Art therapy and somatic trauma

Trauma changes us. It can alter the way we see the world, the way we relate to others, and even the way we experience our own bodies. Often, trauma is not just something we think about – it is something we feel. Many people carry trauma in tension, aches, sleep disturbances, or a sense of disconnection from their own bodies.

As Bessel van der Kolk writes in The Body Keeps the Score (2014), our bodies remember what our minds sometimes cannot. Trauma is “stored” in the nervous system, shaping how we feel and respond, even years after the event.

This is why body-based therapies, or somatic approaches, have become an essential part of healing. When combined with art therapy, they offer a powerful path toward reconnecting with both body and self.

Why trauma lives in the body

When we experience overwhelming events, our nervous system goes into survival mode – fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. These responses can save our lives, but if they remain “on” long after the danger has passed, the body can stay stuck in a state of high alert or numbness (Levine, 1997).

Trauma affects the brain in ways that explain why we often feel on edge or disconnected. Areas like the amygdala, which acts as our alarm system, can become overactive, keeping us anxious or hypervigilant. The hippocampus, which organises memory and helps us distinguish past from present, can shrink under chronic stress, contributing to flashbacks. And the prefrontal cortex, our rational, planning part of the brain, often goes quiet, making it harder to regulate emotions or respond calmly.

The autonomic nervous system also plays a central role. Trauma can cause dysregulation of the vagus nerve, affecting heart rate, digestion, and the sense of safety in the body. Polyvagal theory (Porges, 2011) explains why trauma survivors can feel tense, frozen, or disconnected – even when their surroundings are safe.

This explains why so many trauma survivors say, “I know I’m safe now, but my body still feels like it’s in danger.”

Neuroplasticity beyond symptom relief

Healing from trauma is not just about reducing anxiety or flashbacks. It’s about gently retraining the brain itself. Neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to form new pathways and connections – means change is possible, even years after trauma.

Art therapy supports this process because it engages multiple parts of the brain at once:

• Sensory and motor pathways: Rolling clay, sketching, or moving in rhythm strengthens connections between movement and sensory areas, helping you feel grounded.
• Thinking and reflection: Planning an art piece or reflecting on colours and forms activates the prefrontal cortex, supporting emotion regulation.
• Integration of emotion and reason: Combining visual art, movement, and sensory experiences helps the right and left hemispheres communicate, reconciling emotion with rational understanding.
• Transforming implicit memory: Trauma often lives in nonverbal memory networks. Art allows these memories to emerge safely in symbolic form, enabling processing without retraumatisation.

Research shows measurable changes in brain circuits involved in emotion regulation after expressive arts interventions (Kaimal et al., 2017), demonstrating that creative practices can reshape neural pathways, not just offer temporary relief.

How art therapy supports somatic healing

Art therapy invites you to explore your inner world through creative expression – drawing, painting, clay, collage, or movement. For many trauma survivors, words alone are not enough. Trauma is often stored in the body before it can be put into language.

Through art, the body’s sensations, memories, and emotions can emerge safely. Colours, shapes, and textures become a bridge between what is felt inside and what can be witnessed outside. This process allows:

• Embodied awareness: You notice tension, release, and movement in real time. A clay sculpture, for example, may reveal tightness in the shoulders or jaw that you weren’t aware of.
• Self-expression without judgment: Art allows expression of difficult emotions that are hard to verbalise, such as grief, anger, or fear.
• Integration and insight: Symbolic representations of trauma can help make sense of experiences and bring clarity over time.
• Clients often report a sense of discovery: Seeing their feelings externalised on paper or in clay can foster empowerment, choice, and self-compassion.

The role of the art therapist

A trauma-informed art therapist guides this process with care and presence. They create a safe space where your body, mind, and creativity are honoured. Rather than imposing interpretation, the art therapist supports your own meaning-making, noticing patterns, and gently inviting exploration.

An art therapist may integrate grounding techniques, gentle movement, or mindfulness alongside art-making. They help clients notice sensations, pause when feeling overwhelmed, and safely explore emotional material. The goal is not to force progress but to walk alongside you, attuning to your pace, respecting boundaries, and witnessing your healing journey.

Reconnecting with yourself

Art therapy combined with somatic healing is not just about reducing symptoms. It’s about restoring connection – to your body, to creativity, to meaning, and to yourself.

Art-making becomes more than an activity. It becomes a mirror for your body’s wisdom and a bridge back to wholeness. By engaging imagination, sensation, and movement, you discover that healing can be playful, embodied, and deeply human.

Stages of reconnection often include:

1. Sensing the body: Noticing breath, posture, and tension through gentle art or movement.
2. Expressing emotion: Using colours, textures, and forms to externalise feelings safely.
3. Making meaning: Reflecting on what emerges, connecting personal narrative and emotion.
4. Integration: Developing a sense of cohesion between body, mind, and creativity, fostering resilience.

As van der Kolk reminds us, “Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.” Through gentle, creative practice, that imprint can be transformed into a story of resilience, connection, and renewal.

Next steps for clients

If you are curious about art therapy and somatic approaches, you don’t need to have any artistic background or special skills. Healing is not about creating something “good” or “beautiful” – it is about the process of expressing yourself, discovering what your body holds, and finding safe ways to release and transform it.

If you would like to explore this journey more deeply, working with an art therapist can provide support, safety, and guidance. Together, we can use art therapy and somatic practices to help you reconnect with your body, process unresolved trauma, and rediscover a sense of vitality and wholeness.

You don’t have to carry the weight of your experiences alone. If this way of working speaks to you, I invite you to reach out and begin a conversation about how art therapy might support your healing. Taking that first step can be the beginning of a meaningful journey back to yourself.

References

• Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
• Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. North Atlantic Books.
• Kaimal, G., Ray, K., & Muniz, J. (2017). Reduction of Cortisol Levels and Participants’ Responses Following Art Making. Art Therapy: Journal of the American Art Therapy Association, 34(2), 74–80.
• Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. W. W. Norton & Company.