The Body Remembers: Trauma Stored in the Body
Sometimes healing from trauma isn’t just about what happened in your mind . It’s also about what your body still carries.
You might not think about trauma when your shoulders ache, your stomach feels tight, or your chest gets heavy. But your body has its own memory. Long after the mind tries to move on, the nervous system can stay on high alert, holding the echo of what you went through.
How Trauma Shows Up Physically
When the body doesn’t get the chance to fully process a traumatic experience, it can hold on to that energy. Common signs include:
Muscle tension that never seems to ease
Chronic fatigue or pain without clear medical cause
Digestive issues or headaches
Feeling “frozen” or disconnected from your body
Startling easily or feeling constantly “on edge”
Your body isn’t betraying you, it’s trying to keep you safe, based on what it learned before.
Why the Mind and Body Need Each Other
Trauma often fragments our sense of self: the mind says “I’m fine,” while the body quietly whispers, “I’m not.”
Healing means helping these two parts reconnect, allowing your nervous system to finally recognize that the danger has passed.
Therapy can support this by:
Helping you notice and understand your body’s cues
Using somatic and grounding techniques to regulate your nervous system
Releasing stored survival responses safely and gently
Healing Is a Full-Body Process
You don’t have to relive the past to heal from it. By learning to listen to your body and respond with care, you can rebuild a sense of safety and trust within yourself.
Your body remembers, yes.
But it can also relearn peace.
At Awakening Serenity Counseling, I help clients heal from trauma not just with their minds, but with their whole selves. Therapy offers a safe, supportive space to reconnect and begin feeling at home in your body again. To schedule a free consultation, click here.
