Trauma Responsive Monadnock

05/21/2026

You’ve heard of the expression “Mind over matter,” but taking this approach to trauma recovery (“thinking your way out of trauma”) often leads to frustration and feelings of inadequacy. That’s because trauma is not only a psychological phenomenon, but also a profoundly physiological one. This means that trauma is held deep in the body, so oftentimes trauma recovery can look more like, “Matter over mind.”

Somatic healing involves trauma recovery methods that focus on rooting your attention to your body and its sensations during activities such as writing and expressive arts, yoga and movement, spending time in nature or with animals, and fostering connections with a variety of safe and trusted social relationships. There are also trauma-informed therapy modalities like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatic Experiencing, and Internal Family Systems (IFS).

There isn’t some secret formula. It is a process of trial and error, and it’s okay to “shop around” to see which of these somatic healing methods works for you.

Listen to what your body has to tell you – you may even learn something about yourself that your own mind doesn’t know yet!

05/13/2026

"Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves." - Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, The Body Keeps the Score

The body encodes memories of trauma into our senses, through muscle tension, and in anxiety. This is why you can understand intellectually the trauma you’ve experienced, talk about it in therapy for years, and still feel unsafe or “off” in your own skin. The body cannot be ignored in healing from traumatic events.

Because our life experiences and individual preferences and personalities are unique, there is no cookie cutter approach to healing from trauma. Every healing journey looks different, but something they all have in common is that none of them are linear, meaning they can often feel a bit chaotic. But having a “bad day” after a “good day” is completely normal and it’s important that we give ourselves permission to take things slow. Even simply surviving through the day is still healing!

Read more in this month’s blog at TraumaResponsiveMonadnock.org

05/08/2026

Most of us will experience at least one traumatic event in our lifetime, but many of us don’t yet realize that our bodies hold the key to healing.

If you’ve experienced trauma, you may have noticed that you often feel unsafe in your body. This is because trauma isn’t simply “all in our head” – it settles deep inside our body. The good news is that this is also where the healing process can take place.

Psychiatrist and author of the #1 New York Times best-seller, The Body Keeps the Score, Dr. Bessel van der Kolk says that traumatized people “... become experts at ignoring their gut feelings and numbing awareness of what played out inside. They learn to hide from themselves.”

Allowing ourselves to really start listening to what our body is trying to tell us when we feel physically pained by our emotions takes a profound amount of courage. When we confront these painful memories, we are being given the opportunity to practice trusting in our own sense of inner resiliency, which will help us to move through whatever may resurface.

Read more in this month’s blog at TraumaResponsiveMonadnock.org

04/28/2026

Be the…

Kind word
Helping hand
Neighbor who checks in
Teacher who notices
Friend who offers to watch the kids for an hour
Small actions matter.

Child abuse prevention begins with each and every one of us, working together as a community to create spaces where children feel safe, families feel supported, and everyone knows they belong.

Healing happens in community. Prevention starts with all of us. With you.

You have the power to make a difference.

https://www.traumaresponsivemonadnock.org/2026/04/13/prevention-starts-with-us/

04/21/2026

Child abuse prevention starts with small, everyday actions.
In this month’s newsletter, we give you tangible action steps to take, whether you're a parent, community member, or organization. Our goal is to reduce harm, raise awareness about the prevalence of child abuse and neglect, and create safer spaces for children, together.
Your taking action is more powerful than you think.
Read the full newsletter for actionable steps you can take today.
https://www.traumaresponsivemonadnock.org/2026/04/13/prevention-starts-with-us/

04/14/2026

Did you know, that in the US, at least 1 in 7 children experienced abuse or neglect in the past year?
But prevention and harm reduction isn’t just about awareness and recognizing abuse, it’s about building communities where abuse is less likely to happen in the first place.

Positive experiences matter just as much as preventing negative ones.
Every child needs:
✓ Safe, supportive relationships
✓ Stable, secure environments
✓ Opportunities to belong
✓ Support for emotional growth

Prevention is everyone's responsibility.

Learn more about how you can become a community advocate for children in this month’s blog. You’ll find the link in our bio.

12/23/2025

Which type of rest are YOU missing?

Physical rest? Hint: it's more than sleep
Mental rest? Your brain is exhausted from constant decisions
Sensory rest? Screens, notifications, and noise overload you
Emotional rest? Hiding parts of yourself is draining
Social rest? Some relationships recharge you, others drain you
Creative rest? When was the last time you felt awe? Didn’t need to “produce” something?
Spiritual rest? Connecting to something bigger than yourself

Check Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith's free Rest Quiz in this month’s blog + our breakdown of how to get more of each of the 7 in simple, meaningful ways.

traumaresponsivemonadnock.org

12/18/2025

This season, give yourself permission to actually rest.

Learn about the 7 types of rest you need in this month’s blog: traumaresponsivemonadnock.org

12/11/2025

Sleep is only ONE of the 7 types of rest you actually need.
With 89% of Americans having experienced burnout in the past year and 70% of people waking up tired after a full night’s sleep, we knew we needed to write an article sharing about the rest deficit. Check out our latest blog where we share Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith’s 7 types of rest and how to get more in simple, achievable ways.
Read full post on traumaresponsivemonadnock.org

10/14/2025

With each word that’s spoken, we begin healing. -

This month, we’re raising awareness around domestic violence because together, we can make a difference. It starts with all of us listening, believing, and standing beside those in need.