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

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 limitations 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 practical 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, generating 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 exercises, 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

Publishers 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 OBrien

Edited by Amy Johnson

All Rights Reserved

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Introduction

1. Understanding Trauma

2. How Trauma Impacts Body and Health

3. Love after Trauma

4. Sexual Healing

5. Creating a Trauma-Resilient Relationship

6. Overcoming Financial and Career Barriers

7. Triumphing Over Disempowering Beliefs

8. Vuja De: Finding Meaning after Trauma

References

Foreword

Do you think of yourself as a trauma survivor? I didnt. 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 wasnt 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, its 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 clinical 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 garnering practical processes from the latest research. She began writing for Psychology Today and soon had thousands of followers 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. Theres nothing wrong with that but now theres 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 specifically for me. I can hear her say to each of us, You are worthy, you are lovable, you deserve

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.