173: Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) Listener Favorite

🎙 Recognizing & Touching Trauma (with Dr. Peter Levine) By popular demand! Originally aired as Episode 108, Til’s conversation with Dr. Peter Levine quickly became one of our most listened-to episodes ever — and it’s easy to hear why. The developer of Somatic Experiencing®, bestselling author of *Waking the Tiger*, and student of Ida Rolf shares how trauma lives in the body, how hands-on practitioners can recognize it, and how we can be most helpful when it shows up on our tables. Whether you missed it the first time or you’re ready for a second listen, this one rewards a revisit. ✨ Topics: • How bodyworkers can recognize trauma as it’s held in the body — bracing, breath holding, and the “snapshot” of past responses • The vagus nerve and gut-brain feedback loops: why 80% of its fibers carry signals from body to brain, and how to send the “all clear” • What wild animals and NASA astronauts taught Dr. Levine about resilience and bouncing back • Why pushing too hard backfires: “talking to the shoulders” with patient, supportive touch instead of forcing change • Dr. Levine’s evolving view that Ida Rolf was “largely correct” about fascia — and how nervous system and tissue work fit together • The four women who shaped his work: Charlotte Selver, Magda Proskauer, Ida Rolf, and Mira Rothenberg • Trauma as “what happens in the absence of an empathetic other” — and how practitioners create relative safety • Scope of practice: where bodyworkers’ trauma work ends and psychotherapy begins • Healing rituals, shamanic traditions, and why community matters in trauma recovery • Practitioner self-care, burnout, and Dr. Levine’s end-of-day river ritual ✨ Resources: • Somatic Experiencing® International — trainings and practitioner directory: https://www.somaticexperiencing.com • Peter A. Levine, *Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma* • Peter A. Levine, *An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey* • Mira Rothenberg, *Children with Emerald Eyes* 🌱 Sponsor Offers: • Jane – Try the Jane practice management app free for one month with code *THINKING1MO* at https://a-t.tv/jane • Deep Roots Massage & Bodywork – Save 10% on continuing education with code *THINKING* at https://deeprootsmb.com • ABMP – Save $24 on new membership at https://abmp.com/thinking • Books of Discovery – Save 15% with code *thinking* at https://booksofdiscovery.com/ • Advanced-Trainings – Try one month free of the A-T Subscription with code *thinking* at https://a-t.tv/subscriptions/ • Academy of Clinical Massage – Grab Whitney’s free Assessment Cheat Sheet at https://academyofclinicalmassage.com/cheatsheet ✨ Watch the video / connect with us: • Whitney Lowe – https://academyofclinicalmassage.com | https://facebook.com/WhitneyLowe | https://twitter.com/whitneylowe | https://www.youtube.com/@whitlowe • Til Luchau – https://advanced-trainings.com | https://facebook.com/advancedtrainings | https://instagram.com/til.luchau | https://www.youtube.com/@AdvancedTrainings/podcasts 📧 Email us: [info@thethinkingpractitioner.com](mailto:info@thethinkingpractitioner.com) *The Thinking Practitioner Podcast is intended for professional practitioners of manual and movement therapies — bodywork, massage therapy, structural integration, physical therapy, osteopathy, and similar professions. It is not medical or treatment advice. Rolfing® is a registered trademark of the Dr. Ida Rolf Institute.*