Therapist Shares How to Heal from Trauma | The Body Keeps the Score 

Thank you for this video. I have done most of these and they definitely help. I have not tried Improv and am going to give it a go and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions

A lil summary: 02:25 - Physical Techniques - Acupuncture - Yoga 03:35 - Communal Techniques - Dancing - Singing - Joining a church 04:50 - Imaginative Techniques - Improv - Art (song, choreo, painting etc.) - Theater 08:46 - Directive Techniques -Psychodrama - EMDR (Eye movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing) 12:08 - My Tips - Write a letter to the person involved, explaining how it made you feel, your point of view and how has impacted you to this day. - Add what they could do to bring you closure - Rewrite your narrative how you wish it ended - Slowly revisit your triggers

Thank you for calling out the comment "everybody is traumatized". The word gets thrown around a lot in situations where it's uncalled for

This is actually helping me, I honestly thought my trauma broke me but I think I can do this. Thanks for being positive and right to the point with these lessons

I did EMDR and it changed the trajectory of my life. It wasn’t easy but it was worth it!

thank you so much for this video! we have so much content about figuring out what's wrong with you, and so little about healing (unless able to spend $$$$). Thank you so much for the gift of making it free/accessible.

It is amazing to have this content for free-esp when the wait is SO long for a therapist atm, & not everyone can afford it. Thank you so much

I tried improv before. It was quite an experience. I felt free and unjudged. It brought in peace and acceptance. I didn't continue with the class after a while.. I couldn't afford it anymore.. My gosh I would love to go back..

from one licensed therapist to another you are absolutely AWESOME!

I just left a DV relationship of 5 years and your videos have really brought me peace while I'm waiting to go to the doctor!

Yoga has been a life changer for me! I also really loved acupuncture, it’s a freaky crazy amazing experience! I had a release on my first time I was like 🤯 I’ve also found breathe work, crystals, reiki and journaling to be vital part of my wellness journey and transmuting emotions!

I love how dancing & art can heal. It really helps feed the soul.

The "mind opener" line really hit me. I'll definitely keep that in mind when looking for therapists

I'm going through a divorce and started facing the triggers I found myself avoiding. I drive the routes, visit the stores, and places we did while together. I figured it's the best way to change the symbolism of the things we once did together. It was nice hearing some of the strategies here. Thank you I'm a therapist as well. I'm curious how to implement/manage the exposure portion when dealing with layers upon layers of complex trauma.

As an Acupuncturist 👋 I appreciate the shout out!

I find your videos very interesting! I have ptsd & fibromyalgia and recently learned that people who have experienced trauma are more likely to have fibro. Yoga has helped me a lot with both!

My therapist recommended that book to me and I found your videos and sent them her way! You remind me a lot of her. I really appreciate these videos! Validation never hurts.

I love writing everything down, one time I had a really bad breakup with someone and I wrote a long letter for them and then burned it. I felt so comfortable afterwards.

New subscriber here. I’m a therapist in NJ. I love your content. Been binge watching your videos. They give me a great refresher. There’s so much information out there and it’s nice to come here and get some tips and additional content. Maybe you can do a video on teletherapy.

I dealt with a lot of childhood trauma that I never healed from and now I'm working on healing them now, ur videos have really been a God sent in my journey of healing and finding myself

Thank you for this! I’m a Massage Therapist and specialize in trauma more specifically PTSD and this is spot on ! So many ppl just don’t know about other therapies

I started singing lessons. It's amazing how much emotions I release the I never knew I had.

Been doing brain spotting with my therapist and it’s wild!

EMDR is a life-changer for so many people, and it has become available, even in our rural communities.

I’m a new subscriber and have watched several of your videos. I am here because I lost my 2 year old daughter 11 years ago. I feel like I left with her, but my body is still here somehow. . I was diagnosed with PTSD and complicated grief. I have found a psychologist who has helped me. However, it is very expensive and I can’t really afford it right now. Could you please make a video about PTSD from the loss of a child. I am desperate to live and not feel like I’m drowning. Thank you❤️

Thank you for responding to your audience's requests and providing valuable follow-up content on addressing trauma. Grateful for your commitment to spreading awareness and providing guidance on such an important topic.

Thank you for this video Anya, this is very helpful information. When I started talking to my therapist about a past traumatic experience that was affecting me in the present, I felt like we reached a limit as to how much she could help me resolve. So I sought out a therapist who specialised in trauma. Using techniques like EMDR, I started making progress again. It's good to know there are other options out there for healing trauma, not just talk therapy.

I have tried to explain “The Body Keeps the Score” without much success to several people and am happy that I can now refer them to your great videos. Wonderful!, Thank you!!

Thankyou for this. I carry so much. Talking doesn’t help me, just brings it up again and keeps me stuck. Will try some of these suggestions. Thanks again ❤

Thank you for making this so accessible! Your videos are so informative yet approachable 😊

I found you through GQ's RU-vid channel and I love the way you explained the argument scenes and how we can do better. I'm excited to explore your content!

thank you so much Anya!! ❤

Thanks for the techniques. I can definitely use these with clients

Hi Steph. I'm just found your videos. I'm very thankful for this. Thank you very much. 😊

Thank you for your whole channel. I’m inbetween therapist right now and these videos help me a lot. So thank you 🙏🏾

You have a lovely manner; you are informative yet sensitive in the way you phrase things!! Thank you for your videos x

What a beautiful spirit! I’m new to you but I thank you for this! You don’t have to do this but you are helping me and sooo many others! I love you for this! Thank You Queen 😁

Your such an awesome youtuber as someone that has been taking therapy for many years over the period of my entire life this is such a heart felt video that will uplift someones spirit during the current times that we live in thank you for all you do

Thank you, I am looking for ways to heal and this video gave me a great starting point and great insight.

I’m currently training to become a therapist, and reading through The Body Keeps the Score. This book is fantastic. I’ll take a look to see if you did a follow up video with questions therapists can ask. As a side note about EMDR, mostly for readers here in the comments: as with any strategies to directly treat trauma, it’s really important to find someone who is fully trained in the method and certified to do EMDR. Improper training can cause more harm, similar to what Van derKolk covers about talk therapy causing more harm for deeply traumatized patients. However proper training is amazingly affective.

So amazing and so helpful

Great information and you bring it very compassionately, thanks a lot!

New subscriber here. Another channel I follow who does psychodramas on their channel is Patrick Teahan LICSW. He focuses primarily on childhood trauma and performs the dramas on his own

thank you for making this video❤

Hi Stephanie, I just came across your channel this evening. I'm a student at NCU who is just completing my content courses. I never would have expected to find such a wealth of information here on RU-vid. Your videos look great, and so do you! I love all of the quality information you're sharing with everyone. I am specializing in trauma and will be working with high-risk populations. I'm looking forward to watching more of your videos!

I love this!!

Hey, new subie here. I am so glad I found you. I needed to hear everything you're saying and so much more.

Thank you for making this video. I really appreciate it. Sometimes I feel like I'm never gonna get better, I know that's not true and I;ve already don't so much beautiful work. But for some reason I am having a really hard time, and it's just nice to see people talk about this will hope/faith.

Thank you for the follow up video!

thank you so much for your videos. I was stuck in my healing journey even though I'm going to therapy and the 2 lasts videos you've posted have and are helping me tremendously!!

I’m so so glad I found your channel!! I adore you!!

Thank you so so much for this 🙏🙏🙏

wow sucha warm aura/ online presence u give off. i just couldn't relate to watch others vids even tho its helpful. they felt so "cold" it just relaxes me.. just to listen u.l, cuz i am rn having a.. emotional or idk facing difficulty atm otl

Omg I made it on time! Right when you are posting! Thank you. Best description of this book ever in your last video

I appreciate this video. Another physical technique I’ve tried is EFT, also known as tapping. It works sometimes for me, but not always. I’ve been in EMDR off and on with talk therapy for years, addressing complex trauma. We do a form of EMDR called the Flash technique. We’re still trying to get it right to this day, because I would always just flashback and get stuck in the memories. We’re trying to get it so I notice the memory we are targeting but come right back to my safe space. For complex trauma, it takes a lot more work than singular trauma. I do write poetry based on my trauma and I’m writing a book of letters to those who’ve traumatized me. I also color, and typically use the colors of what I’m feeling in the moment.

Oooo I'm early! Thank you very much for the follow up video. These videos have really helped both me and my mother to diagnose and help us to deal with trauma.

Thank you so much! I love your channel. This topic is helping me feel better about helping my girls in their healing journey moving forward. Peace. 🙏🏽😊

This is great, thank you so much! I had to stop and take notes, very grateful for the transcript, that helped! I'm also very happy & humble to know that I'm on the right track. As I've done most of these things or have attempted some based on other reasons! Like improv & theater, it makes sense why I like those things. I did take drama/theater in high school and I loved it! So a few years ago I was looking where I could join, then Covid happened. Wow, I just realized that's why I didn't follow thru. 🤔🥴 Same with Coda, I was just beginning to start back attending Codependent Anonymous regularly then boom! Perhaps it's time to look back into that. I just recently attended my 2nd Toastmasters meeting! I guess subconsciously I'm still striving... I watched this video to help myself and others. I purchased Vandercult's book years ago on Audible, but haven't put a dent in it, lol I it's like 15hrs and I'm only over 2hrs in 😬. I'm so fascinated with how trauma effects us. I know I've been suffering w/PTSD since I lost my grandfather at 4yo. I realized that when I had similar experiences 20yrs later when my ex passed. For instance, I remembered when my granny had to remove every pic of my grandpa in the house because I was "frightened" to see him, same feelings w/my ex.... I couldn't look at their pics, I had to delete their family from Facebook bc I would be triggered by seeing their last name, I couldn't drive near the funeral home, I was sooo triggered by death and words affiliated with it, sunny days literally looked gloomy, reoccuring nightmares of the funeral & etc...I felt like I was living in a constant anxiety/panic attack for at least a year! 😢🤧 This was in 2009, I no longer suffer from any of this but they still show up in my dreams OFTEN...I know I still have work to do! Sheesh, I meant to mention something else, 😳 I digress! Yes, ppl that I looked up to as a child/teen, they seemed so mature. Now today, sadly they seem to be still stuck at that age. And I realized their emotional maturity is stagnant due to unhealed trauma. Perhaps they seemed mature because they were sexually active too early or they were forced to nurture themselves & siblings? 🤔 I also assume some could be on the spectrum of autism too! There's many possibilities, everyone's story is different, I just wish they'd seek professional help. I do see them chasing unhealthy, uncomfortable, yet predictable situations...oof, and some "raised" their parent's kids, but cannot raise their own...🥺

Thank you for this video! I've been in therapy for 2 years and wanted to be a therapist myself to help others, but had to leave school after 1 semester. Now I'm in my 3rd trauma therapy session as well as regular therapy and I avoid so many things that it's like I'm in a bubble. This gave me some ideas to run by them.

Thank you for caring enough to share your knowledge with us. I am so grateful that we live in an age where we can view videos for free on RU-vid to help us heal. Now, maybe when we know better we will do better for the good of all concerned.

Thank you for your service to your profession and fellow human being. I have listened to this book and I am currently in IOP. Hopefully when I share your video, the therapist who mentioned the book will be open to including some of these steps. Take care and God bless.

I get hype every time Steph Anya posts a video. Soo informative and thoughtful. Love it 🙌🏾🙌🏾

Great video 👍🏻

This was an AMAZING video. I think the tips were so great and so helpful and I'm excited to start with some of these suggestions. Thanks so much for making this

Baby therapist here and this gave me a few ideas I hadnt considered. Thank you❤

I really enjoyed this video and the tips given within. My psychologist recommended the book The Body Keeps the Score to me in our first session. A few sessions in I spoke about how creating helped me feel alive and how I have been using art as a way to express myself. Creating has allowed me to keep pushing through this journey called life. Thanks for sharing your expertise and speaking about that book specifically.

Great vid👍 i will say though that inner child work is the best thing for healing childhood trauma. Love&Light⚡

This book helped change my life 💜

I am a Naturopathy doctor from India and I practice acupuncture, yoga and other modalities. Fall 2022 I am planning to move to USA to study counseling. I hope I can integrate it all into my practice. I would love connecting with you all. I am a bit nervous about studying counseling by listening to mixed reviews.

I can really use these!! Thank you soooooo much!!

Thank you for making this very helpful vid💕💕

Thank you!😘

Would love to hear what are expectations of ourselves is normal in knowing your healed and when is it ok to get back to dating and meeting new friends 🙏🏾💜

I love your energy ❤️

Great video! As a therapist I would love to hear more about techniques using the body keeps the score book.

Yes pls do a follow-up video. I work with youth experiencing significant and complex trauma

I love your channel!

Thank you so much ❤ love the content

Thank you for making this video, Steph! It’s not only helpful to hear you explain and outline the techniques to navigate trauma and traumatic responses, but feeling seen the whole time. Your explanation makes me feel hopeful and like there’s a lot more left to getting over this hump and back to homeostasis. gonna go make an acupuncture appointment now!!

Thank you!

Yes ma’am please do a follow up! Thank you so much 😊 Do you do consulting or retreats? I am looking for subject matter experts.

I tried to explain the book “The Body Keeps the Score” to several people without much success and am so happy that I can now refer them to your great coverage of the book. Wonderful! Thank you!,

Thank you

Do you have a podcast? I like listening to your lessons and explanations and would love a podcast format as well!

Recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and don’t know what to do some days. Thank you for providing the public with such valuable and needed information.

Thank you for This. We are reading The body keeps the score in our Book Club that we started in our community. I will be sharing your video to our club.

I am currently in the process of working through my childhood trauma I’ve tried before just got no where. I’ve noticed it effects me everyday with things I should be able to do like have a conversation with someone or just talking to someone i about have a panic attack I don’t go into restaurants especially when I’m feeling depressed from the fear of judgement. I victim blame like for some reason I feel like it’s my fault on why what happened to me did. Like if I would have done this differently then I wouldn’t of gotten hit…. I am struggling to have healthy relationships with anyone like my actual relationship is going down hill because of my trauma and how much I allow it to control my life. I’ve became almost mentally unstable because I don’t know how to deal with my emotions in a heathy manner or communicate in a healthy manner. I’m struggling a lot. Your videos are helping me on what to look for when trying to find a good therapist that is going to help me work through all my trauma. I don’t wanna live like this anymore but I’ve caught myself staying in this state because it’s familiar. I hate change. I just want to rewire my brain into healthy habits and reactions rather then negative.

This is a good video...I did revisit places I've avoided or people who dont like me. Sometimes it's bad like they threaten restraining orders sometimes its good like I've been places my daughter now attends schools or places and it's mixed. But I've noticed a stronger or resilience from moving forward

Thank you for this video it's very helpful!

NEW Subscriber. Thank you 😊 your bright beautiful smile made my day. 💐 I love the book you're referring to. 🙏

😳 my face when you started to list signs of trauma. Lol! Great video!!

Please do a video on strategic family models: Milan, Haley-madanes, and MRI! You're so helpful

👍🏽 on follow up video ❣️

Thanks for your video!! I am a therapist and would be interested in the training aspect and the questions to ask clients.

🤗❤️ thank you for the video Please yes follow up

So I’ve been watching a couple of your videos and I’m loving your material. Then I realized I went to high school with your husband Ndosi 🤟🏾😌

Thank you for this video. I have been looking for a list like this all over the internet. I am a fixer and desperately needed this ❤️

I don’t know exactly why but this video just made me tidy up some drawers that I’ve been ignoring for almost 10 years and now I want to go for a walk

More trauma videos please!

I have liked Accelerated Resolution Therapy better than EMDR---it uses similar eye movements, but the structure of an ART session seems (to me) to be more based in sensations and imagery, which I think gives a lot more flexibility especially in dealing with a variety of kinds of traumas.