A Holistic Approach to Trauma Recovery

The Holistic Healing Arts Retreat is a 5-day immersive experience designed for women survivors of chronic sexual trauma. The retreat recognizes the body as a critical site of healing, offering participants access to a range of  trauma-informed and somatic-based practices  to reconnect with the body, mind and heart. In addition to engaging participants in therapeutic exercises, the physical environment of the retreat is intentionally curated with shared living and eating spaces to nurture connection. Sound also plays a subtle yet powerful role in the healing process—from the ambient soundscapes that often accompany yoga sessions to the singing of birds in the early morning. The observable impact of the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat highlights the significance of psychosomatic therapy in trauma recovery.

Narratives from participants of the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat noted a transformative shift in their healing journey and relationship to the body and mind. Emotional breakthroughs occurred not only during structured therapeutic exercises but in spontaneous, unscripted moments, like laughing with friends. Many participants noted how creative exercises like ecstatic dance allowed for profound emotional release and feelings of liberation. Overall, participants reported a noticeable reduction in anxiety, improved mood, and a heightened ability to be present in their bodies without fear or judgment. For some, it was the first time in years they felt truly safe to be around other people and so intimately. These shifts, while deeply personal, highlight the potential for holistic and somatic methods to support deep healing and recovery from chronic trauma. 

When it comes to trauma informed and survivor focused work, it is essential to consider the value of somatic practices and holistic therapies as meaningful avenues for recovery. Mindfulness, creative expression, and movement offer a variety of accessible tools for healing that can complement, or even enhance, traditional psychotherapies. Many of these practices are low or no cost and can be done at home —even for just 15 minutes a day—and still provide significant emotional and physiological benefits. Music, in particular, remains one of the most universal and accessible tools for coping with trauma—its healing presence following us everywhere we go.

This is not to suggest that somatic practices should replace traditional therapy, but rather to emphasize that combining holistic, somatic, and psychological approaches can offer a more well-rounded and effective path to healing. Studies have found that integrating talk therapy along with body-based practices may be especially powerful in supporting trauma survivors. And while not everyone may have experienced chronic trauma, the integration of psychosomatic therapy can support the emotional, mental and physical well-being for all of us. 

The simple yet profound offerings in the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat reminds us that healing can take place outside of clinical settings or complicated processes and still be deeply transformative and valuable. Healing can be simple, gentle, silly and most importantly, accessible. It can happen in one long conversation or in the quiet of the night. Healing is always happening, even when you don’t always feel it. This concept is often missing from traditional models of trauma recovery, and yet it may be exactly what so many survivors—and people from all walks of life—are longing for.

The question then becomes: In what ways could you begin to incorporate some of these healing practices into your own lifestyle? Whether it's five minutes of mindful breathing, a walk in nature, or a living room dance party, these small steps can bring us closer to ourselves—and closer to healing. 

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References

Dahlgren, S., Martinez, M., Méte, M., & Dutton, M. A. (2020). Healing Narratives From the Holistic Healing Arts Retreat. Traumatology (Tallahassee, Fla.), 26(1), 40–51. https://doi.org/10.1037/trm0000212

Price, C. (2002). Body-oriented therapy as an adjunct to psychotherapy in childhood abuse recovery: A case study. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 6(4), 228–236. https://doi.org/10.1054/jbmt.2002.0307

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