The ISITTA Trauma work is an integrative somatic trauma method that includes key practices and mindsets of many elegant methodologies. At this time of chaos and uncertainty, therapists and healers are facing the individual, historical collective mixed with the current world events. We are in a relational field as practitioners of living in current world events and influences that impact our own mental health, nervous system capacities. The lineages of knowledges in ISITTA work are integrated to sustain the practitioners in their healing work.
We acknowledge the influences of Hakomi Mindfulness Somatic Psychotherapy, Relational Psychotherapy, Polyvagal theory, Somatic Experiencing, Internalized Parts work, Movement therapies such as Continuum and Authentic movement, Expressive Arts, Somatic Touch, Attachment theory, Mindfulness awareness and Somatic Buddhist Meditation, Systems thinking, Social Justice awareness of historical and collective impact on society, ancient wisdom shamanic traditions and Embodiment practices.
Manuela has been motivated by the questions: What truly heals trauma? How have we been shaped somatically by trauma experiences? What did we start believing about ourselves and others? How do we sit in relation to deep suffering?
Her discovery was to not rely on one modality alone for treatment answers but to meet the multifaceted experience of the trauma client or group with how humans experience life itself: sensing, feeling, moving, and breathing. It is through these ways of embodiment that we understand our trauma experience and its associated meaning, history, and collective meaning making process. It is through embodied practices in a compassionate relationship with self and others that we can return to the fullness of one’s life.
Even though our human nervous systems are the same, we process fight, flight, freeze, and fawn in similar recognizable ways, yet the individual experiences and expressions are unique. To heal trauma we need to understand how trauma touches every aspect of a person’s life, their body-mind, relationship to spirituality, family, community, society, and identities. We can’t understand the person’s individual trauma without the collective and historical shaping that has occurred, and how it impacts them now. We can’t understand the healing of trauma until we learn to be with the innate wisdom that is deep within the soma.
Manuela’s personal healing path has been through deep immersive somatic journeys, and learning along with each client, diverse students, and group healing over 25 years. Her inquiry is in how to apply healing tools and techniques skillfully in relation to the complexity of being human at this time.
