Introduction
For many trauma survivors, healing can feel like an endless struggle between the mind and body. While traditional talk therapy focuses on processing emotions and memories, it often does not address the physical effects of trauma stored in the nervous system.

In In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness, Dr. Peter A. Levine—the creator of Somatic Experiencing (SE)—explores how trauma affects the body and how survivors can heal by tapping into their body’s natural ability to recover. His approach is based on decades of research into neuroscience, psychology, and animal behavior, showing that trauma is not just a psychological condition but a full-body experience.

This blog post summarizes the key insights from In an Unspoken Voice, focusing on how trauma is stored in the body, why traditional therapy may not be enough, and how survivors can use somatic healing techniques to regain safety, control, and well-being.

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The Core Idea: Trauma is a Physiological Experience, Not Just a Psychological One

Dr. Levine’s central argument is that trauma is not just a disorder of the mind—it is a full-body response that gets stuck in the nervous system.

Key concepts from the book:

• Trauma occurs when the body’s natural survival responses (fight, flight, freeze) are unable to complete their cycle.
• Unresolved trauma remains stored in the nervous system, leading to chronic stress, dissociation, hypervigilance, or shutdown.
• The body must be involved in the healing process, not just the mind.

Unlike traditional therapy, which focuses on talking about traumatic memories, Levine’s Somatic Experiencing (SE) approach helps survivors release stored trauma through body awareness, movement, and nervous system regulation.

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The Survival Response: How Trauma Gets Trapped in the Body

Levine explains that all mammals, including humans, have three primary responses to threat:

1. Fight – The body mobilizes to defend itself through aggression or resistance.
2. Flight – The body prepares to escape danger by running or avoiding the threat.
3. Freeze – If fight or flight is not possible, the body shuts down, dissociates, or collapses into stillness.

Why trauma gets stuck:

• In animals, once the danger passes, they shake, tremble, or discharge excess energy before returning to normal.
• Humans, however, often suppress these natural responses, causing the trauma energy to remain trapped in the nervous system.
• This leads to chronic PTSD symptoms, such as anxiety, flashbacks, muscle tension, and emotional numbness.

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The Role of the Nervous System in Trauma

Dr. Levine describes how trauma hijacks the autonomic nervous system, keeping survivors in a constant state of distress.

The two key nervous system states:

1. Sympathetic Activation (Fight-or-Flight Mode)
   • Increased heart rate, shallow breathing, hypervigilance.
   • Anxiety, restlessness, panic attacks.
   • Feeling “stuck on high alert,” as if danger is always present.
2. Parasympathetic Shutdown (Freeze Mode)
   • Emotional numbness, fatigue, dissociation.
   • Depression, hopelessness, disconnection from self and others.
   • Feeling “frozen” and unable to take action.

For trauma survivors, the nervous system oscillates between these two extremes, making it difficult to feel safe, calm, or emotionally regulated.

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Somatic Experiencing: Healing Trauma Through the Body

Levine’s Somatic Experiencing (SE) approach is designed to help survivors gradually release stored trauma energy without reliving distressing memories.

How Somatic Experiencing works:

• Instead of forcing survivors to recall traumatic events, SE focuses on body sensations associated with the trauma.
• Survivors learn to track their physical sensations, notice tension or discomfort, and gently release stored energy.
• The key is slow, mindful processing to avoid overwhelming the nervous system.

Unlike talk therapy, which often reinforces trauma by repeatedly revisiting painful memories, SE works by helping the body complete its natural recovery process in a safe, controlled way.

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Practical Somatic Healing Techniques

Dr. Levine offers specific techniques that trauma survivors can use to regulate their nervous system and release stored trauma energy.

1. Grounding and Sensory Awareness

Grounding techniques help bring the body into the present moment and prevent dissociation.

Exercises include:

• Pressing your feet firmly into the ground and noticing the sensations.
• Holding a textured object (like a rock or fabric) and focusing on its texture.
• Slowly scanning your body for areas of tension and gently relaxing them.

2. Pendulation: Moving Between Comfort and Discomfort

Pendulation is the process of gently shifting between safe sensations and distressing ones to help the body release stored trauma gradually.

How to practice pendulation:

• Identify a neutral or pleasant body sensation (like warmth in your hands).
• Then, notice an area of tension or discomfort.
• Gently move your attention back and forth between the two sensations, allowing your body to process tension without becoming overwhelmed.

3. Allowing Small, Safe Movements

Since trauma survivors often suppress the body’s natural response to danger, small movements can help release stored energy and complete the fight-or-flight response.

Exercises include:

• Slowly rolling your shoulders, stretching your arms, or shaking out your hands.
• Lightly stomping your feet on the ground to reconnect with your body.
• Letting out small sighs, deep breaths, or vocalizations to release tension.

These movements help retrain the nervous system to recognize that the danger has passed.

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Key Takeaways for Trauma Survivors

1. Trauma is not just in the mind—it is stored in the body and nervous system.
2. Healing requires completing the body’s natural survival responses, not just talking about trauma.
3. Grounding, sensory awareness, and small movements can help release stored trauma energy.
4. Somatic Experiencing allows survivors to heal gradually without re-traumatization.
5. Healing is not about forgetting trauma—it’s about teaching the body that it is safe again.

Dr. Levine’s work offers a revolutionary, body-based approach that helps trauma survivors regain control, safety, and emotional balance without being overwhelmed by past experiences.

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Conclusion

In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness is a groundbreaking book that transforms how we understand and heal from trauma. Peter Levine’s insights into nervous system regulation and somatic healing techniques provide practical, science-backed strategies for overcoming PTSD and CPTSD.

For trauma survivors who feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, dissociation, or hypervigilance, this book offers a compassionate, non-invasive approach to trauma recovery. Healing is not just about talking—it’s about helping the body complete the recovery process in a way that feels safe and empowering.

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References

• Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
• van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma.
• Perry, B. D., & Szalavitz, M. (2006). The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog.