If you have experienced physical, mental, or sexual violence, you may suffer from a range of symptoms that can deeply impact your mental and physical well-being. Common symptoms include anxiety, sleep disturbances, constant hypervigilance, traumatic flashbacks, depression, low self-esteem, or difficulty establishing trust. These effects can last long after the traumatic events.
Alongside psychotherapy, various techniques can help you regain a sense of well-being and move forward on your path to healing and recovery. Here’s an overview of options with therapist Nadège Gavillet.
A FEW EXERCISES TO TRY AT HOME
Whichever exercise you choose, it’s important to take a few deep breaths before you begin, to centre yourself in the here and now. Ready?
Heart coherence
Heart coherence is a widely used breathing technique to reduce anxiety and improve mental well-being. Very easy to implement, this practice involves regulating your heart rate through controlled, steady breathing. During the exercise, usually lasting a few minutes, breathe deeply through your nose, expanding your abdomen rather than your chest, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Placing a hand on your abdomen as you breathe can help maintain effective abdominal breathing.
This method can be practised unaided or with an app like “Respirelax+” or “Petit BamBou”, which guides inhalation and exhalation timing, session length, and provides calming melodies.
Practising heart coherence daily can help you regain calm and emotional balance.
Meditation
Meditation is a powerful relaxation technique that can significantly reduce stress and anxiety. By allowing the brain a moment of calm, meditation not only promotes physical relaxation but also aids in processing accumulated information. The brain has the ability to store everything it perceives, but stress can block clear thinking. Meditation provides a space where the brain can release this accumulated stress.
There are many forms of meditation readily available online or via apps, each with its own variations and specific techniques. The key is to find a method that resonates with you personally, whether through its themes or the atmosphere it creates.
At its core, meditation is about actively listening to and accepting the thoughts that come and go. Rather than clinging to these thoughts or analysing them obsessively, you let them pass naturally, like clouds in the sky. You welcome each thought with compassion and let it drift away as gently as a butterfly.
This practice aims to keep the mind as free as possible. By providing a path back to yourself and a state of inner calm, meditation is a valuable tool for managing post-traumatic symptoms.
Self-hypnosis
Self-hypnosis is a powerful technique, similar to meditation, that facilitates a return to oneself, allowing thoughts and emotions to surface and be released. This form of guided meditation is usually goal-oriented, such as breaking free from a toxic relationship, reducing anxiety, grounding yourself, or increasing self-confidence. In contrast, meditation primarily focuses on physical relaxation and general mental calmness.
In practice, self-hypnosis allows you to enter a state of deep relaxation, where the subconscious becomes more accessible and receptive to positive suggestions. This method promotes inner transformation and helps to overcome various personal obstacles. Whether through self-taught techniques or guided recordings, self-hypnosis offers an effective way to work on oneself, release accumulated tension, and restore mental and emotional balance.
Visualisation
Often used in meditation or self-hypnosis, visualisation is a technique that, through mental projection, allows you to prepare for a situation by visualising it in advance, feeling what it would be like “to be there,” and imagining how you would handle it. By mentally creating a scene as close to reality as possible, you prepare your mind to experience this situation later. This exercise helps reduce anxiety and stress, as the brain treats this simulation as a real experience, helping you feel more at ease and confident when the situation actually arises.
This technique can also be used to address unresolved issues. In the context of loss, whether of a person or a closed chapter, visualisation allows you to imagine a conversation with the person concerned. This might involve saying things you wouldn’t otherwise be able to say, either because the person is not ready to hear them or because they are no longer there. In cases of violence, visualisation can allow you to “speak to your aggressor,” providing a way to express unresolved feelings and thoughts.
By helping the brain process information in this way, visualisation provides emotional release as if you had actually lived through the situation. It thereby facilitates the grieving process and helps you find peace in the face of difficult events, bringing a sense of closure and inner calm.
Bilateral stimulation
Inspired by EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing, practised with a therapist), bilateral stimulation through alternating contact is an effective technique for inducing deep relaxation and promoting a more intense inner focus. It involves creating alternating contact between the left and right sides of the body, similar to a rhythmic sway in the brain, akin to a metronome. This method leads the brain into a state of semi-hypnosis (altered consciousness).
This exercise is preferably done while lying down or sitting. Place your hands on your thighs and begin tapping alternately left, right, left, right, with a tap about every half-second. Continue this rhythm for at least five minutes. You can also perform alternating contact on your shoulders (the “butterfly hug”).
This practice calms the mind and paves the way for deeper meditation or visualisation activities. By helping achieve an inner state of calm, it’s also useful for falling asleep. Don’t hesitate to use it if you have trouble drifting off!
Creating a protective bubble
Creating a protective bubble is a visualisation technique that mentally prepares you for a stressful situation. You can use it daily or occasionally before an important meeting.
After taking a few deep breaths to ground yourself in the present moment, close your eyes. Now imagine a small golden light within your heart, a golden light that grows with each breath, expanding from the size of a grain of rice to an apricot, then a melon… A golden light that continues to grow until it extends beyond your body, surrounding you completely.
Now you are nestled within your bubble. Focus on its beautiful golden light, a bright, soothing light. Visualise it clearly. It lets in all positive energy, but its powerful light also acts as a shield, blocking negative energies from reaching you. Imagine its strength and know that it will remain with you throughout the day. Take a few more deep breaths, then gently open your eyes.
Your bubble will help you gain confidence and serenity.
Creating a safe haven
Creating a mental refuge is a valuable technique for protecting yourself from moments of stress or anxiety. Ideally, this process is done with a therapist who can guide you to make it a richer experience. However, it is possible to create this refuge on your own.
To start, enter a state of altered consciousness using techniques like bilateral stimulation, meditation, or heart coherence. This state is conducive to creating your mental refuge.
Choose a place. It can be a real location where you feel safe and comfortable or a completely imaginary place. Take the time to choose this space carefully.
Immerse yourself in the place. Visualise it in detail. Imagine the colours, shapes, smells, sounds, and temperature of this place. Let your senses explore this space until it feels real and soothing.
Create an anchor. Choose two fingers on one of your hands, such as your thumb and another finger, and touch them together. While immersed in your safe haven, mentally associate this anchoring gesture with the sense of security and calm you feel.
Reinforce the link. Repeat the exercise, visualising the place and reactivating the touch between your two fingers until the connection is firmly established.
When you’re ready, gently release your fingers and mentally leave your refuge.
From now on, each time you use this anchoring gesture by touching these two fingers, you will quickly reconnect with your safe haven, finding a state of serenity and calm.
Emotional release
Unlike the previous techniques, which are practised in an altered state of consciousness, emotional release exercises are performed in a normal state of awareness. This method focuses on introspection to address deep-seated emotions.
Here are some examples of emotional release exercises:
Writing a letter – If, for example, you feel guilt, you might write a letter to your “victimised self.” You could also write a letter to your aggressor without sending it. This act of writing can help you express and process painful feelings and deep emotions.
Messages in a jar – Create a ritual by making a jar and placing messages on small slips of paper inside. No one will read what’s inside, but this practice allows you to materialise and release your emotions.
Writing on a stone – Write what’s on your mind on a stone, then throw it into the water. This symbolic gesture also helps materialise and release your emotions.
Talking to a tree – Choose a tree and spend a moment talking to it, sharing your thoughts and emotions. This symbolic exercise provides a safe space for expressing your feelings.
Some techniques, like the “stick figures” method, are sometimes used for abrupt emotional disconnection. However, it’s often better to find ways to release emotions without completely severing emotional ties.
The important thing is to find an exercise that inspires you and helps you release your emotions and feel better.
OTHER THERAPEUTIC APPROACHES
Therapeutic support is invaluable for anyone suffering from post-traumatic symptoms. Although it doesn’t replace psychological or psychiatric care, it offers complementary approaches that can be very beneficial. Unlike psychological care, which is often more introspective, these approaches are generally more active and concrete, promoting proactive involvement in your healing process.
Each individual is unique, and therapeutic approaches should be adapted to your specific needs and pace. In addition to traditional methods, there is a range of other therapies that can provide valuable support. Here are some examples:
Acupuncture • A practice from Chinese medicine aimed at restoring the body’s energy balance through fine needles inserted at specific points.
Aromatherapy • Using essential oils to promote physical and mental well-being.
Art therapy • Using creative arts to explore and express emotions.
Ayurveda • Traditional Indian medicine based on balancing the doshas (vital energies).
Chromotherapy (colour therapy) • Using coloured LEDs to influence mood and emotions.
Homeopathy • Using diluted natural substances to stimulate the body’s self-healing abilities.
Hypnotherapy • Using hypnosis to access the subconscious and address various issues.
Kinesiology • Using muscle testing to identify and correct physical and emotional imbalances.
Magnet therapy • Using magnetic fields to relieve pain and promote healing.
Therapeutic massage • Manipulating body tissues to relieve pain and muscle tension.
Transcendental meditation • A meditation technique to reach a state of deep relaxation.
Naturopathy • A holistic approach to overall health support using natural methods.
Phytotherapy • Using medicinal plants to treat various ailments.
Reflexology • Stimulating reflex zones on the feet, hands, or ears to improve overall health.
Reiki • A Japanese energy therapy aiming to harmonise the body’s energy.
Tai chi and qi gong • Chinese physical practices combining gentle movements, breathing, and focus to improve health.
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) • A psychotherapeutic approach to modifying problematic thoughts and behaviours.
Sound therapy (music therapy) • Using sounds and music to promote emotional and mental healing.
Bach flower therapy • Using flower essences to balance emotions.
Yoga • A discipline combining postures, breathing, and meditation to promote mental and physical balance.
These methods are, of course, not exhaustive, but they offer a variety of options for everyone to find what suits them best. They can be combined with psychological support for holistic care, providing support both physically and emotionally.