The Voice Keeps the Score: Sound as a Portal to Embodiment

When escape from a life-threatening or attachment-threatening situation is impossible; the body and the psyche adapt to survive. These adaptations can endure; particularly if they are successful in ensuring survival of the body and/or of the attachment relationship. The absence of agency; protection and a compassionate witness takes away our capacity for agency; effective boundaries; authentic expression; and natural voice. Healing involves reconnecting to one’s capacity for vocalization in an embodied way; and starts with interception of cues of safety. Sound vibration is our first experience of attunement attachment - of safety - and can be accessed through intentional vocalization.