Trauma: Titration and the Real Self
Continuing with our discussion of healing from trauma leads us to another Somatic Experiencing concept, titration. Titration involves releasing trauma energy a little at a time, staying with only as much as we can be present to in the moment. "Titration slowly allows traumatic activation to be accessed and assimilated so that the nervous system can gradually adjust to each level of excitation" (Lumiere, 2003, Healing Trauma in the Eternal Now, in The Sacred Mirror: Nondual Wisdom and Psychotherapy).
I often refer to this process with clients as "stirring the bees' nest and coming home to our Real Self." Through pendulation and resourcing (see earlier posts), trauma-energy can be accessed and touched at a tolerable level. Then clients are encouraged to come back to their breath and to their resources: activities and relationships which support health and grounding. The Real Self provides the grounding sense of self as well as the wisdom about which relationships and activities are life-affirming. Clients swing between their trauma-energy and the energy of their Real Self. This pendulation supports titration of the trauma.
I often refer to this process with clients as "stirring the bees' nest and coming home to our Real Self." Through pendulation and resourcing (see earlier posts), trauma-energy can be accessed and touched at a tolerable level. Then clients are encouraged to come back to their breath and to their resources: activities and relationships which support health and grounding. The Real Self provides the grounding sense of self as well as the wisdom about which relationships and activities are life-affirming. Clients swing between their trauma-energy and the energy of their Real Self. This pendulation supports titration of the trauma.
