Resourcing: What It Means
Building sources of safety before working with trauma material.
Dit artikel hoort bij: Somatic Concepts Explained: A Glossary for Therapists
What a Resource Is
A resource is anything that invites the nervous system toward regulation: a person who evokes safety, a place where you find peace, a body sensation that expresses strength, a memory of a moment of competence. Resources can be external (people, places) or internal (sensations, images, movements).
In Practice
A typical start to trauma work is a resource inventory lasting three to six sessions. What are your safe places, who are your safe people, which body sensations bring you calm? Only then do you enter the trauma field, with these resources explicitly available as anchors to return to.
Common Mistake
The mistake is skipping resourcing because the client 'seems stable already.' Many clients function well externally but have few internal resources. Without this foundational building, trauma work can lead to dissociation or decompensation. Time spent on resourcing isn't a delay, it's a foundation.
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Veelgestelde vragen
How many resourcing sessions before I can work with trauma?
Depends on complexity. For single-incident trauma, sometimes three sessions. For complex trauma, three to six months, sometimes longer. Don't wait for perfection, but do wait for a minimum of available anchors.
What if the client can't find positive resources?
Start neutral instead of positive. 'A place where there's least pressure,' 'a sensation that isn't painful.' Slowly build up from neutrality.
Do resources also work for dissociative clients?
Yes, and they are extra crucial there. In such cases, work more with somatic resources (feet, contact with the chair) than cognitive ones (memories, images), as cognitive resources can be triggering.