Welcome to our guide on healing trauma through nervous system regulation in Hermosa Beach. If you’re seeking support for trauma, you’re not alone. Trauma can deeply affect our lives, but there are ways to heal and find balance again. In this post, we’ll explore what the nervous system is, how it functions, the impact of trauma on it, practical techniques for regulation, and how to find support in our community.

Understanding Your Amazing Nervous System

Think of your nervous system as a messaging system in your body. It sends signals back and forth between your brain and different parts of your body, helping you move, think, and feel things. The nervous system is like the body’s communication network. It’s responsible for sending and receiving messages between the brain and different parts of the body. There are two main branches of the nervous system: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

Two Main Parts

There are two big parts of your nervous system:

• Central Nervous System: This is like the boss. It’s made up of your brain and spinal cord, and it controls everything you do, from talking to walking.
• Peripheral Nervous System: These are like the messengers. They’re all the nerves that spread out from your brain and spinal cord to the rest of your body, helping you feel sensations and move around.

Feeling Safe or Scared

Inside your peripheral nervous system, there are two teams that help you feel safe or scared:

• Sympathetic Nervous System (Scared Team): This team jumps into action when you feel scared or in danger. It makes your heart beat faster, gets you ready to run, and makes your muscles tense up.
• Parasympathetic Nervous System (Safe Team): This team is like the opposite. It helps you calm down, slows your heart rate, and helps you relax after the scary stuff is over.

Sympathetic Nervous System

Think of the sympathetic nervous system as your body’s alarm system. When it perceives danger or stress, it kicks into gear, triggering the fight, flight, or freeze response. This response is crucial for survival in threatening situations. However, prolonged activation of the sympathetic nervous system can lead to chronic stress and anxiety.

Parasympathetic Nervous System

On the other hand, the parasympathetic nervous system is like the body’s brake pedal. It helps us relax, rest, and digest. When activated, it promotes feelings of calmness and safety, allowing our bodies to recover from stress.

The Impact of Trauma

Trauma isn’t just about the things that happen to us; it’s about how those experiences impact us on every level – mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. Whether it’s a sudden event that shakes us to the core or a series of smaller challenges that wear us down over time, trauma affects the whole person. Trauma can disrupt the normal functioning of the nervous system, leading to symptoms such as hypervigilance, flashbacks, and emotional dysregulation.

Types of Trauma

Trauma can manifest in various forms, including:

• Acute Trauma: This results from a single distressing event, such as a car accident or physical assault.
• Chronic Trauma: This involves repeated exposure to traumatic events over an extended period, such as ongoing abuse or living in a war zone.
• Complex Trauma: Also known as developmental trauma, this occurs due to prolonged exposure to multiple traumatic events, often during childhood, such as neglect, abuse, or instability in the home environment.

Forms of Trauma

Trauma can manifest in various forms, including:

• Big T Trauma: This refers to major traumatic events such as physical or sexual assault, combat, natural disasters, or serious accidents.
• Little T Trauma: This includes smaller, yet still distressing events that accumulate over time and may include emotional abuse, neglect, bullying, or witnessing domestic violence.

Symptoms of Trauma

Trauma can impact individuals in different ways, and the symptoms may vary from person to person. Some common symptoms of trauma include:

• Flashbacks or intrusive memories of the traumatic event
• Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
• Hypervigilance or heightened arousal
• Difficulty concentrating or sleeping
• Feelings of numbness or detachment
• Mood swings or emotional dysregulation

Holistic Approaches to Healing Trauma

Healing trauma requires a holistic approach that addresses the mind, body, and spirit. At our practice in Hermosa Beach, we believe in integrating various therapeutic modalities to support healing on all levels. One resource for trauma therapy in our community is Marilyn Ashley, LMFT. Marilyn specializes in trauma therapy and offers compassionate support for those on their healing journey.

Holistic Healing: Mind, Body, and Spirit

Healing from trauma requires us to look at the bigger picture, to acknowledge that our minds, bodies, and spirits are all interconnected. Each part of us plays a role in our recovery, and addressing them all can lead to deeper healing and lasting change.

Mind

Our minds are powerful, but they can also be our own worst enemies, replaying painful memories and feeding us negative thoughts about ourselves and the world. Healing the mind means finding ways to quiet those voices, to reframe our experiences, and to cultivate a sense of peace and acceptance within ourselves.

Body

Our bodies have an incredible ability to hold onto stress and trauma, often long after the event has passed. Tension, pain, and other physical symptoms can serve as constant reminders of our past hurts. Healing the body involves finding ways to release that tension, to reconnect with our bodies in a positive way, and to foster a sense of safety and well-being within ourselves.

Spirit

Our spirits – our inner selves, our sense of connection to something greater – can be deeply wounded by trauma. It’s easy to feel disconnected, lost, or hopeless in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. Healing the spirit means finding ways to reconnect with ourselves, with others, and with the world around us, to rediscover our sense of purpose and meaning in life.

Regulation Techniques

Regulating the nervous system is essential for healing trauma. Here are some techniques you can try:

• Deep Breathing: Practice deep, slow breathing to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. Inhale deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise, then exhale slowly through your mouth.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and release each muscle group in your body to promote relaxation and reduce tension.
• Grounding Techniques: Connect with the present moment by focusing on your senses and feeling grounded in your environment.
• Visualization: Imagine yourself in a safe and peaceful place, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the experience.
• Yoga: Practice gentle yoga poses combined with breath and mindfulness to release tension and promote relaxation.
• Guided Imagery: Listen to guided imagery meditations that lead you through a journey of relaxation and healing.
• Self-Massage: Use tools like tennis balls or foam rollers to perform self-massage on areas of tension in your body.

Progressive Relaxation with Breath: Slowly tense and release each muscle group in your body while focusing on your breath.

Finding Support With Trauma Therapy

Healing from trauma is a journey, and it’s okay to seek support along the way. If you’re in Hermosa Beach, Manhattan Beach, Redondo Beach (or anywhere in the South Bay) and in need of trauma therapy, consider reaching out to Marilyn Ashley, LMFT. Marilyn offers a safe and nurturing space for individuals to explore their experiences and work towards healing.

Remember, you don’t have to navigate this journey alone. With support and the right resources, healing is possible. Take the first step towards healing today. Contact Marilyn Ashley, LMFT for compassionate holistic trauma therapy in Hermosa Beach.