Body-based therapies can be effective for trauma survivors
Karestan Koenen, professor of psychiatric epidemiology at Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, spoke on the Nov. 24 episode of the Living Spree podcast about trauma recovery and personal reinvention.
She said that trauma-informed yoga can be as effective in helping trauma survivors heal as cognitive behavioral therapy, according to recent studies. This and other body-based techniques such as breathwork enable survivors to ground themselves and reteach their bodies what safety means, she said.
Koenen, whose personal experience with trauma informed her career, also discussed the biological effects of trauma on the body and how she defines resilience: bringing optimism or meaning out of experiences.
In a message to survivors, she said, “Just as the trauma shaped your experience or perhaps changed you, you still have the opportunity to address it. It’s never too late.”
Listen to the Living Spree podcast: Healing Trauma Without Talking About It?
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