Attention to bodily sensations as markers of the activation of emotional knowledge — tightening, heaviness, trembling, warmth signal implicit material.
Step-by-step guide
- When the client describes the symptom: "Where in the body do you feel it?"
- "What kind of sensation is this? Heaviness? Tightening? Cold? Heat?"
- "If this sensation could speak — what would it say?"
- Use the bodily response as a "compass" toward the emotional knowledge
- When saying the pro-symptom position: "What is happening in the body?"
- A change in bodily sensations is a marker of living and of transformation
When to use
- At any stage — to deepen contact with implicit knowledge
- Especially when verbalization is difficult
Key phrases
Take your mind off the words for a moment. Where is this living in the body? Tightness in the throat, weight in the chest, nothing-in-particular? If that sensation had a sentence, what would it want to say?
Follow-up questions
Does the sensation have a size or a shape?
What does it want — to move, to stay, to speak?
What happens to it when you say the pro-symptom sentence?
Does it move when the contradictory experience is named?
Alternative phrasings
If the body is hard to read, we start with the breath.
If dissociation sets in, we ground before continuing.
Warnings
- ⚠️ The body does not lie. If the words say "I understand" and the body tightens — trust the body.
Source: Ecker, Ticic & Hulley, 2012; Ogden, Minton & Pain, 2006
Materials are informational and educational and summarize publicly available scientific sources. They are not medical or psychological advice, are not intended for self-diagnosis or self-treatment, and do not replace consultation with a qualified professional.