The Language of Touch - Working with Somatic Bracing Patterns

During touch therapy, trauma clients often show resistance to touch, which is visible in somatic bracing patterns. Bracing and tension patterns can be defined as back-off signals that stem from either ‘just’ stress or an old traumatic experience of danger.

How to recognise somatic bracing patterns

Touch sessions are based on the non-verbal, somatic conversation with the client’s body – soma to soma. That is why every session requires explicit verbal or somatic consent to touch. The therapist should approach the client’s body slowly, pause and feel what the body is indicating.

If the body braces, that means there is no somatic consent that it resists touch, and the therapist should wait or start at a different position and/or encourage conversation about the resistance.

If the body is neutral, there is no clear consent or resistance, so the therapist should wait for clear signs of consent.

Consent is clear when there is somatic resonance in the client’s body – muscle relaxation, changed breath pattern and/or audible exhales, eye-lid fluttering, emotional release; in this case, the therapist is welcome to continue applying the touch.

The reasons for somatic bracing patterns

• The client does not feel safe with the therapist yet. That means that resonance between both parties still hasn’t been achieved.

• The body shows a false brace. It means that, in reality, the client feels safe with the therapist, but their body signals quite the contrary. That is an indication of the mind-body split – the client feels they are experiencing danger at the present moment, when they are actually in a safe situation.

How to distinguish between a false and a real brace

If you notice somatic bracing patterns, you can address them. For instance, you can verbally express that you’ve noticed the brace: “Hey, I’ve noticed that your body is bracing under my hand. I just wonder if it would be safe to soften that area or to allow that brace to let go.” In the case of a false brace, the brace will stop immediately, as soon as you inform the client about it. Simply addressing, challenging and inviting the release of the brace can work effectively and instantaneously.

Sometimes a false brace is released during one session, but when the client comes back next time, the brace returns. In that case, the therapist should address the issue again: “Remember how last time you managed to release the brace? If it is safe to do that same thing again, it would be greatly beneficial.” If it is a false brace, then the client will release it this time as well.

However, if a brace keeps coming back, it means it is not a false brace. Real somatic bracing patterns indicate there is either fragmentation occurring or there is traumatic content which needs to be dealt with in a very specific way.

Conclusion

Somatic bracing patterns happen very frequently during touch therapy sessions. They are the body’s natural way of showing that there is still some trauma present in the organism, and that it needs to be taken care of. Sometimes the clients’ bodies give away false signals in the form of a false brace, which can be addressed fairly easily. Every touch therapy session needs verbal and somatic consent, so that the therapy is not rushed if the client doesn’t feel ready yet.