst being in a safe environment, making sure our NS is regulated and finding resources for that. It focuses on connecting the dots and processing a situation from a different perspective, giving space to all the related emotions to be expressed. Finally, it gives us the opportunity to integrate the experience and heal. Using Mindfulness, being in the present with our somatic experience and any emotions, thoughts or memories that come up on the way, we get to understand what is beneath it all and what we need to make it better.

SP helps clients cultivate their strengths, while providing enough challenge to stimulate growth, long lasting change, and wellbeing.

What are the goals of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy?

The goal of SP is to give us the resources we need in order to increase our Margin of Tolerance, which is the space in which our nervous system remains regulated and does not become hyperactive or hypoactive as it does during a trauma response. It teaches us to self-regulate and self-soothe, therefore being able to respond calmly and thoughtfully to a challenging situation.

Each client will have their own unique goals. Sensorimotor therapy is a collaborative effort between therapist and client. The therapist does not dictate goals or heal the client, nor do they believe a client needs to be “fixed.” Instead, they focus on teaching necessary information and provide gentle guidance and support.

The goals of sensorimotor psychotherapy include:

• Reclaim a sense of control over responses to the trauma and traumatic memories
• Understand the impact that experiences have on both mind and body
• Develop awareness of physical symptoms and sensations and how these relate to the trauma and emotional responses
• Separate the past from the present so mind and body respond appropriately to current happenings rather than reacting from traumatic memories

What can Sensorimotor Psychotherapy help with?

SP can bridge the gap when traditional “talk” therapy has not helped. SP can help with trauma and attachment related issues such as:

• Anxiety
• Post-traumatic stress: abuse, attack, accidents, flashbacks, nightmares. Feeling frozen or stuck in familiar circumstances without understanding why
• Difficulty enjoying life, feeling hopeful, and experiencing pleasure
• Family related wounds: neglect, harsh parenting during childhood, divorce, child-parent separations…
• Relationship wounds: abandonment, betrayal, abuse, manipulation…
• Persistent and regular negative thoughts about one’s ability to achieve, be successful and deserving
• Difficulty maintaining a job, a family, friendships and other relationships
• Feeling detached from one’s self and the world

SP has been proven to be successful in the treatment of both severe disorders but also of everyday life difficulties we all face. It’s a very approachable technique that can be helpful to everyone.

What to expect

SP is a gradual process, which greatly respects the client’s pace. We are not normally taught to listen to our bodies and pay attention to our physical sensations. It is a learning experience, taking into consideration our nervous system’s needs, making sure we discover resources on the way that help us regulate ourselves.

It is important to establish trust between the client and the therapist first. We then slowly go through the narrative of the client’s story, exploring it together, taking several pauses. We are present with the experience happening in the moment, allowing the client’s body sensations, emotions, thoughts and memories to guide us. In most cases, our NS has spent years behaving or reacting a certain way, a way it learned how in a moment of need. This is to say that the desired change we’re aiming for is gradual. This way when it truly integrates, the client feels and experiences the change from within, making it a more ¨Aha!¨experience and consequently long-lasting.