Body Remembers : The Psychophysiology of Trauma and Trauma Treatment

by Rothschild, Babette

• ISBN13: 9780393703276
• ISBN10: 0393703274
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2000-10-17
• Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Summary

This book illuminates that physiology, shining a bright light on the impact of trauma on the body and the phenomenon of somatic memory. It is now thought that people who have been traumatized hold an implicit memory of traumatic events in their brains and bodies. That memory is often expressed in the symptomatology of posttraumatic stress disorder-nightmares, flashbacks, startle responses, and dissociative behaviors. In essence, the body of the traumatized individual refuses to be ignored. While reducing the chasm between scientific theory and clinical practice and bridging the gap between talk therapy and body therapy, Rothschild presents principles and non-touch techniques for giving the body its due. With an eye to its relevance for clinicians, she consolidates current knowledge about the psychobiology of the stress response both in normally challenging situations and during extreme and prolonged trauma. This gives clinicians from all disciplines a foundation for speculating about the origins of their clients' symptoms and incorporating regard for the body into their practice. The somatic techniques are chosen with an eye to making trauma therapy safer while increasing mind-body integration. Packed with engaging case studies, The Body Remembers integrates body and mind in the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder. It will appeal to clinicians, researchers, students, and general readers.

Author Biography

Babette Rothschild, M.S.W., L.C.S.W., has been practicing psychotherapy since 1976

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	xi
On Building Bridges	xi
Working with the Body Does Not Require Touch	xiv
The False Memory Controversy	xiv
Organization of This Book	xv
A Disclaimer	xv
PART I: THEORY
Overview of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): The Impact of Trauma on Body and Mind	3	(12)
Charlie and the Dog, Part I	4	(2)
The Symptomatology of PTSD	6	(1)
Distinguishing Stress, Traumatic Stress, PTS, and PTSD	7	(1)
Survival and the Nervous System	8	(4)
Defensive Response to Remembered Threat	12	(1)
Dissociation, Freezing, and PTSD	13	(1)
Consequences of Trauma and PTSD	13	(2)
Development, Memory, and the Brain	15	(22)
The Developing Brain	16	(10)
What is Memory?	26	(11)
The Body Remembers: Understanding Somatic Memory	37	(28)
The Sensory Roots of Memory	38	(7)
Charlie and the Dog, Part II	45	(1)
The Autonomic Nervous System: Hyperarousal and the Reflexes of Fight, Flight, and Freeze	46	(4)
The Somatic Nervous System: Muscles, Movement, and Kinesthetic Memory	50	(6)
Emotions and the Body	56	(9)
Expressions of Trauma Not Yet Remembered: Dissociation and Flashbacks	65	(12)
Dissociation and the Body	66	(4)
Flashbacks	70	(7)
PART II: PRACTICE
First, Do No Harm	77	(23)
On Braking and Accelerating	78	(2)
Evaluation and Assessment	80	(2)
The Role of the Therapeutic Relationship in Trauma Therapy	82	(5)
Safety	87	(1)
Developing and Reacquainting Resources	88	(4)
Oases, Anchors, and the Safe Place	92	(4)
The Importance of Theory	96	(2)
Respecting Individual Differences	98	(1)
Ten Foundations for Safe Trauma Therapy	98	(2)
The Body as Resource	100	(29)
Body Awareness	100	(6)
Making Friends with Sensations	106	(1)
The Body as Anchor	107	(2)
The Body as Gauge	109	(6)
The Body as Brake	115	(1)
The Body as Diary: Making Sense of Sensations	116	(2)
Somatic Memory as Resource	118	(2)
Facilitating Trauma Therapy Using the Body as Resource	120	(9)
Additional Somatic Techniques for Safer Trauma Therapy	129	(21)
Dual Awareness	129	(6)
Muscle Toning: Tension vs. Relaxation	135	(5)
Physical Boundaries	140	(7)
The Question of Client-Therapist Touch	147	(1)
Mitigating Session Closure	148	(2)
Somatic Memory Becomes Personal History	150	(24)
Beware the Wrong Road	151	(4)
Separating Past from Present	155	(1)
Working with the Aftermath of the Trauma First	156	(4)
Bridging the Implicit and the Explicit	160	(11)
Charlie and the Dog, the Final Episode	171	(3)
References	174	(6)
Index	180