Heal the Body, Heal the Mind: A Somatic Approach to Moving Beyond Trauma

194 Pages·2018·6.04 MB·English

by  Susanne Babbel

“This is clearly a book that all survivors of trauma, therapists,
and other mind-body healers can greatly benefit from. It is
comprehensive, thoughtful, well written, and scientifically
grounded. The book combines both theory and practical mind-
body exercises that show how one can recognize the limiting
patterns resulting from trauma. Then, most importantly, it
guides the reader to create new patterns in the areas of health,
love, spirituality, work, and finances. Susanne has simplified
this body-based approach to trauma so readers will find it user-
friendly and applicable to their particular situation.”
—Peter A. Levine, PhD, author of
Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice
“This groundbreaking book offers understanding and healing
to anyone who has suffered any trauma in their lifetime. It is a
source of wisdom, empowering readers to break through limita-
tions and achieve their highest potential. I highly recommend
it to all who seek greater awareness and an ever more fulfilling
life.”
—Patricia Evans, author of
The Verbally Abusive Relationship
“In Heal the Body, Heal the Mind, author Susanne Babbel has
done a magnificent job explaining the difficult and complex
topic of trauma in terms that are easy to understand. The prac-
tical solutions she offers stand up to real-life circumstances.
Well done!”
—Suzanne Scurlock-Durana, author of
Reclaiming Your Body and Full Body Presence
“Trauma leaves its traces deep within the emotional brain, gen-
erating intrusive feelings of anxiety and helplessness. Heal the
Body, Heal the Mind is a comprehensive, effective guidebook
that takes victims of trauma along a path of deep recovery,
allowing them to bring emotional, spiritual, and cognitive
energy directly to the source of their wounds.”
—Susan Anderson, author of
The Abandonment Recovery Workbook and
Taming Your Outer Child
“Susanne Babbel offers an admirably comprehensive, readable,
and practical guide to recognizing the various forms of trauma
and how to heal from it so that our lives can move forward.
Through her deep insights, gentle guidance, and helpful exer-
cises, this book offers a pathway to reconnecting with ourselves
and moving toward a more joyful and meaningful life. I highly
recommend this book.”
—John Amodeo, PhD, author of
Dancing with Fire and Love and Betrayal
HEAL THE
BODY
HEAL THE
MIND
A Somatic Approach to
Moving Beyond Trauma
SUSANNE B ABBEL, P D
h
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
Publisher’s Note
This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information
in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the
publisher is not engaged in rendering psychological, financial, legal, or other
professional services. If expert assistance or counseling is needed, the services of
a competent professional should be sought.
Distributed in Canada by Raincoast Books
Copyright © 2018 by Susanne Babbel
New Harbinger Publications, Inc.
5674 Shattuck Avenue
Oakland, CA 94609
www.newharbinger.com
Cover design by Amy Shoup
Acquired by Jess O’Brien
Edited by Amy Johnson
All Rights Reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file
Contents
Foreword v
Acknowledgments ix
Introduction 1
1 Understanding Trauma 9
2 How Trauma Impacts Body and Health 33
3 Love after Trauma 53
4 Sexual Healing 79
5 Creating a Trauma- Resilient Relationship 97
6 Overcoming Financial and Career Barriers 117
7 Triumphing Over Disempowering Beliefs 135
8 Vuja De: Finding Meaning after Trauma 155
References 165

Foreword
Do you think of yourself as a trauma survivor? I didn’t. Yes, my
childhood was filled with abuse and neglect until I ran away
from home at age sixteen and lived with strangers. Even so, I
would never have labeled it as “trauma.” It wasn’t until I was a
practicing psychotherapist and professor of clinical psychology
that I began my deep healing work. Through this I realized
that most of my difficulties stemmed from those early traumatic
experiences.
In leading retreats, workshops, and trainings all over the
United States and Europe, I find we are all very similar.
Regardless of our current achievements and successes, many of
us lead lives of quiet desperation. We stumble from day to day
coping with anxiety, depression, physical symptoms, or simply
a less than fulfilling life.
The good news is, it’s never too late to heal. Through her
own personal and professional work, Dr. Susanne Babbel has
unearthed the best processes and practices to help you actually
move from where you are to where you want to be in your life.
With this book, she provides a proven roadmap to lead you
through your own healing journey.
I remember many years ago Susanne sitting in my office
when she applied to our doctoral program in somatic and clini-
cal psychology. As founder and president of the graduate school
I met many aspiring therapists. Susanne was different. She saw
beyond what was there; she always saw what was possible and
moved toward it. We stayed in touch through her doctoral
research and beyond as she continued to push the envelope.
She was always bridging mind and body practices and garner-
ing practical processes from the latest research. She began
vi Heal the Body, Heal the Mind
writing for Psychology Today and soon had thousands of follow-
ers who became engaged in her ideas. As they began practicing
her suggested processes, many left comments about the major
shifts they experienced in their lives. As a result of her research,
her almost two decades of clinical practice, and her writing,
this book was born.
The processes in the book parallel my own research and
discoveries. I apply similar mind/body research in intensive
retreats for adults to heal early trauma and learn to thrive.
Until recently, trauma was not fully understood, and therefore
was not effectively treated. We thought that trauma could only
stem from experiences such as war or extreme violence. We
now know that, while there are varying degrees of trauma, all
trauma is stored in the body, often outside of conscious memory.
And, it is clear that in order to heal trauma of any kind, we
must involve the whole person.
Current psychotherapy and self-help books often offer
coping strategies, which can help you get from day to day.
There’s nothing wrong with that but now there’s so much more.
Now you can move beyond coping to actually heal. When
healing occurs, you can reach levels of resiliency and thriving
you may not have thought possible. Simple strategies to help
you do that are in this book.
Here Susanne clearly explains how anyone can heal the
traumas that lie hidden within the mind and body. She shows
how to tackle even the most difficult situations such as abuse,
sexual healing, and financial and career difficulties. Also
covered are the unconscious, hidden beliefs that keep us from
reaching our potential.
She speaks directly to you, the reader. I felt as though I was
sitting across from her in her office and she was walking me
through exactly what I needed. It all seemed designed specifi-
cally for me. I can hear her say to each of us, “You are worthy,
you are lovable, you deserve…”
Foreword vii
I encourage you to begin now. Imagine what your life will
be like in a few weeks when you have begun this step-wise
process toward wholeness. Imagine how you will feel in a few
months when you are able to be more present and go about
your day feeling more calm and confident. You have in your
possession an exceptional and proven guide for your journey.
You have taken the first step. I am confident that it will take
you exactly where you need to go.
— Marti Glenn, PhD
Clinical Director, Ryzio Institute
Santa Barbara, CA