Psychotherapy and TRE

TRE can complement professional psychotherapy, creating synergy between somatic and psychological approaches to healing. The body releases what words sometimes cannot reach. Different therapeutic traditions offer different points of integration with TRE.

Humanistic and Experiential Approaches

Humanistic therapies emphasise present-moment experience, the therapeutic relationship, and the client's inherent capacity for growth. These approaches are particularly well-suited to integration with TRE because they already value embodied experience and trust the organism's wisdom.

Person-Centred Therapy

Developed by Carl Rogers, person-centred therapy emphasises unconditional positive regard, empathy, and the client's self-directed healing capacity.

Natural fit with TRE:

• Both trust the organism's innate healing wisdom
• Both are non-directive—the body/client leads
• TRE's emphasis on self-regulation mirrors person-centred respect for autonomy
• The felt sense explored in therapy deepens through body awareness from TRE

Integration:

• TRE practice between sessions supports the self-actualising tendency
• Body awareness enhances access to the "organismic valuing process" Rogers described
• Therapist's unconditional regard extends to whatever arises somatically

Gestalt Therapy

Gestalt therapy, developed by Fritz Perls, emphasises present-moment awareness, embodiment, and completing "unfinished business."

Natural fit with TRE:

• Gestalt already works extensively with the body
• Both emphasise awareness of present-moment sensation
• TRE can help complete the "unfinished gestures" Gestalt identifies
• The tremor mechanism naturally supports Gestalt's focus on organismic self-regulation

Integration:

• Gestalt techniques (empty chair, body awareness) prepare the ground for TRE
• TRE can complete what Gestalt work surfaces
• Both practices support moving from "aboutism" to direct experience

Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy

Eugene Gendlin's Focusing approach works directly with the "felt sense"—the body's subtle, holistic knowing about a situation.

Natural fit with TRE:

• Both work with pre-verbal, bodily knowing
• Focusing develops the interoceptive awareness that deepens TRE practice
• TRE can release what Focusing contacts
• Both trust the body's wisdom

Integration:

• Focusing before TRE helps identify what wants attention
• TRE after Focusing allows physical release of what was accessed
• The "felt shift" in Focusing may be supported by somatic release

See also Focusing for detailed integration guidance.

Existential Therapy

Existential therapy addresses fundamental questions of meaning, freedom, death, and isolation. While seemingly abstract, existential themes are deeply embodied.

How TRE complements:

• Anxiety about existence often manifests as chronic body tension
• Embodiment grounds abstract existential exploration
• Releasing held tension can shift one's relationship to existential concerns
• The body's aliveness accessed through TRE counters existential numbness

Integration:

• Existential exploration in therapy; embodiment practice through TRE
• Body awareness brings existential themes into lived experience
• TRE can help release the "existential anxiety" held in the body

Cognitive and Behavioural Approaches

Cognitive therapies work primarily with thoughts, beliefs, and behaviours. While TRE works at a different level (body/nervous system), the two approaches can complement each other effectively.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thought patterns and behaviours.

How TRE complements CBT:

CBT Focus	TRE Contribution
Cognitive restructuring	Body-based grounding makes new thoughts more accessible
Behavioural activation	Nervous system regulation supports motivation and action
Anxiety management	Somatic release addresses the physical component of anxiety
Exposure work	TRE helps discharge activation from exposure exercises

Why this combination works:

• CBT addresses the cognitive dimension; TRE addresses the somatic
• Some clients find cognitive work easier after somatic release
• TRE can help when CBT alone plateaus
• Body awareness adds depth to thought monitoring

Integration:

• Use TRE to reduce baseline activation, making CBT techniques more accessible
• After challenging CBT sessions, TRE can help process residual activation
• Body awareness from TRE can help identify thoughts through their physical signatures

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

ACT emphasises psychological flexibility, acceptance, mindfulness, and values-based action.

Natural alignment with TRE:

• Both emphasise acceptance rather than control
• ACT's mindfulness component develops body awareness
• TRE embodies the "willingness" ACT cultivates
• Both support being present with difficult experience

Integration:

• ACT's defusion techniques help with thoughts that arise during TRE
• TRE provides direct experience of "acceptance" at the body level
• Values clarification in ACT can inform how TRE practice is integrated into life

Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

DBT, developed by Marsha Linehan, combines cognitive-behavioural techniques with mindfulness and acceptance. It's particularly effective for emotional dysregulation.

How TRE supports DBT:

DBT Module	TRE Contribution
Distress tolerance	TRE builds nervous system capacity for activation
Emotion regulation	Somatic release supports emotional processing
Mindfulness	Body awareness deepens present-moment attention
Interpersonal effectiveness	Regulated nervous system supports better relating

Integration:

• TRE as a distress tolerance skill (when appropriate—coordinate with DBT therapist)
• Body awareness enhances the "observe" and "describe" mindfulness skills
• TRE between DBT sessions supports integration

Coordination Required

If you're in DBT treatment, coordinate TRE practice with your DBT therapist. DBT is often used for significant emotional dysregulation, and TRE should be introduced carefully within that context.

Psychodynamic Approaches

Psychodynamic therapies explore unconscious processes, early experiences, and relationship patterns. TRE can support this work by accessing material held in the body.

Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Therapy

How TRE complements:

• The body holds what the mind has repressed
• Somatic release can surface unconscious material for exploration
• TRE can access pre-verbal, early developmental material
• Physical release supports working through emotional content

Integration:

• Material arising in TRE can be explored in therapy
• Therapy provides container for understanding somatic experiences
• Body awareness adds dimension to transference exploration
• TRE between sessions supports ongoing processing

Considerations:

• Discuss TRE with your therapist; some psychodynamic practitioners prefer to work without outside interventions
• Be prepared to bring TRE experiences into sessions
• The combination can accelerate access to deep material—ensure adequate therapeutic support

Attachment-Focused Therapy

Attachment-focused approaches address early relational patterns and their impact on current functioning.

How TRE supports attachment work:

• Attachment patterns are encoded in the body
• The nervous system holds early relational experiences
• TRE can release held attachment activation
• Co-regulation in TRE (with provider or partner) mirrors healthy attachment

Integration:

• TRE practice can surface attachment-related material
• Therapy provides relational container for processing
• Working with a TRE provider offers corrective relational experience
• Body awareness helps identify attachment activation in real-time

Trauma-Focused Therapies

These therapies specifically address trauma and work well with TRE's nervous system focus.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)

EMDR processes traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation and structured protocols.

How They Work Together
Both involve bilateral elements and nervous system processing
EMDR addresses psychological aspects; TRE releases trauma held in the body
Together they provide comprehensive trauma processing
TRE between EMDR sessions supports integration

Somatic Experiencing (SE)

SE, developed by Peter Levine, is a body-based trauma therapy focusing on completing interrupted defensive responses.

How They Work Together
SE and TRE share theoretical foundations
Both recognise trauma's storage in the nervous system
Both emphasise titration and gradual processing
TRE can help complete cycles that SE identifies
Many SE practitioners incorporate or recommend TRE

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy integrates body-oriented interventions with cognitive and emotional processing.

How They Work Together
Both work with the body's wisdom and movement
TRE provides a home practice component
Both address trauma at the somatic level
Sensorimotor techniques can be applied during TRE

Parts Work

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS, developed by Richard Schwartz, works with the different "parts" of our psyche—protective parts, wounded parts (exiles), and the core Self.

How TRE supports IFS:

• Releasing what parts hold: Parts often hold tension in the body. TRE can release this physical holding.
• Accessing parts through the body: Body sensations during TRE may signal parts wanting attention.
• Self-energy access: The regulated state after TRE supports access to Self energy.
• Integration: TRE helps integrate shifts achieved in IFS sessions.

How IFS supports TRE:

• Understanding what arises: When emotions surface during TRE, IFS provides a framework for understanding.
• Working with resistance: Protective parts may resist tremoring. IFS can help these parts feel safe enough to allow release.
• Processing content: Material that surfaces during TRE can be explored in IFS sessions.

Practical integration:

1. IFS session: Work with parts, understand their concerns
2. TRE practice: Allow physical release of what was accessed
3. Integration: Rest and allow settling
4. Reflection: Notice what shifted in body and parts

Or reverse: use TRE to access material, then IFS to understand it.

Other Parts-Based Approaches

Voice Dialogue, ego state therapy, and other parts-based approaches similarly benefit from TRE's somatic dimension. The body often holds what parts carry, and release at the somatic level supports parts work.

Integrating TRE with Your Therapy

Practical Considerations

Timing:

• Some find TRE before therapy sessions opens them up
• Others find TRE after sessions helps integrate the work
• Experiment to find what works for you

Communication:

• Inform your therapist about your TRE practice
• Share relevant experiences from practice
• Ask if they're open to incorporating somatic awareness
• Bring TRE experiences into sessions when relevant

When to coordinate closely:

Situation	Why Coordinate
Significant trauma history	Ensure both practices are paced appropriately
Strong emotions during TRE	Therapist can help process content
Stuck in therapy	TRE may help break through, but discuss approach
Complex mental health conditions	Professional oversight ensures safety

Finding the Right Therapist

Helpful qualifications:

• Trauma-informed training
• Somatic awareness or body-based training
• Experience with experiential approaches
• Openness to complementary practices

Questions to ask:

• Are you familiar with somatic approaches to healing?
• How do you view the relationship between body and mind in therapy?
• Are you open to clients who use body-based practices like TRE?
• How might we integrate my TRE practice with our work together?

Particularly compatible training:

• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
• Hakomi
• Gestalt therapy
• Focusing-oriented therapy
• EMDR
• IFS

Professional Collaboration

For best results, inform your therapist about your TRE practice. Many therapists welcome somatic approaches and can integrate them into your treatment plan. The combination of verbal processing and somatic release often accelerates and deepens the work.

Listen to Your System

There's no single right approach. Experiment to find what serves you. The goal is integration—allowing insights from therapy and releases from TRE to inform and support each other.