TRE®
Natural Stress, Tension and Trauma Release
TRE® is Tension and Trauma Release Exercises aka Tension Release for Everybody
It wakes up the body’s innate ability to release deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma through shaking or vibrating. TRE® is a liberating, mindful and unique way to kindly and compassionately connect to your body, and wake it up. It allows you to safely and gently integrate past traumas and tension that the body has been holding. TRE® supports your nervous system to down regulate from activated states ("fight/flight") or "freeze" states to come back to "rest, digest and repair".
What is TRE®?
TRE® is a natural physical "no talking" practice that safely and gently releases symptoms of stress, tension, anxiety and trauma from the body and mind. Like a massage from the inside out, the process returns the body, brain and mind to a more calm, relaxed and balanced state. TRE® initiates the body's innate physiological release mechanism (tremoring and autonomic movement) in a mindful, controlled and sustained way to safely and gently release symptoms of stress, anxiety, tension and trauma from the body. It can be immediately effective as you let go of the chronic muscular nervous tension right from the core, where the protective muscle pattern is created in the psoas (a.k.a. "Fight/Flight") muscles. By allowing the nervous system to "stand down" via the body, messages are sent to the brain which to allow it to come back to a calm state; it's a "bottom up", that allows the mind to be more peaceful. As a body based, "no talking" approach, it can be effective both stand alone or in conjunction with talk based - or other - therapies. Clients re-learn to activate the body's natural mechanism and once they have learnt, you then have a easy to use practice for life.
Work done in the 1960's by Dr Peter Levine (he holds doctorates in medical biophysics, and psychology), began to raise new awareness about the therapeutic benefits of shaking. As stress consultant to NASA during the space shuttle era, Dr Levine's research led him to look at predator/prey behaviour and make interesting observations about the way in which animals literally shake off their stress and how humans have repressed this mechanism. His very readable book "Waking the Tiger" is an excellent starting point from which to understand how this works and illustrates that shaking is our body's innate way to restore balance, the way nature intended and the way that animal naturally stay tension and trauma free.
TRE® was created by Dr David Berceli as a usable physical practice for daily life that activates this tremor mechanism in a gentle and safe way; taught with grounding/containing/regulating exercises, TRE® is a safe and effective way to gently re-embody, and reboot the nervous system. Originally called Trauma Release Exercises, the name has evolved to Tension and Trauma Release Exercises, and is now increasingly becoming known as Tension Release For Everybody.
You are taught to re-ignite the body's innate stress release mechanism through simple trigger exercises that initiate tremors in the deep core muscles (psoas). The brain stem becomes activated to release stress held in the nervous system while you lie in a relaxed position to allow the body to move. The process returns the body to a more calm, relaxed & balanced state. Clients have described TRE® as feeling like a massage from the inside out. As each person is unique, the autonomic movements during releasing will be unique to the individual and also will often be different at every session. As it is the body’s natural stress release mechanism, it is something that everyone would benefit from learning (see below for details of how to learn). There is no need to talk about past events or even re-experience them; occasionally clients report that it feels like they are watching old material leaving the body, but from the place of being an observer. Often clients are integrating deeply held material without even needing to be aware of what the particular issue is; they simply experience physical movements and sensations as the body/mind lets go. The supporting techniques taught as part of the TRE® practice include breathwork, and grounding/holding/containing practices which further enhance the safe holding of TRE. These practices also give clients empowering, grounding and calming practices to be used at any time needed in daily life. This supports emotional and nervous system regulation. Because clients are taught to start, stop and regulate the movements and sensations at any time during sessions, it feels empowering, and safe, something that can be taken at your own pace. Practitioner guidance enhances this process of safely allowing the process to unfold at a pace that supports gentle integration, and brings the vitally important aspect of "co-regulation" to the healing process.
Who is TRE suitable for?
TRE® can be learnt and practiced by almost anyone, whatever their age (age 5 up) or physical ability. I offer the guidance, supervision and support materials to help clients achieve this and become empowered and confident to manage safe and effective practice at home, when ready. With this support it can become a life-changing practice.
TRE® is not just for trauma. Being our most basic and natural method of stress release it's for everyone right from athletes and yoga practitioners wanting to enhance muscle and body function and free up the body to improve performance, to clients wanting to feel freer, happier and more resilient in their lives. TRE® can also give a liberating sense of release and empowerment to those who have more intense stress symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks and P.T.S.D. Children can also learn it, and benefit from the simple "no-talking needed" approach, I've worked with children as young as 5 years of age.
Whether learning 1:1, via Zoom, on a short course, or at a workshop, your experience is personal and every client is given individual time to support your particular needs.
The experiential learning is also supplemented with theory to support understanding how the TRE® works.
The end goal for TRE® practice involves teaching clients to learn and use this empowering practice for themselves and to learn how to practice self facilitation, however some clients also need a series of one to ones (or group work) and gentle interventions can support release and feelings of safety. I tune into what is needed in the moment; any touch is only given with the clients' permission.
What clients are saying
Deborah is a gifted teacher. Just the right amount of information and support in the sessions, and, crucially for me, fantastic free support materials to take away. This means I can continue and deepen my practice at home still feeling guided and held like I did on the workshop. I’ve done some great workshops before, but have been left in free fall afterwards as to how to continue the good work, so this is a fantastic aspect of how Deborah does things.
The TRE itself is the most healing medium I have come across. I have spent many years using meditation, mindfulness, therapy , group work and bodywork, to deal with stress, anxiety and trauma. It’s all been good, it’s been a great journey, but nothing has got underneath old unhelpful behaviours like TRE has.
Thank you Deborah x
Alexandra Knowles, Massage Therapist
Deborah is an absolutely incredible TRE Practitioner. I feel she was born to do this work, and her dedication to life’s truths makes her so wise, compassionate and strong. I have seen many, many therapists over the years, and Deborah is the first who I have felt can hold space for healing without getting unnerved or startled in the least. She truly gets every level of complexity and opportunity and is teaching me so much as I do the course with her.
I hope that anyone reading about TRE and feeling inclined towards giving it a go, will just do it. The more of us who walk this planet cleared of old emotions, the sooner we will have a truly loving world.
A.T.
Thank you so much for the TRE introduction yesterday, the whole experience felt thrilling and euphoric- my body often shakes without me controlling it, now knowing how I can enter the shake safely with control brings me such joy… afterwards, I ended up sleeping for 11 hours!! Amazing
J.D.
Training credentials
Working with clients since 2016.
Received TRE® For All certification in 2020.
This certification has enabled me to teach the full TRE® protocol which means I can work with trauma in the safest and most empowering way for all clients.
As part of the Global TRE® For All Community, I am committed to deepening my work through Continuous Professional Development and attended the Online Advanced TRE® training in 2021. I continue to attend advanced trainings, including Diaphragm work, Primitive Reflexes, Pelvis & Psoas and the 8 stages of Development.
I am also a qualified rebirthing Breathwork Practitioner, so can work with breath when appropriate.
