Have you ever had the experience of going through therapy for a long period of time, yet not finding that you’ve resolved your problems? Perhaps you’re still hijacked by anxiety or fears. Perhaps despite it all, you still find that stress remains overwhelming. Maybe your grief has improved a bit but still won’t release its hold on you. There’s a reason for this. We know from research that the body holds on to trauma. Just talking through trauma is typically not sufficient to re-pattern the body and let trauma release its hold. Typically after a traumatic event the body makes adaptations – anything from hyper-vigilance (always feeling on guard or like something is about to happen), to being quick to anger, to assuming the worst in every situation. These patterns are self-protective but can get in the way of our long-term healing and health. The reason that acupuncture can help with trauma recovery is that it allows the body to directly recover from some of those physiological changes. You have a pattern of constant stress and guardedness? The acupuncture session can transition your body from fight-or-flight into its more natural rest-and-digest mode. Struggling with defensiveness? Acupuncture can give you a respite – even if for a short time – where you can relax and sit with your vulnerability, and over time, allow it to become a pattern. Trapped with grief that just won’t let go? Acupuncture can help the body process out some of the stuck emotions to enable you to make more progress in your healing. Furthermore, acupuncture and herbal medicine can help you sleep more deeply throughout the night so that you don't wake up with a start in the night, wake up ruminating, or find yourself awake for no reason at all for hours. We know that deep, sufficient sleep is crucial for mental health and physical and mental resilience. Getting you to sleep deeply through the night is a crucial step in supporting your mental health! Are you curious about how acupuncture can support your mental health and healing from traumatic episodes? Contact me by email or phone to discuss how I can support you. Here's to your health!