Somatic Healing & Trauma-Informed Practices

These books and tools focus on how trauma is stored in the body and provide practical strategies for healing through movement, mindfulness, and body awareness, particularly for Black, Indigenous, and women of color.

Books on Somatic Healing & Trauma Recovery

1. "The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living" – Hillary L. McBride, Ph.D.

   • Explores how reconnecting with the body can heal emotional wounds, improve self-esteem, and create deep resilience.

2. "Embodied Healing: Survivor and Facilitator Voices from the Practice of Trauma-Sensitive Yoga" – Jenn Turner

   • A guide to using trauma-sensitive yoga for deep healing, with personal stories from survivors and practitioners.

3. "Reclaiming Your Body: Healing from Trauma and Awakening to Your Body’s Wisdom" – Suzanne Scurlock-Durana

   • Helps trauma survivors listen to their bodies to release fear, pain, and emotional blocks.

4. "Call of the Wild: How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Power, and Use It for Good" – Kimberly Ann Johnson

   • Focuses on women’s unique nervous system responses to trauma and how to regulate stress, restore energy, and reclaim personal power.

5. "To Be Heard: A Story About Imperfect Love" – Autumn Bensette

   • A deeply personal memoir that explores how generational trauma is carried in the body and provides guidance on how to break cycles of pain.

Workbooks & Guided Practices for Body-Based Healing

6. "The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole" – Arielle Schwartz, Ph.D.

   • A trauma-informed workbook that guides survivors through somatic healing practices and nervous system regulation.

7. "The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy: Engaging the Rhythm of Regulation" – Deb Dana

   • Uses Polyvagal Theory to explain how the nervous system processes trauma and provides practical exercises for calming the body and restoring balance.

8. "The Somatic Therapy Workbook: A Guide to Healing Trauma Through Body Awareness and Regulation" – Livia Shapiro

   • A hands-on workbook that teaches somatic exercises to release stored trauma and rewire the nervous system.

Nervous System Regulation & Embodiment Practices

9. "Radical Belonging: How to Survive and Thrive in an Unjust World (While Transforming It for the Better)" – Lindo Bacon, Ph.D.

   • Explores how trauma, oppression, and exclusion impact the nervous system, offering tools for restoring a sense of safety in the body.

10. "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" – James Nestor

    • Examines how breathing techniques can regulate the nervous system, reduce stress, and promote trauma recovery.

11. "Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory" – Deb Dana

    • A beginner-friendly guide to using body-based techniques to move from survival mode to a state of balance and safety.

Online Tools & Community Resources for Somatic Healing

12. The Embody Lab (www.theembodylab.com)

    • Offers courses and workshops on somatic healing, nervous system regulation, and trauma recovery.

13. Heal Haus (www.healhaus.com)

    • A wellness platform specifically designed for BIPOC communities, offering yoga, meditation, and trauma-sensitive healing practices.

14. The Resmaa Menakem Network (www.resmaa.com)

    • Focuses on racialized trauma and includes somatic healing practices for individuals and communities.

15. Mindful + Melanated (https://mindfulandmelanated.com/)

    • A community empowering black women to lead healthy, balanced lives.

16. The NARM Training Institute (www.narmtraining.com)

    • Specializes in NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM) therapy, a body-based approach to healing from developmental and relational trauma.