Trauma Informed Bodywork: A Professional's Guide to Somatic Awareness, Movement Techniques, and Nervous System Regulation

A vital framework for understanding embodied trauma and helping clients heal—a trauma-informed guide for somatic practitioners, movement therapists, bodyworkers, and personal trainers Guided by the principle that if trauma happens to the body, healing happens through the body, Trauma-Informed Bodywork offers an inclusive, consent-driven, and mutually empowering approach to trauma-informed healing. Authors Chelsea Haverly and Emily Young explain how trauma is stored in the body—and how this makes movement-based practices an essential tool for trauma recovery. Haverly and Young cover key concepts—like complex trauma, vicarious trauma, body-related trauma, and nervous system regulation—and explore how they present when working with clients. Haverly and Young walk you step-by-step through insightful guidance on topics like: What movement professionals need to know about trauma and nervous system dysregulation: different kinds of trauma, how they’re experienced, and how they show up in the body Embodiment in the face of stress: how trauma disrupts our ability to inhabit our bodies—and how movement can facilitate healing and release Letting the body lead: a practical guide for implementing trauma-informed personal training (TI-PT) principles How to facilitate coregulation with clients, nurture a “brave space,” expand clients’ windows of tolerance, and offer support through somatic releases Trauma-informed business frameworks: decolonial, whole-heart principles for values-driven, person-first care What’s next: practical guidance for applying and embodying the work