How a Therapist for Trauma in Chevy Chase Uses Body-Based Therapy to Help You Heal
Trauma is not just a psychological experience—it is also a physiological one. Long after a distressing event has passed, many people find that their bodies continue to carry the burden of trauma: tight muscles, hypervigilance, sleep disruptions, chronic fatigue, digestive issues, or a vague sense of feeling unsafe in their own skin. At Ballast Health and Wellness, we recognize that healing requires more than talking. If you’re looking for a therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase, you deserve one who understands the powerful connection between the body and the mind.
In this article, we’ll explore how trauma becomes lodged in the nervous system, what body-based therapies offer, and why working through the body can be essential to long-term healing.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the response to an overwhelming experience that exceeds one’s capacity to cope. It may result from a single incident—such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster—or from chronic exposure to distressing circumstances, like emotional neglect, abuse, or systemic oppression.
Importantly, trauma is subjective. What overwhelms one person might not affect another the same way. Trauma becomes embedded when the body’s natural defenses—fight, flight, or freeze—don’t have the chance to complete their cycle, leaving the nervous system stuck in survival mode.
When clients come to us seeking a therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase, they often present with symptoms like anxiety, emotional numbness, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, or unexplained physical pain. These are not just “in your head”—they’re signs of trauma stored in your body.
How the Body Stores Trauma: Polyvagal Theory and the Nervous System
To understand how trauma lives in the body, we turn to the polyvagal theory, developed by neuroscientist Dr. Stephen Porges. This theory explains how the vagus nerve—the main communicator between brain and body—plays a key role in emotional regulation, safety, and social connection.
According to polyvagal theory, the nervous system has three primary states:
Ventral vagal (safe and connected)
Sympathetic (mobilized—fight or flight)
Dorsal vagal (shut down or frozen)
When a traumatic event occurs, the body may move into a sympathetic (high arousal) or dorsal vagal (shutdown) state. If the experience is not processed and resolved, the nervous system may become dysregulated—stuck in a state of hypervigilance or numbness (Porges, 2011). Over time, this can result in chronic stress, anxiety, depression, or physical illness.
At Ballast Health and Wellness, our clinicians are trained to help the nervous system move toward regulation. If you’re seeking a therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase who understands the importance of the body in healing, we’re here to support you.
What Is Body-Based Therapy?
Body-based therapy refers to a group of therapeutic approaches that recognize trauma as a somatic (bodily) experience, not just a mental or emotional one. These therapies help clients reconnect with their bodies, release stored survival energy, and develop a sense of safety.
Clients searching for a therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase often benefit from body-based therapies such as:
1. EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (like eye movements or tapping) to help the brain reprocess distressing memories. It is especially effective for PTSD, anxiety, and complex trauma. Studies show that EMDR can reduce emotional distress and somatic symptoms (Shapiro, 2018).
2. Somatic Experiencing
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing focuses on tracking bodily sensations and allowing the body to discharge fight-or-flight energy. It works with the nervous system to complete the survival response that was interrupted during trauma.
3. Breathwork
Conscious, controlled breathing techniques can regulate the nervous system, shift someone out of a stress response, and process stuck emotions. Breathwork has been shown to reduce anxiety and enhance emotional awareness (Zaccaro et al., 2018).
4. Hakomi Method
This mindfulness-centered somatic psychotherapy uses the body’s cues—gestures, tension, posture—to access unconscious beliefs. Hakomi invites gentle exploration and healing through body awareness in a deeply attuned, safe environment.
How These Therapies Help Release Trauma from the Body
Trauma creates tension patterns, affects posture and breath, and shuts down internal awareness. Body-based therapies reverse these effects by:
Encouraging felt safety in the body
Reconnecting clients with bodily sensations (called interoception)
Helping the nervous system shift from survival to regulation
Releasing trapped survival energy
Updating the brain’s implicit memory systems
Increasing heart rate variability, a measure of resilience and emotional flexibility
Unlike talk therapy alone, which can sometimes bypass the body, these approaches access trauma at its root—not just intellectually, but somatically.
If you’re looking for a therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase who incorporates both mind and body, Ballast Health and Wellness offers integrative support to help you heal
Choosing the Right Therapist for Trauma in Chevy Chase
Not all therapy is created equal—especially when it comes to trauma. At Ballast Health and Wellness, we believe that the best outcomes come from combining clinical expertise with an understanding of how trauma affects the whole person.
We provide:
EMDR therapy
Mindfulness-based therapy
Breathwork and nervous system regulation practices
Trauma-informed care for adolescents, young adults, and families
Adventure therapy programs that support experiential growth and emotional resilience
Healing trauma isn’t about fixing what’s broken—it’s about restoring connection, safety, and agency. Whether you’ve experienced acute trauma, developmental trauma, or chronic stress, we’re here to walk with you through the body-based healing process.
If you’re searching for a compassionate, experienced therapist for trauma in Chevy Chase, reach out today. Together, we can help your body and mind move toward healing.
Citations
Porges, S. W. (2011). The polyvagal theory: Neurophysiological foundations of emotions, attachment, communication, and self-regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy: Basic principles, protocols, and procedures (3rd ed.). Guilford Press.
Zaccaro, A., Piarulli, A., Laurino, M., Garbella, E., Menicucci, D., Neri, B., & Gemignani, A. (2018). How breath-control can change your life: A systematic review on psychophysiological correlates of slow breathing. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 12, 353. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2018.00353
