Mind-Body Approaches to Trauma Recovery for Marginalized Identities
- Dr. Sophia Aguirre, Ph.D., CGP, FAGPA
- Mar 12
- 3 min read
At the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy, we recognize that trauma is not just a psychological experience—it is deeply embedded in the body. For marginalized communities, trauma often stems from systemic oppression, discrimination, generational wounds, and cultural displacement, making traditional talk therapy alone insufficient for healing. This is where mind-body approaches come in, offering holistic ways to process trauma that honor the wisdom of the body.
Why Mind-Body Approaches?
For many BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, and other marginalized individuals, trauma is not just an isolated event but an ongoing experience. It manifests in chronic stress, hypervigilance, dissociation, and somatic symptoms such as headaches, digestive issues, and muscle tension. Traditional Western therapy models often emphasize cognitive processing, but healing must also address the ways trauma is held in the body. Mind-body therapies work to reintegrate the body and mind, allowing clients to reclaim agency over their nervous system and reconnect with themselves in affirming ways.
Somatic Approaches to Trauma Healing
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing helps clients gently process trauma by focusing on bodily sensations rather than recounting distressing memories. This approach can be particularly effective for marginalized clients who may have developed survival strategies that involve suppressing emotions or disconnecting from their bodies due to societal stigma or cultural expectations.
How it Helps:
Supports nervous system regulation
Helps clients safely release stored trauma
Encourages awareness of bodily sensations without overwhelm
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
This therapy blends somatic awareness with attachment theory and mindfulness. It helps clients recognize how past trauma influences their posture, movement, and nervous system responses.
Why It’s Useful for Marginalized Clients:
Encourages healing from intergenerational trauma
Addresses the body’s response to microaggressions and chronic stress
Supports boundary-setting through embodied awareness
EMDR with Somatic Integration
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a well-known trauma therapy, but combining it with somatic awareness can enhance its effectiveness for clients who feel disconnected from their bodies. By noticing body sensations while processing traumatic memories, clients can integrate their experiences more fully.
Especially Helpful For:
Survivors of racial or gender-based trauma
Clients with complex PTSD from systemic oppression
Those experiencing dissociation or feeling “stuck” in healing
Other Mind-Body Approaches to Trauma Recovery
Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY)
Yoga, when practiced in a trauma-sensitive framework, allows individuals to develop a deeper connection with their body without pressure to perform or conform to mainstream fitness culture. This is particularly powerful for BIPOC, queer, trans, disabled, and fat bodies, who are often excluded from traditional wellness spaces.
Benefits:
Cultivates a sense of safety in the body
Encourages self-compassion and self-acceptance
Strengthens body autonomy and agency
Breathwork and Pranayama
Breathwork techniques, especially from Indigenous and Eastern traditions, provide accessible tools for regulating the nervous system. For those who have internalized oppression-related stress, reconnecting with the breath can be a radical act of reclaiming peace and presence.
Breath Practices for Healing:
4-7-8 Breathing for calming the nervous system
Box Breathing for grounding during distress
Lion’s Breath for releasing suppressed emotions
Ecotherapy & Cultural Rituals
Healing in nature and reconnecting with ancestral practices can be profoundly restorative for those whose cultural traditions have been suppressed or erased. Whether it’s through gardening, ceremony, drumming, or herbal medicine, embracing these practices fosters resilience and collective healing.
How This Helps Marginalized Clients:
Affirms cultural identity and ancestral wisdom
Reduces stress through connection with the land
Encourages community-based healing rather than individualistic models
Honoring the Body as a Site of Liberation
For marginalized individuals, healing is not just about overcoming trauma—it is about reclaiming the body as a site of resistance, joy, and liberation. Mind-body approaches empower clients to listen to their bodies, trust their instincts, and cultivate a healing practice that aligns with their cultural and personal identities.
At the Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy, we are committed to trauma recovery that is anti-oppressive, culturally affirming, and body-liberating. We have several therapists who provide somatic approaches to therapy. If you or someone you know is seeking holistic healing that honors your lived experience, we invite you to explore somatic therapies with us.
You deserve a healing journey that sees you fully—mind, body, and spirit.
Aguirre Center for Inclusive Psychotherapy
Providing culturally-affirming, anti-oppressive and inclusive counseling and therapy in Atlanta, Georgia and beyond.