A revolutionary guide to trauma recovery through healing your nervous system from a renowned Somatic Experiencing practitioner
Brittany Piper spent most of her life sitting across from conventional therapists recalling the painful stories of her trauma. But rehashing each harrowing event-being put into foster care as a baby, losing her brother in a car accident, enduring a brutal rape and a very public trial, and more-made her even more stuck. Her symptoms worsened as she descended into addiction, a hospitalization, and even worse, a jail cell. At a crossroads, she took her recovery into her own hands.
On this journey, Brittany discovered emerging science that explains how and why trauma lives in our bodies, not in the story of what happened to us. Trauma overwhelms our nervous system, which operates through feelings, sensations, and emotions, not through words and thoughts. Brittany began to practice Somatic Experiencing, a pioneering approach rooted in these principles, and within months, her life changed profoundly. Now a Somatic Experiencing practitioner herself, in “Body-First Healing” Brittany provides a roadmap to recovery, resilience, and nervous system regulation.
With encouragement, relatability, and compassion, Brittany gently guides you through somatic practices which aim to help you remove the protective armor of the past and rediscover who you were before trauma. With Brittany, you will learn how to create feelings of safety and regulation, sit with discomfort, and address what's keeping you stuck. Whether you're experiencing anxiety, depression, burnout, or the aftermath of trauma, this groundbreaking book will show you how to become your own best healer.
