Trauma Release Exercises (TRE)

Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) are a set of exercises designed to assist the body in releasing deep muscular patterns of stress, tension and trauma.

TRE was developed by Dr. David Berceli after working in various war zones and sheltering with others from bombs. During these times of intense stress, Dr. Berceli noticed that people in the shelters would involuntarily curl into a fetal position, which he concluded was a natural human reflex to protect themselves. Children would also start shaking or trembling. This shaking or trembling is also found in animals as a natural response to trauma or stress, helping them to release it from their systems and restore homeostasis.

Dr. Berceli developed a method which would encourage the natural trembling response of the body in order to reduce stress, anxiety and trauma.

How it works

TRE activates a natural reflex mechanism of shaking or vibrating that releases muscular tension, calming down the nervous system. When this muscular shaking/vibrating mechanism is activated in a safe and controlled environment, the body is encouraged to return to its natural state of balance. Berceli, D., Salmon, M., Bonifas, R. and Ndefo, N. (2014). Effects of Self-induced Unclassified Therapeutic Tremors on Quality of Life Among Non-professional Caregivers: A Pilot Study. [online] Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 3 (5), pp. 45-8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4268601/ [accessed 12 Sept. 2017].

TRE is a body based (somatic) process designed to be a used as a self-help tool that can be used when needed to support and promote health and wellbeing.

TRE is especially helpful with psychological trauma which can manifest as:

  • Anxiety
  • Post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
  • Relationship issues
  • Sleep issues
  • Stress
  • Depression
  • Poor concentration and attention
  • Poor memory
  • Irritability

https://traumaprevention.com/what-is-tre/ Berceli, D., Salmon, M., Bonifas, R. and Ndefo, N. (2014). Effects of Self-induced Unclassified Therapeutic Tremors on Quality of Life Among Non-professional Caregivers: A Pilot Study. [online] Global Advances in Health and Medicine, 3 (5), pp. 45-8. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4268601/ [accessed 12 Sept. 2017].