In relationships and daily life, we often rely on our intuition to guide us, believing it to be a trustworthy inner compass. However, it's crucial to differentiate between genuine intuition and responses rooted in past trauma. Confusing the two can lead to misguided decisions and strained relationships. By incorporating somatic healing practices and Experiential Therapy, like Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), we can learn to distinguish between trauma and intuition, ultimately helping us trust ourselves again.
Understanding Intuition
Intuition is an instinctual sense of knowing that guides us without conscious reasoning. It’s our brain’s way of processing information and experiences to provide quick, gut-level responses. When functioning properly, intuition can be a valuable tool for navigating complex social situations and relationships.
The Impact of Trauma
Trauma leaves deep emotional and physiological imprints on our bodies and minds. Past traumatic experiences can alter how we perceive and react to current situations, creating heightened sensitivity to perceived threats and defensive behaviors. These responses, while protective, can sometimes be mistaken for intuition.
Signs You Might Be Confusing Trauma with Intuition
Intense reactions to minor situations may indicate trauma is influencing your response rather than genuine intuition.
Repeatedly encountering negative patterns in relationships and decisions might signal that trauma, not intuition, is guiding you.
Decisions driven primarily by fear or anxiety are often trauma responses. Genuine intuition tends to feel calm and confident, even when advising caution.
An inability to trust others or a constant expectation of betrayal can stem from past trauma. Intuition can sense red flags, but trauma might see danger where there is none.
Physical symptoms such as increased heart rate, sweating, or a feeling of dread often accompany trauma responses. Intuition, in contrast, typically feels more neutral or positive.
How EFT and Somatic Healing Can Help
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
EFT is an experiential therapy that focuses on creating reparative experiences within relationships. It helps individuals understand and reshape their emotional responses by fostering secure attachments and emotional safety. Here’s how EFT works:
EFT helps you recognize and understand the emotional patterns stemming from past trauma that influence your current behavior and perceptions.
Through guided sessions, EFT creates safe spaces for individuals to express their feelings and experiences, allowing for the healing of old wounds.
EFT works on building secure attachments by addressing underlying fears and insecurities. It helps you develop healthier ways of relating to yourself and others.
The therapy focuses on repairing and strengthening emotional bonds. By experiencing positive, supportive interactions, you can learn to trust your emotions and intuition again.
Somatic Healing
Somatic healing focuses on the connection between the mind and body, using practices that help release stored trauma and restore a sense of safety and trust in your own body and instincts. Here’s how to start:
Pay attention to your bodily sensations. Notice how your body reacts in different situations and what physical cues accompany your emotional responses. This awareness can help distinguish between trauma and intuition.
Grounding techniques, such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindful movement (like yoga or tai chi), can help calm your nervous system and bring you back to the present moment.
This therapeutic approach focuses on relieving the physical tension associated with trauma. Working with a trained therapist, you can safely explore and release these stored energies.
Mindfulness practices can help you stay present and tune into your true intuition. Regular meditation can reduce the noise of anxiety and trauma, allowing genuine intuition to emerge.
Trusting Yourself Again
Reflect on your reactions and decisions. Ask yourself if your feelings are based on present circumstances or if they’re echoes of past experiences.
Keep a journal to document your thoughts, feelings, and decisions. Over time, patterns may emerge that can help you identify whether you’re operating from intuition or trauma.
Be kind to yourself. Healing from trauma is a journey, and it’s okay to make mistakes along the way. Self-compassion nurtures a healthier relationship with your intuition.
Work with a therapist or join a support group to unpack past traumas and understand how they impact your current perceptions. Professional guidance can provide tools to distinguish between trauma responses and intuitive insights.
Establish and maintain healthy boundaries. This can protect you from situations that might trigger trauma responses and create a safe space for your intuition to flourish.
Distinguishing between trauma and intuition is essential for making healthy decisions and fostering positive relationships. By integrating somatic healing practices and Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), you can learn to trust your body's signals and differentiate between trauma responses and genuine intuition. Through self-reflection, mindfulness, and seeking support, you can heal from trauma and develop a stronger, more confident connection with your inner wisdom. Remember, healing is a journey, and each step you take brings you closer to your authentic self.
Contact HZB Therapy to learn more about somatic healing practices and EFT can assist.