By Addy Sonneland, AMFT

Dissociation is a common yet often misunderstood psychological response, especially among those who have experienced trauma. At its core, dissociation is a disconnection—a split between the mind and the body, or between thoughts, memories, and one’s sense of identity. For many, it can feel like zoning out, feeling foggy, or even watching oneself from outside the body. Dr. Bessel van Der Kolk describes dissociation as, “a temporary putting aside, not knowing, and not noticing“. While this response can be protective in moments of overwhelm, chronic dissociation can create challenges in daily life, relationships, and overall well-being.

What Are the Symptoms of Dissociation?

• Feeling disconnected from yourself and your body
• Feeling disconnected from reality and your surroundings
• Gaps in memory
• Time feels like it is moving too fast or too slow
• Difficulty concentrating
• Emotional numbness
• Feeling like the world around you is not real
• Zoning out for periods of time

What Causes Dissociation?

Dissociation exists on a spectrum. On one end, there are mild forms, like daydreaming or losing track of time while driving. On the other, more severe forms include depersonalization (feeling detached from yourself) and derealization (feeling like the world isn’t real). For trauma survivors, dissociation can become a survival strategy—an unconscious way the nervous system protects itself from pain, fear, or helplessness. Our nervous system can cycle through feeling hyperactive (or “jumpy”) to feeling nothing at all. However, when this coping mechanism persists long after the threat has passed, it can keep people disconnected from their feelings, sensations, and sense of self.

The Role of Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy offers a pathway out of dissociation by helping individuals reconnect with their bodies. “Somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, meaning body. Unlike talk therapy alone, somatic approaches incorporate body awareness, movement, breath, and sensation as part of the healing process.

4 Somatic Practices to Help Dissociation

Somatic therapy offers practical, body-centered tools to help bridge the gap between mind and body when dissociation takes hold. Here are key practices that gently invite you back into presence:

1. Grounding Exercises

Grounding helps anchor you in the present moment, providing a safe “anchor” when feelings of dissociation start to surface. Examples include:

• Feeling your feet firmly on the floor and noticing the sensation of contact.
• Holding a textured object like a smooth stone or fabric and focusing on its texture, temperature, and weight.
• Naming five things you see, four things you hear, three things you can touch, two things you smell, and one thing you taste (the “5-4-3-2-1” technique)

These exercises reconnect your mind with your immediate environment, interrupting the foggy or detached experience of dissociation by stimulating your senses.

2. Breathwork

Your breath is a powerful tool to regulate your nervous system and reduce feelings of overwhelm that feed dissociation. Techniques such as:

• Box breathing (inhale for 4 seconds, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4).
• Slow, deep belly breathing that encourages the parasympathetic nervous system (your “rest and digest” mode) to activate.

By slowing and deepening the breath, you signal safety to your body, helping to calm hyperarousal and ease dissociative symptoms.

3. Body Scans

Body scans encourage you to notice sensations throughout your body without judgment or the need to “fix” anything. This practice builds interoception — the ability to sense internal bodily states — which is often dulled in dissociation. A typical body scan might involve:

• Slowly directing your attention from your feet to your head, noticing areas of tension, warmth, coolness, or neutrality.
• Observing any discomfort or pleasant sensations and accepting them as they are.

This mindful connection to your body rebuilds the bridge between mind and body, helping you regain a sense of embodied presence.

4. Movement

Gentle, intentional movement can release trauma held in muscles and restore a sense of safety within your body. Movement can be as simple as:

• Stretching tight areas, like your neck or shoulders.
• Walking mindfully, noticing each step and the movement in your legs.
• Participating in yoga, dance, or tai chi, which combine movement with breath and awareness.

Movement helps dissolve tension and stuck energy, fostering a grounded sense of self and easing dissociative states.

Mindfulness and Safe Touch

Mindfulness cultivates a compassionate awareness of your thoughts, emotions, and sensations as they arise, helping reduce the “auto-pilot” feeling of dissociation. Pairing mindfulness with safe touch—like placing a hand on your heart or gently hugging yourself—can provide comfort and reassurance.

These acts create a feeling of safety and presence, reminding your nervous system that it’s okay to be in the body and experience emotions without danger.

Reconnecting with the Body

Healing dissociation isn’t about forcing presence or pushing through discomfort. It’s about creating a safe container where the body can slowly become a place of connection rather than fear. Somatic therapy helps build this safety over time, often in small, titrated steps.

The process of reconnection might look like:

• Noticing when you’ve checked out—and gently bringing yourself back.
• Building tolerance for sensation without judgment.
• Developing curiosity and compassion toward your body’s responses.
• Creating new experiences of embodiment.

The Role of Nervous System Regulation in Healing Dissociation

Dissociation often stems from a nervous system overwhelmed by threat and trauma. Somatic therapy works by teaching the body to regulate its own stress responses.

• Somatic Experiencing (SE): This approach helps you notice sensations related to trauma, allowing the nervous system to complete its natural “reset” without becoming overwhelmed.
• Titration: Rather than diving into trauma all at once, titration breaks down the experience into manageable parts, helping avoid retraumatization.
• Resourcing: Developing internal (breath, mindfulness) and external (safe people, places) supports that help you feel grounded and stable.
  

With time, nervous system regulation lessens the need for dissociation as a defense mechanism and encourages a gentle return to presence.

Why Professional Support Matters for Healing Dissociation

Healing dissociation isn’t something you need to do alone. Working with a therapist who understands trauma and somatic approaches ensures:

• Safety: Therapists create a safe, non-judgmental space where you can explore difficult feelings at your own pace.
• Personalized Care: A therapist can tailor somatic practices to your unique needs and monitor your nervous system’s responses.
• Integration: Professional guidance supports the reintegration of dissociated parts of yourself and helps translate insights into everyday life.
• Hope and Patience: Healing is a gradual process—having a supportive guide makes all the difference.

Seeking help is a courageous and essential step toward reclaiming your presence and wholeness.

Why Somatic Therapy Works

The body holds our trauma, but it also holds the key to healing. Somatic therapy recognizes that trauma is not just stored in memories or thoughts—it’s embedded in our nervous system, posture, breath, and muscle patterns. By working with the body directly, we can shift these patterns and restore a sense of wholeness.

Somatic therapy doesn’t promise quick fixes, but it does offer profound tools for lasting change. By tuning in to the body, we reclaim agency, resilience, and a deeper sense of self. For many people, the journey out of dissociation involves building the capacity to stay with what’s happening in the moment—sensations, emotions, relationships—without becoming overwhelmed. Somatic therapy is particularly powerful because it works with the very system that dissociation affects: the nervous system.

Can Dissociation be Cured?

Dissociation isn’t a life sentence, but rather a sign that your system did exactly what it needed to survive at the time. While it may not always “disappear” entirely, it can absolutely be softened, managed, and even transformed. Healing from dissociation is not about erasing your past or pretending the disconnection never happened—it’s about learning to be present in your life again, on your own terms.

Over time, with consistent support, people often find that the fog lifts. They feel more real, more present, and more able to engage with the world around them. The freeze begins to thaw. They begin to live, rather than just survive. Healing from dissociation is possible. It may take time, patience, and support—but you are not alone, and you are not stuck. With the right tools, the body can learn safety, and the mind can return to presence.

FAQ About Dissociation

Is dissociation the same as daydreaming?
Not exactly. While daydreaming is a mild, common form of dissociation, clinical dissociation—especially related to trauma—is more intense and often involves disruptions in memory, identity, and perception. It can interfere with daily functioning in ways that go far beyond zoning out or getting lost in thought.

Can dissociation happen without trauma?
Yes. While trauma is a common cause, dissociation can also be triggered by extreme stress, anxiety, sleep deprivation, or other overwhelming experiences. However, persistent or intense dissociation often points to deeper roots that are worth exploring with a therapist.

How do I know if I’m dissociating?
Some signs include feeling “spaced out,” disconnected from your body, numb, or like you’re watching your life from the outside. You may also experience memory gaps, feel emotionally flat, or notice time distortion (example: “Where did the last hour go?”).

Do I have to remember or talk about my trauma to heal?
Not necessarily. Somatic therapy focuses more on how trauma lives in the body now, rather than rehashing details of the past. Many people find relief and progress without ever needing to tell their full story. Healing can happen through presence, sensation, and gentle reconnection—not just words.

A gentle note…

If you’ve experienced dissociation, know that it’s a natural and understandable response to overwhelming circumstances. You’re not broken—you’re surviving. And with the right tools and support, it is possible to feel more grounded, connected, and at home in your body again.