04/04/2026
Have you heard the term renegotiation in trauma work?
Renegotiation is about gently revisiting small edges of ‘activation’ and allowing the body to complete what it couldn’t at the time of the trauma/challenge.
It sounds technical, but the idea is very simple.
🌊 When something overwhelming happens, your body acts for survival. Your heart rate changes, muscles tighten, and your breathing shifts. You might feel heat, pressure, bracing, or numbness as a result.
That surge of energy in the body can be called activation. This is your nervous system doing its job, and your body getting ready to protect you.
The difficulty comes when that survival energy doesn’t get to complete. Maybe you couldn’t run, or speak up at the time. Maybe you had to stay still. The body holds that unfinished response.
In renegotiation, I help people revisit a tiny piece of that activation, in a way that feels manageable, and allow their body to complete what it couldn’t at the time.
It involves going slowly, gently, finding the missing piece and staying connected to the present. 🍃
Over time, your nervous system learns something new:
“That was then, this is now and I can choose for now.”
The body learns it doesn’t have to stay braced anymore.
Renegotiation is often quiet and subtle. Those small completions can create profound shifts in how you feel in everyday life.
If this concept is new to you, feel free to ask. I’m always happy to explain more. 💛