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Perspective

The Body Can Balance the Score: Using a Somatic Self-Care Intervention to Support Well-Being and Promote Healing

by
William Chance Nicholson
1,
Michael Sapp
2,
Elaine Miller Karas
2,
Ingrid Margaret Duva
1,* and
Linda Grabbe
1
1
Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
2
Trauma Resource Institute, Claremont, CA 91711, USA
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Healthcare 2025, 13(11), 1258; https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258
Submission received: 19 March 2025 / Revised: 12 May 2025 / Accepted: 13 May 2025 / Published: 26 May 2025
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Beyond Words: Somatic Approaches for Treating PTSD and Trauma)

Abstract

Natural and human-made disasters, community violence, climate change, and political instability engender mental health problems worldwide. Childhood traumas, now recognized as commonplace and global in nature, augment the urgent need for mental health interventions that are accessible and scalable. The World Health Organization has called for innovative strategies that extend beyond traditional cognitive approaches. Biologically based methods are gaining recognition for their significant role in affect regulation and wellness promotion. This paper explores the potential for interventions focusing on interoceptive awareness, or noticing sensations arising from the body, to address mental health challenges, especially relevant for populations affected by trauma. The Community Resiliency Model (CRM)®, a low-intensity, body-based intervention that cultivates interoceptive awareness, is described and compared to other well-being interventions. Available research studies, program evaluations and anecdotal reports are presented in addition to CRM’s biological and theoretical underpinnings. The neurobiology of trauma, interoception research, and the concept of neural synchrony are briefly introduced, further explaining the likely mechanism of action and an underlying rationale for the reported improvements in well-being and resilience among individuals and communities who learn CRM body awareness techniques. Given increasing global demand and limited access to conventional mental health services, CRM and the six core skills that are taught in this model offer a promising, transferable, self-care strategy. Community dissemination has the potential to expand access in underserved populations. This review concludes by suggesting future research directions, such as the exploration of biophysical outcomes, intra- and interpersonal synchrony, and evaluation of interoceptive training for emotional regulation and populations affected by trauma or violence.
Keywords: trauma; adverse childhood experiences; well-being; self-care; mental health; prevention; resiliency; interoception trauma; adverse childhood experiences; well-being; self-care; mental health; prevention; resiliency; interoception

Share and Cite

MDPI and ACS Style

Nicholson, W.C.; Sapp, M.; Karas, E.M.; Duva, I.M.; Grabbe, L. The Body Can Balance the Score: Using a Somatic Self-Care Intervention to Support Well-Being and Promote Healing. Healthcare 2025, 13, 1258. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258

AMA Style

Nicholson WC, Sapp M, Karas EM, Duva IM, Grabbe L. The Body Can Balance the Score: Using a Somatic Self-Care Intervention to Support Well-Being and Promote Healing. Healthcare. 2025; 13(11):1258. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258

Chicago/Turabian Style

Nicholson, William Chance, Michael Sapp, Elaine Miller Karas, Ingrid Margaret Duva, and Linda Grabbe. 2025. "The Body Can Balance the Score: Using a Somatic Self-Care Intervention to Support Well-Being and Promote Healing" Healthcare 13, no. 11: 1258. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258

APA Style

Nicholson, W. C., Sapp, M., Karas, E. M., Duva, I. M., & Grabbe, L. (2025). The Body Can Balance the Score: Using a Somatic Self-Care Intervention to Support Well-Being and Promote Healing. Healthcare, 13(11), 1258. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare13111258

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