[libribook.com] Traumatic Scar Tissue Management 1st Edition

Clinical Consideration
According to van der Kolk (2014):
The biology of safety and danger, one based on subtle interplay
between the visceral experiences of our own bodies and the voices
and faces of the people around us – explains why a kind face or a
soothing voice can make us feel calm and safe. Focused attunement
with another person can shift us out of disorganized and fearful states
(Tomkins 1962, Porges 2011, van der Kolk 2014). Porges’ polyvagal
theory looks beyond the effects of fight/flight and puts social
relationships front and center in understanding trauma. When the
message is ‘you are safe here’ tension eases and relaxation occurs.
Being able to feel safe with other people is probably the single most
important aspect of mental health. Social support (e.g. being truly
heard and seen by those around us, feeling that we are held in
someone else’s mind and heart) is the most powerful protection
against becoming overwhelmed by stress and trauma. For our
physiology to calm down and in order to heal we need a visceral
feeling of safety. There is no prescription for this.