It's increasingly common that massage and bodywork therapists offer trauma-informed services. That sounds interesting, perhaps, but what is actually meant by the term "trauma informed"?
Well, it means that a massage, bodywork, or somatic therapist is capable of professionally handling their clients' previous or existing trauma, at the same time being aware of the possibility to involuntarily or deliberately revisit the client's/patient's trauma within a treatment session. In addition, the therapist will be careful not to cause new trauma for the client.
Especially with LGBTQ+ individuals, it's common that some form of conscious, subconscious, or unconscious trauma or symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) related to their sexual orientation or gender identity exist. Research has shown that LGBT people are at much higher risk of developing PTSD compared to those who do not identify as members of the LGBT community.
Learn more in our eBook
Queer Somatics - LGBTQ+ Affirmative Practices
Therefore, especially with regard to the above it is an absolute must that bodywork and massage therapists who work with members of the LGBTQ+ community follow a trauma-informed treatment approach.
In general, trauma-informed practitioners have studied what trauma can entail, how it impacts individuals, how it affects their nervous system and daily life, their spiritual wellbeing, and their coping and survival mechanisms, and how symptoms may express themselves. They are likewise knowledgeable as for what therapies to trauma healing exist and what to do (or not to do) in moments when trauma resurfaces or is revisited within a therapeutic session.
Especially with regard to therapeutic massage, bodywork, and somatic sessions, and more specifically in full-touch, full-body, sensual, sexual, and/or genital therapies, the client’s trauma-related emotions and other expressions may come to the surface, and it’s important that the therapist handles those in a physically, psychologically, and emotionally safe and effective manner.
In addition, some types of massage and bodywork therapies may deliberately focus at eliciting the patient's traumatic experiences in order to enable them to becoming aware, digest, and finally release those. For example, when it comes to healing sexual trauma, think of the use of treatment modalities like Body De-Armouring, Lingam Massage, Yoni Massage, Chi Nei Tsang, Karsai Nei Tsang, or Genital Mapping.
Learn more in our eBook
Body De-Armoring - Sexual, Emotional, and Trauma Healing
However, it's not only in the sexual or genital sphere that trauma can resurface or needs to be worked with. Emotional reactions to other types of trauma, such as childhood bullying, war experiences, surgery, domestic violence, an earthquake, or a fire may also emerge. Moreover, trauma resurfacing can also happen when using non-sexual treatments such as Thai Massage, Swedish Massage, Abdominal Massage, Restorative Yoga Therapy, or Sports Massage, to give some examples.
In any case, both the client and practitioner need to be aware that trauma related bodily and/or emotional responses may occur during a treatment session. Informing clients beforehand of what can happen during a session is the task of the therapist, usually done by first having a proper intake and assessment procedure.
And finally, no matter if trauma is involved or not, aspects of safety, trust, confidentiality, session boundaries, mutual consent, communication, and collaboration are essential elements that need to be addressed before the practitioner/therapist starts with giving therapeutic massage, bodywork, or somatic sessions.
Written by: Marce Ferreira, Team TraditionalBodywork.com
Main article image by Pixabay