ABSTRACT
The path of transforming trauma includes integrating the experiences with the sense of self and identity. Using integrative methods that address mind, body, and spirit aids in the integration and provides a plethora of tools for the client to choose from at different stages of their recovery. There are many paths to healing and ways to tell the story and make meaning of traumatic events. Trauma recovery involves making meaning of painful events and determining what life will now become. Integrative trauma practitioners help clients understand their symptoms’ relatedness and help them re-establish their inner rhythms. The sense of self transforms by undertaking processes that ask the mind, body, and spirit to explore states of being. These methods are diverse and help the individual find coherence in their body and their story. The clinician helps personalize and integrate methods that synergize change focusing on enjoyable non-invasive self-care the client can do at home and with others. Diverse exercises such as trauma-informed yoga, Tai Chi, and resistance training provide specific stage-based contributions to reducing anxiety and dissociation and improving body image. Herman’s three-stage model informs the timing of integrative methods and techniques.
