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Massage aids in recovering from abuse
As women and men recover from abuse, their body awareness increases, which can at times feel quite uncomfortable. Often, those who have endured some form of abuse cope with the pain of it by numbing their feelings -- and in order to detach from our feelings, we must detach from our bodies. As a result, the memories and feelings become trapped in the tissues outside of our conscious awareness. On the road to recovery, the apprehension of mobilizing these memories and feelings can be daunting. How can the massage therapist help?
It does not always happen in one session, but during a series of massage and bodywork treatments, as the body is caringly released from restrictions and tensions, the memories and feelings of the past might be remembered and re-experienced to some degree. While this is a useful part of the process, the discomfort can seem overwhelming. In this, the skill, care and empathy of the massage therapist can create a quiet place of safety and space for the individual to respond, integrate the surfacing information and experience the healing changes taking place within the psyche and the body.
Sometimes talking helps sort out the past and release some of the emotional stress and pain. Oftentimes, the releasing and healing take place entirely at the somatic level. While the massage therapist may be a supportive and confidential witness to emotional responses and realizations released during the bodywork session, it is outside our professional purview to practice psychotherapy. Any deeply psychological exploration should be done with a therapist qualified to do so. Indeed, it is often helpful to share with such a therapist the discoveries and experiences from the massage table.
Having a massage therapist and a psychologist or counselor on your team is a profoundly effective combination in recovering from past insults and abuses and moving into a life of greater freedom and fulfillment.
For anyone who has suffered abuse, it can require an act of courage to take the steps to allow himself or herself to be touched, to be guided back to the self, to be empowered and to feel good about being who they are. The reward is that at some point, they may begin to find new, healthy ways of relating to themselves and others that open up exciting possibilities for a life far better than they previously imagined for themselves. It might take time and patience to learn to relax and even to enjoy being touched in a gentle and nurturing way.
To this end, the massage therapist is uniquely placed to help.