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About This Guide

Purpose​

This TRE™ Guide provides comprehensive, accessible information about Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises for individuals seeking to understand and practice this powerful somatic healing method.

The guide aims to:

  • Make TRE knowledge freely available to anyone interested in body-based healing
  • Provide thorough instruction while emphasising safety and self-regulation
  • Bridge the gap between academic understanding and practical application
  • Support both newcomers and experienced practitioners
  • Complement (not replace) working with certified TRE providers

Who This Guide Is For​

  • Beginners curious about TRE and somatic approaches to healing
  • Practitioners looking to deepen their understanding and refine their practice
  • Healthcare professionals wanting to understand TRE for their clients/patients
  • Anyone interested in body-based approaches to stress, trauma, and nervous system regulation

How to Use This Guide​

If You're New to TRE​

  1. Start with the Quick Start Guide
  2. Read through Foundations to understand the principles
  3. Work through the Practice section systematically
  4. Prioritise the Safety section
  5. Return to Resources when you're ready to deepen your practice

If You Have Experience​

If You're a Professional​

What This Guide Is Not​

  • Not a substitute for working with a certified TRE provider, especially for those with significant trauma history
  • Not medical or therapeutic advice – always consult qualified healthcare professionals
  • Not official training for becoming a TRE provider
  • Not affiliated with TRE for All, Inc. or Dr. David Berceli (though based on the TRE method they developed)

For official TRE information, certification training, and provider directories, visit traumaprevention.com.

Approach and Philosophy​

Safety First: Self-regulation and working within your window of tolerance are paramount. We emphasise containment and stopping techniques before exploring intensity.

Body Wisdom: We trust that the body has innate healing intelligence. TRE is about creating conditions for what the body already knows how to do.

Accessibility: Information should be freely available. While certified providers are invaluable, the basic knowledge of TRE should be accessible to all.

Integration: TRE is one tool among many. We encourage exploration of complementary practices and professional support when needed.

Science-Informed: We draw on polyvagal theory, neuroscience, and somatic psychology while acknowledging that body-based practices often outpace formal research.

Sources and Influences​

This guide draws on:

  • Official TRE methodology developed by Dr. David Berceli
  • Polyvagal theory (Stephen Porges)
  • Somatic Experiencing (Peter Levine)
  • Trauma research (Bessel van der Kolk, Gabor Maté, and others)
  • Steve Haines' accessible guides to trauma, pain, and the body
  • Clinical experience from the broader somatic therapy community
  • Publicly available TRE research and case studies

For further reading and research, see the Resources section.

Contributors​

  • Gianluca Campanella – Main author; certified TRE provider
  • Claude (Anthropic) – AI assistant for content organisation, formatting, and editing

Acknowledgments​

  • Dr. David Berceli for developing TRE and making it accessible worldwide
  • The TRE for All Foundation for supporting global TRE education
  • Certified TRE providers who do the essential work of teaching and supporting practitioners
  • Researchers investigating somatic approaches to trauma and healing
  • Pioneers in somatic psychology and trauma treatment whose work informs this guide

License​

This guide is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0).

You are free to:

  • Share – copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format
  • Adapt – remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially

Under the following terms:

  • Attribution – You must give appropriate credit, provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made
  • ShareAlike – If you remix, transform, or build upon the material, you must distribute your contributions under the same license

Version​

Current Version: 1.0 Last Updated: December 2024

For Official TRE Information: traumaprevention.com

For Research: See Scientific Research