The felt experience
The flashbacks. The hypervigilance. The way certain sounds, smells or situations catapult you back to a moment your body hasn't let go of. The exhaustion of a nervous system that never stands down.
PTSD is the body's protective system operating as though the danger is still present. It's not a failure to move on. It's a nervous system that was never given the chance to complete its response.
What the body is doing
In PTSD, the autonomic nervous system cycles between hyperarousal (sympathetic activation, always alert, easily startled) and shutdown (dorsal vagal collapse, numbness, dissociation, withdrawal). The body is trapped in an incomplete threat response.
Muscular tension, sleep disruption and heightened startle responses are all physiological expressions of this unresolved activation.
What tends to help
PTSD benefits from evidence-based clinical treatment such as EMDR, somatic experiencing or other trauma-focused talking therapies. TRE is not a replacement for these. It is a complementary body-based therapy that can support the process.
TRE can help by giving the nervous system a gentle, self-regulated way to discharge stored activation, working alongside clinical care rather than instead of it.
What TRE looks like for PTSD
Individual sessions only. The work is slow, careful and always within your control. Your provider will prioritise grounding and self-regulation before any sustained tremoring.
If you're currently receiving treatment for PTSD, please discuss adding TRE with your clinician. We're happy to coordinate with your care team.