TRE® (Tension & trauma Releasing Exercises)
Helping Your Body Release
Deep Tension & Trauma Naturally
Your Body Holds What Your Mind Has Moved Past
You may understand what you have lived through—stressful seasons, betrayal, loss, trauma, or long periods of intensity—yet your body still feels like it is holding something.
Tension in the jaw, shoulders, hips, or back. Sleep that doesn’t fully restore you. A nervous system that struggles to settle even when life is safe.
Your body is not the problem. It learned how to protect you.
Sometimes those protective patterns continue even after the original stress has passed.
How TRE® Supports You
TRE® (Tension & Trauma Releasing Exercises) supports your body’s natural ability to release stored tension and stress.
It works through gentle movements that activate a natural tremor response in the body. This process allows the nervous system to discharge held activation at a pace that feels safe and regulated. It nourishes and restores fascia, the connective tissue that holds and transmits tension throughout the body.
You remain fully in control throughout the process. The body leads and we simply create the conditions for release.
TRE® as Part of a Larger Support System
TRE® can be used on its own or alongside other forms of therapeutic and body-based care. Many people incorporate it while also working with a therapist, bodyworker, or other providers.
It supports the body in releasing stored tension and can complement insight gained through talk therapy or other healing approaches.
Do Any of These Sound Familiar?
Chronic tension in the jaw, shoulders, back, hips, or legs that doesn’t fully release
A nervous system that feels “on” even when life is safe
Sleep that feels light, interrupted, or unrefreshing
Emotional overwhelm or shutdown that insight alone hasn’t shifted
A sense that something is still held in the body
Curiosity about working directly with the body
How a TRE® Session Moves
We begin with conversation so you feel oriented, supported, and clear about what to expect.
We then move into the TRE® exercises together, adapting them to your body and nervous system in real time.
As tremoring begins, you remain fully in control. The experience may be subtle or more active, and we can slow down, pause, or adjust at any point. I stay present with you to support safety, pacing, and awareness.
We close by integrating the experience and noticing what your system is communicating, along with next steps.
FAQs
How is TRE® different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy works primarily through understanding and processing experiences with language. TRE® works directly with the body and nervous system, using movement and neurogenic tremoring to help release stored tension without needing to revisit or explain what happened.
Do I need to talk about my trauma during a TRE® session?
No. You do not need to disclose or discuss specific events. The process works with your nervous system directly, and you remain in control throughout.
Can TRE® help if I feel fine on the surface but still hold tension in my body?
Yes. Many people who come to practice TRE® are not in crisis. They function well outwardly yet notice their body still holds tightness, restlessness, or a nervous system that has trouble settling, even when life feels stable.
How many TRE® sessions will I need to feel a difference?
This varies by person and depends on what you're working with. Some people notice a shift in how their body feels after a single session, more ease in the jaw or shoulders, deeper sleep that night. Others need several sessions before the pattern of chronic tension starts to loosen in a way that lasts. Because TRE® works with your nervous system's own pace, there isn't a fixed number of sessions that applies to everyone. We can talk about what a realistic timeline looks like for you based on your intentions and goals.
What Becomes Possible
With a consistent TRE® practice, your nervous system begins to release what it has been holding. You begin to deeply shift long-held patterns. You may notice:
Chronic tension in your shoulders, jaw, chest, and back begins to ease without having to retell your story
Your nervous system settles more readily, reflected in improved heart rate variability and greater heart-brain coherence
Sleep deepens and you wake more rested
Greater presence in your body and less reactivity when stress arises
Decision-making becomes clearer and rest becomes more accessible
Chronic patterns of tension, thought, and emotion that kept you stuck begin to shift
Relationships feel easier and daily activities require less effort
Your fascia softens, creating more flexibility and ease in your body