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Embodied Sexual Trauma Recovery

5 signs an embodied approach for sexual trauma recovery right for you.


I tried so many approaches to heal my sexual trauma and problems with intimacy and pleasure: EMDR, years of psychoanalysis, energy healing, psychedelic therapy, past life regressions, yoga, meditation, pelvic therapy, and more... (one day I'll tell you the whole story).


How Embodied Sexual Trauma Recovery Works

While some modalities were healing, and some were downright harmful, they didn't solve the long-standing issues with sex and intimacy. Instead, I looped in cycles of progress and relapse for years. Not only was it costly, but it was also frustrating. I felt broken and confused.


Additionally, I didn't realize how much my neurodiverse system was impacting sex and intimacy, and no therapist had mentioned it before.


It wasn't until I found a somatic-based sex and intimacy coach that I turned the corner and stayed there. This practitioner guided me through embodiment and regulation-focused tools to identify the root of the issues, release them, and rebuild my nervous system.


I realized that because sex and pleasure happen in the body and not the mind, we have to go INTO the body to heal.


Let me explain: We are hardwired for touch, and our pleasure pathways directly result from the somatic programming we receive through our early experiences and the experiences of caregivers, ancestors, and our social/cultural/religious environment. They can be further exacerbated by our nervous system's sensitivity and processing style.


Sex, Intimacy and Neurodiversity


Many neurodiverse, autistic, and highly sensitive people are deep processors, meaning their nervous systems are taking in and processing more information than the neurotypicals. On the one hand, this is a gift and explains why they feel things so deeply, and on the other hand, overstimulation and overwhelm are common, which, unfortunately, can lead to re-traumatization.


The standard therapeutic discourse on sex, pleasure, and intimacy often fails to take different sensory processing styles into account. Some modalities, like intense energy activation and breathwork, can be too stimulating, leaving folks overwhelmed, and others, like classic talk therapy, can exacerbate overthinking tendencies and lead to anxiety.


The embodied approach takes the processing style of neurodiverse folks and works with it. It is experience-based, meaning we work "bottom-up" through our body rather than "top-down" through the mind.​ This allows the nervous system to regulate and makes space for root causes in our system to safely come up for integration.


Is an embodied approach to sexual trauma recovery right for you? Here are 5 signs


# 1 - You've been working on the same issue without consistent results


If you haven't tried one yet, an embodied modality is a game-changer. The bottom-up approach helps your nervous system create new pleasure pathways, and many people get lasting results in a few sessions.


# 2 - You're a neurodiverse, highly sensitive, or autistic person


Because the neurodiverse system is already taking in so much more information and trying to process it, neurodiverse, HSP and autistic folks often struggle with a lot of dysregulation. Finding a healer who isn't going to cause more dysregulation and can instead help bring balance in is so important.

“Without changing the somatic system – the underlying neurochemical platform – any change in behavior is simply overriding through force of will.” – Kathy Kain

# 3 - You believe in the mind/body/spirit


Somatics derives from the Greek word Somatikos, which means the living, aware, bodily person. In this approach to healing, the mind, body, and spirit are not separate but are part of a living process called Soma. People who naturally sense the aliveness of their bodymind and are in tune with their sensations tremendously benefit from this work.


# 4 - Movement systems like yoga or dance are your happy place


What people don't realize is that yoga and dance are ancient embodied healing practices. They work by digesting somatic imprints and co-regulating with others. If these systems make you feel good, you'll love the deeper healing that arises in a one-on-one capacity with someone you trust.


# 5 - You pop into your head during intimacy or sex


When our sensory processing system, aka body, is overloaded, the mind becomes a natural escape. This is a sign that you need to work on being "embodied" because deep pleasure happens in the body and not the head.


In conclusion


An embodied approach to sexual trauma recovery can be a game-changer, especially for neurodiverse and highly sensitive folks. The combination of bottom-up processing, nervous system regulation, and doing-over-talking helped me and many clients clear trauma experience pleasure on our own terms.


When we heal our relationship to sex and pleasure, we heal at the root of our being. This expands our nervous system's capacity, impacting every area of our lives.


If you've been working on an issue without lasting results or are dysregulated and overwhelmed by the thought of sex and intimacy, book a call. I would love to hear from you.




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