Prior to Trauma Touch Therapy with Shea, I had employed every imaginable resource to deal with post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and depression. I leaned into my faith, journaled, and meditated. I changed my eating habits, exercised, practiced yoga, and lost fifty pounds. I used holy basil and magnesium supplements and essential oils for aromatherapy and benefited from music therapy. I gardened and absorbed nature's energy. I accepted support from my family and tried virtual psychotherapy. While all of these things offered some comfort, the peace would last only as long as the action. It was not until I integrated Trauma Touch Therapy that I realized I'd been doing so much of what I thought my body needed without actually listening to determine what my body wanted.

​

I vividly recall my first session with Shea. We did an exercise to determine my boundaries. She encouraged me to envision my boundary, which looked like something out of Vincent Ward's motion picture What Dreams May Come, starring Robin Williams. I would later use art therapy to showcase that vision (as seen in the picture included with my testimonial). She then tested my boundary sensitivity. This revealed that I picked up on energy from far distances. I must admit, I was very skeptical about the therapy in the first session. The morning after, I awoke with such heightened environmental awareness that I thought I had COVID. Except, I had not lost sense of smell or taste, but rather things looked, smelled, and tasted different. Lights shined brighter during my pre-dawn commute. I learned that a coping mechanism response to trauma is disassociation. I was going through life numb to everything in hopes of avoiding pain. Through Trauma Touch Therapy, Shea renewed my awareness so that I could adequately experience and fully process situations, preventing future trauma storage. 

​

The therapy is very personalized, and Shea's practice offers a variety of settings. Shea's feng shui therapy room is expansive. It's filled with beautiful art, textile rugs, stones, yoga mats, a massage table, comfy blankets, sturdy chairs, and aromatherapy. Several large windows allow plenty of natural light. You will also have access to a courtyard to absorb the sun's rays and fresh air. Most sessions allow you to thrive in these environments as you listen to your body. Depending upon your needs, Shea acts as a quiet observer, empowering your boundaries, validating your experience, or offering assistance in therapeutic touch. 

 

My body's physical requests were usually pressure point focused and unilateral throughout my therapy. Some of my requests were bizarre. Shea confirmed that my body was testing my willingness and investment in listening to and responding to it when I voiced this. One of the first and frequent requests was pressure applied to the pinna of my ear. Trauma release came in multiple forms. Sometimes it was a warm or tingling, radiating sensation. Other times it felt like a release of pressure. Other times my eyes would drain, but it was almost always unilateral. For example, it appeared that I was crying from one eye. It is difficult to understand and explain, even though I'm sure that Shea explained and talked me through everything I was somatically experiencing. All sessions would end with a debrief and a quiet walk around the campus to reintegrate. 

 

It was possibly the second week of therapy, and I was transitioning from a stressful day. I recall telling myself, "That was a really stressful day, but you made it through." I remember asking myself, "are you in your body? Good, because your body is leaving this place, and so should you." I said these things to myself because, during our sessions, Shea would always ask, "are you in your body?" I was so proud of myself and blown away by this new empowerment. Talk about not allowing my mind to dwell in those stressful circumstances!

 

After several sessions, I integrated this practice outside of therapy, listening to my body and responding to its needs. I noticed a heightened self-awareness and decreased sensitivity to other people's [negative] energy. Negative energy has less of an impact. I also gained the ability to process negative experiences and at a rapid rate! I no longer fixate and harp over negative experiences, and what freedom that is!! I used to read into every encounter and relive situations or process them with my husband. Now find that potentially traumatic experiences no longer pose a threat or are quickly processed so that I forget about them almost immediately. Things that used to be a big deal are not. Essentially, I no longer "sweat the small stuff," and I am no longer imprisoned by the big stuff. I am more sensitive to my body's needs. I have created healthy boundaries to protect it and am more attuned to respond and provide somatic release of trauma. I have abundant gratitude for Shea's delivery of Trauma Touch Therapy which has equipped me with the tools and skills to heal and be better for not only myself but my family and loved ones.