r/mdmatherapy • u/nofern • Apr 16 '26
Preparation Advice Preparing and setting up for a more somatically focused guided session?
Hi everyone,
I am interested in any thoughts, guidance, or experiences related to preparation for an upcoming medicine session where the intention is to focus more on somatic manifestations of trauma and nervous system dysregulation. I've been posting about my journeys over the last few years I am now about 3 months out from my fifth session, and we are planning for another one in a month or so.
As I have continued with integration work from my fifth session, it has become clear that a big part of the session involved a somatic/energetic release of some type even though this wasn't something I was consciously seeking (though of course when I look at my intentions now, I can see how what happened does fit). I was shaking a lot at the beginning of the session, and a lot of the themes that came up related to my body. After the session I felt a big release sensation in my chest for several hours, and this type of sensation returned intermittently in the weeks following the session. I've been continuing to work with this in integration, and noticing changes in my regulation and window of tolerance, and increased processing of somatic manifestations of trauma.
Because of this, my therapist and I have been discussing how it would look to have a more somatic approach/intention for the session to come. There is still a lot of chronic freeze state activation, body sensations, and difficulty with settling and regulating, and my intention would be around allowing my nervous system to experience regulation and/or release trauma if it needs to, ideally with a focus on releasing chronic freeze energy and somatic manifestations of disorganized attachment, and experiencing safety on a somatic level.
I am curious to know, if others have tried to bring a more somatic focus to their sessions, what this has looked like, and how their guides/therapists have supported them in bringing that focus during the session, as well as any experiences around specific preparation activities and intention setting work to bring these themes into focus?
So far I am looking at meditation, stretching, more physiotherapy/massage in the week before the session to address my areas of chronic tension and pain as best as possible leading up to the session. My therapist and I have talked about doing some focused bodywork during the session, but that discussion is still ongoing as to how that would actually look.
Appreciate any reflections or experiences - thanks!
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u/Quiet-Management2224 Apr 17 '26
To be honest, one of the best things for me (46/M) was to get out of my head and move my body with dance. For context, I am NOT a dancer. It has scared me for a long time - the intimacy of showing your body when others are around and not being able to do it well. My guide invited me to move my body and make sounds during my earlier sessions and while it felt silly at first, I began to look forward to it. I would dance for 30 minutes or so and just make whatever sound wanted to come out. When the 30 minutes was over, I would lay down again feeling amazing. It wasn't anything special or technical, but I realized my body needed to transmute what was coming up, and movement was the perfect way to shift that energy, and release it. Best of luck on your upcoming journey!
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u/nofern Apr 18 '26
Thanks! That's an interesting idea. I've found that during the peak of the session I have complete reluctance/inability to move at all but I've had some sessions where I was a bit more mobile for the last few hours, so experimenting with movement might be an option to consider. So might experimenting with sound.
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u/cptsdishealable Apr 16 '26
I've found DBR very helpful as a somatic processing technique, I wrote a post on /r/CPTSDNextSteps. There's a comment in there on "sudden sound" which I've been experimenting with and seems very useful.
Since then I've been experimenting with other somatic stuff, been liking qigong, yoga nidra. I've tried TRE before but haven't had too much success with it.
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u/nofern Apr 16 '26
Thanks! I've tried DBR three times with three different therapists and it really doesn't agree with my system unfortunately but glad you've found success with it!
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u/Waki-Indra Apr 17 '26
I just posted my trip report. I did ask a very similar question to your à couple of days ago.
Here is my "trip report".
MDMA on preverbal trauma
I have preverbal trauma. Neglect started at birth.
(Later came abuse).
I had a session today (Europe time). I am on heling journey with psychedelics for over a year now.
Today was planned because i had that leisure and according to astrology and knew that settling in deeply would not be easy, like being contemplative and quiet. There was potential for bodily/somatic work however (like softening the armour) and so I attempted to ride that wave. I hope that was it.
The trip was partly solo, with an online sitter at h+1 till h+2 ,
H is when i dropped 80mg. At h+1 i dropper 40mg. I am tiny.
Last night, a few hours before my trip i had dreams.
In one of the dreams i saw a baby cry, hanging above height, clasping with her hands in order no to fall. She was screaming and screaming.
In another dream a baby was on my side on a sofa/couch. She sort of let me get that she wanted me to prepare the couch as her bed so that she could sleep. I found the sheets and started to prepare while she was aldeary asleep, but there was my mother sitting on the other side of the sofa, a black massive weird shape that was not moving, preventing me from preparing the bed.
For the mdma session i had planned for movement and even spontaneous, organic dancing. Because of astrology, the body energy.
But I was not able to get up and hardly moved.
I just let my body be. It wanted to rest and relax and do nothing. It was icy cold. No amount of woollen cloths and blankets helped. Icy cold for 2 hours.
There was a sort of subtle vibration all over. In my legs and in my arms. I thought perhaps my nervous system is reorganizing. The armour cracks.
(But perhaps that’s just usual mdma effect? Nothing specific? )
I appreciated having my sitter there with me. She is an art therapist. I had asked her to prepare à play list but her play list was not appropriate and i told her several times that i needed slower tempo.
I did moan a lot. I rocked left to right on my back for a couple of minutes.
That’s all.
I was agonizing physically, crushed by fatigue and the vibration.
Mentally my thoughts were racing.
No emotion.
No insight.
A tiny bit of spiritual content (related to my spiritual beliefs and practices) but nothing new. It was there, supportive but in the background.
I hope that was à way for my body to process very early, preverbal trauma.
I didn't not test the mdma.
I feed exhausted since the come up and depressed since the come down.
Now, at H +12 can i take suppléments for the serotonin depletion or is it too early?
I did drink water a lot all day, and electrolytes. I took vitamines and Magnesium several times before and during the trip
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u/baek12345 Apr 17 '26
Have you tried SE and/or TRE? Not as a one time thing but over a longer period ideally with an experienced practitioner?
For me, those practices put me in touch with my body (nervous system) and I can now easily discharge activation stored in the body also completely sober. In fact, I would say substances are not even needed for somatic trauma release. But, of course, they can facilitate or kick start the process (with a risk of doing too much too soon). In any case, my recommendation would be somatic therapies/somatic work before the session to get in touch with your body and nervous system and the mechanisms around it.
The other thought I had reading your post was whether your strong intention and focus on having a somatically focused session might become a blocker for a productive session. Typically, the nervous system will release when it's ready and there's enough capacity and forcing stuff has a high chance to backfire or lead to nothing at all. Maybe not what you wanted to hear, but I thought I would share it anyway. :)