Human Aspect of Touch - The Importance of Touch for Trauma

There is an unbreakable link between human touch and trauma recovery. Touch is important not only from the perspective of a therapist but from a very human perspective, as well. 

As a patient, one often craves human touch as a means of feeling safe. At a young age, humans tend to thrive, survive, and develop through human touch. Similarly, when recovering from a complex condition or trauma, we crave the support we get through touch.

A patient's perspective on touch and trauma

When a trauma victim is in a state of pain and they're unable to regulate their emotions, touch can help give that relief that they cannot get through words they are currently unable to comprehend.

More often than not, rough touching can produce a counter effect, so patients can benefit from very gentle physical interaction that will help soothe emotional tension. This does not have to be the touch of a psychotherapist nor of a friend or family member, it may even be something like very gentle massage therapy.

Although massages release muscle tension, trauma patients don’t necessarily need massages for relieving muscle strains – they need to feel that gentle physical connection somewhere where they feel it’s currently safe.

As humans, we long for that feeling of being held and the intimacy that human touch has. Touch and trauma have a powerful link in the sense that we’re often too alert to permit anyone from coming too close physically when in reality our subconscious wants to feel that closeness. The key is to allow yourself to relax through non-invasive physical interaction before forcing yourself to do anything more than that.

How a therapist can incorporate touch in trauma recovery

A therapist should approach the body not with the goal of releasing any tension, but with the goal of co-regulation and providing capacity for the support the patient longs to get in therapy.

Frequently, patients that have gone through trauma (especially at a young age) never had that physical support to go alongside verbal. As a therapist, the key approach is to provide physical support in order to maximize the productivity of therapy as a safe space.

It’s easier for patients to feel their emotions when they actually feel physical, human touch rather than just trying to process spoken words.

Professionals need to be very alert in approaching trauma-informed touch, especially when dealing with a victim of abuse. Physical touch, in such a case, might seem too invasive. What you as a therapist want to achieve is not an invasion, but a human physical connection. There is no need to aim to provide any muscle tension release but to provide this connection subtly, in any way that seems appropriate.

When a trauma victim accepts this physical connection, the recovery process becomes embodied, and this is important in the aspect of regaining power over your body and emotions when you have been disempowered through a traumatic experience.

Conclusion

Touch and trauma have a very deep and complex connection, especially in the case of a patient who suffered physical abuse. As humans, we biologically crave and strive from physical, human touch, but we don’t necessarily know that when we’re in an alert state.

A therapist should approach trauma victims with the touch to allow them to process their physical emotions and restrains, but only to such a degree where it doesn’t come off as invasive. If done right, touch can be a powerful tool for empowerment.