24/05/2026
THE BODY REMEMBERS IN PICTURES
Procedural memory does not store events in narrative. It stores them in sensation, posture, image, reflex. This is why clients can understand their trauma intellectually while remaining trapped in it somatically. Understanding operates in one system. The body operates in another.
Metaphor bridges these systems. When a client describes their fear as something coiled in their stomach, they are translating body knowledge into language the conscious mind can engage. That translation is the therapeutic opportunity. Meet them at the bridge.