From Panic to Peace: A Somatic Journey

POV: A Journey from Trauma to Healing Through Somatic Work and IFS

For many, the aftermath of trauma manifests as a constant, invisible battle. This is the story of many of my clients, one that mirrors the path of countless individuals, from the suffocating grip of initial symptoms to the liberating embrace of healing through the combined power of somatic work and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

It’s a testament to the profound change that is possible, even when the first steps feel agonisingly slow.

A Body and Mind in Turmoil

Before therapy, many of my clients’ lives felt like a landscape of fear and exhaustion. The days were punctuated by events like sudden, terrifying panic attacks. The nights offered no refuge as overthinking replayed worries of the future and recent reactions in an endless loop.

Physical pain plagued many. With unexplained aches and pains. Exhaustion had taken over, but no amount of sleep and rest seemed to make any difference.

Their bodies had entered a state of hyper vigilance. Sudden noises or touch became triggering. The world outside seemed scary and uncertain. People were not to be trusted. The inevitable ‘solution’ to these feelings and sensations that seem out of control is to avoid. Don’t go outside. Isolate. Become small. Self-medicate.

In these scenarios, our parts go into overdrive to try and protect us. We end up hating ourselves because we perceive ourselves as weak for not being able to live like other people do. Not only are our parts working overtime to try and maintain some level or functioning, but we constantly berate them, causing shame and self-loathing.

Find the Body's Story with Somatic Work

The therapeutic journey begins with a gentle shift in focus. I support my clients to take a break from the chaotic narrative of the mind to lean into the quiet wisdom of the body. I encourage the beginnings of a change how they speak to themselves. A little more kindly, with curiosity instead of judgement.

Through tuning into the body and the sensations they feel, clients start to notice things they had long ignored. It could be breath holding, tension in the physical body, negative self-talk. They find out their patterns of triggers, when they occur, what they are feeling in the body at the time.

This attunement leads to the ability to self-soothe. Using the breath, self-touch and self-hugs, grounding, reassuring words with a gentle tone. Gradually the fear subsides because it is finally being seen. They start to find a sense of safety within their body where before there was only fear.

This builds trust. Trust between the parts that are working so hard, the body where sensations have been pushed down and ignored, and the Self. The start of a more loving relationship can emerge.

Forging this loving relationship and tuning into the sensations of the body, creating safety and trust within the clients’ own system, allowed them to release the tears. Gently, slowly, they were able to let go of what was once held rigidly inside.

The Narrative Changes

After some weeks, a distinct shift generally happens. For years — decades — a client may have believed that they were weak, a bad person, at fault. Feeling deep shame at their reactions to triggers. The shouting, the crying, the shutting down and isolating.

They may have believed their struggles were simply a matter of willpower, a failure of their mind to "get over it." Their story had been one of self-blame. But gradually, through the consistent practice of tuning into their physical sensations and narratives of the mind, a new understanding emerged. The panic wasn't just a thought, it was a physiological response. The exhaustion wasn't laziness; it was the result of a nervous system perpetually stuck in "fight or flight."

These realisations help clients make sense of their experiences. To be kinder to their bodies as they shift through these different responses. To speak gently to themselves.

Going back to those wounds of the past and healing them, unburdening them, gives clients a profound sense of peace. The triggers that once ruled them often don’t happen at all. And while all this has been going on, they’ve created a move loving and nurturing relationship between their parts, their body, and their Self energy.

As their relationship with their own bodies and inner world became rooted in safety, the world around them began to feel safer, too. They started to reconnect with friends, to pursue old hobbies, and to feel a sense of hope for the future that had long been absent. The transformation was not about erasing the past, but about integrating it in a way that it no longer defined their present. They were no longer at war with their own body, mind, and parts.

Hope and Validation

This journey from the depths of trauma and pain by so many to a place of healing and wholeness is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit. For anyone who recognises themselves in the initial symptoms — the panic, the racing thoughts, the negative self-talk and self-blame, the resultant exhaustion — let this bring hope.

Change is possible—even if it starts slow. The path to healing is not linear, but with the right support and a willingness to listen to the wisdom of your own body, a new way of being is within reach. You are not broken, and you do not have to carry the weight of your trauma alone. The journey inward, to reclaim the safety and wholeness of your own being, is a journey worth taking.

It is all within you already, you just have to know how to access it.

If you’re interested in working one to one, reach out by email or use the button to book a free 30 minute consultation.