Sensorimotor psychotherapy-What Makes This Therapy Powerful For So Many People?

Sensorimotor psychotherapy is another effective treatment for PTSD. It is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy based on the idea that all human behavior becomes guided by sensory and motor information.

Sensory information includes visual, auditory, olfactory, tactile, and kinesthetic information. The term "sensorimotor" refers to the fact that these different types of information are processed in different parts of the brain. For example, visual information is processed in the brain's occipital lobe, auditory information in the temporal lobe, olfactory information in the limbic system, and so on.

As a result of this processing, the brain produces a complex pattern of activity. This pattern of activity is called a somatic state. A somatic state is a collection of sensory, motor, emotional, and cognitive information. It represents the internal state of an organism. For example, when you are feeling anxious, your body is tensed, you may have sweaty palms, breathing rapidly, your heart may be pounding, and so on.

Your brain also has a bodily state. For example, when you are experiencing anxiety, your brain is tense, your body is tight, your breathing is rapid, and so on.

You can see that your brain and body are not separate from each other. Instead, your brain influences your body, and your body affects your brain. In this way, your brain and body are interdependent.

It is important to note that the body is not just a passive object influenced by the mind. Instead, the body actively affects the mind. For example, if you are anxious, your body becomes tense, your breathing becomes rapid, and so on. As a result of this, your brain changes its pattern of activity. This change in brain activity produces new somatic states.

One of the main goals of sensorimotor psychotherapy is to help patients learn to recognize and control their bodily states. This involves learning how to become aware of the various aspects of their own body. For example, it consists of learning how to relax their muscles, slow down their breathing, etc.

Sensorimotor psychotherapy uses a variety of techniques. These include relaxation exercises, biofeedback, visualization, and so on.

The goal of relaxation exercises is to teach patients to become aware of their bodies and relax them consciously. For example, biofeedback teaches patients to become familiar with and control their breathing patterns. In addition, visualization can help patients create mental images of relaxing their bodies.

In addition to these techniques, sensorimotor psychotherapy also teaches patients to identify and change their thoughts and feelings. It teaches them to become aware of their negative thoughts and emotions and replace them with more positive ones.