TEB Therapy in Silver Spring, MD: Transforming the Experience-Based Brain With Transforming Touch®
Trauma does not discriminate. It can linger quietly in the background for years or even decades before revealing itself in unexpected ways. While particular forms of trauma are easy to identify, others subtly shape how we think, feel, and move through the world. Through innovative somatic therapies like Transforming Touch® and Transforming the Experience-Based Brain (TEB) therapy in Silver Spring, Maryland, I create a safe, supportive space for trauma recovery that honors your story and helps your body remember what safety feels like.
Recognizing the Signs of Trauma
Trauma can manifest in both the mind and body, influencing everything from our emotional responses to our physical health. It may stem from a single event or develop gradually through repeated stress, neglect, or early life experiences. No matter the cause, trauma often seeks expression, surfacing through symptoms that many people mistake for “just part of life,” such as:
- Pain or chronic pain
- Weight gain or loss
- Denial about pain or discomfort in your body
- Clumsiness or lack of awareness of your body and surroundings
- A constant sense that your brain never stops running
If any of this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Nearly everyone has experienced some form of trauma, whether physical, emotional, or developmental, even if they don’t realize it. Something seemingly minor, like a moment of fear or witnessing conflict, can imprint deeply and continue to affect your system long after the event has passed.
It’s common to dismiss these signs as normal stress or the natural effects of aging, but these experiences may actually be your body’s way of communicating unresolved trauma. When left unaddressed, this can influence your health, emotional balance, relationships, and overall quality of life.
When Trauma Goes Untreated
Trauma isn’t always defined by what happened to you; it’s often about how your body and mind responded to those experiences. The longer trauma goes unrecognized or untreated, the more deeply it can impact your nervous system and emotional well-being. Denial and avoidance may provide temporary comfort, but over time, unresolved trauma can complicate physical symptoms and emotional regulation.
The good news is that healing is possible. Sunshine Consulting and Counseling offers TEB therapy, a newer, research-based modality designed to help individuals process and heal trauma at a deeper, body-centered level.
What Is TEB, and How Can It Help?
TEB stands for Transforming the Experience-Based Brain, a somatic modality developed by Stephen Terrell, PsyD, a Somatic Experiencing® practitioner. This approach helps people understand and heal from developmental trauma through gentle, regulated contact known as Transforming Touch® or Transforming Intentional Touch®.
The foundation of TEB stems from the highly regarded ACE (adverse childhood experience) study on developmental trauma (DT), which explored how early life stress and trauma affect long-term health and wellness.
Understanding Developmental Trauma (DT)
Developmental trauma refers to trauma that occurs before a child develops language, typically from conception through about age four. During this time, the nervous system is still forming, and early disruptions can have lasting effects.
While DT is not a formal diagnosis in the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders), research shows that talk therapy alone often isn’t enough to resolve trauma responses or early stress. That’s where somatic approaches like TEB therapy and Transforming Touch® come in.
How Early Experiences Shape Us
Many people don’t realize how early life events can affect their nervous systems or that they’ve experienced developmental trauma at all. Consider questions like:
- What happened in your household when your mother was pregnant with you?
- How many siblings or caregivers were in your early environment?
- What stress may have affected your family during your infancy or early childhood?
These experiences can all contribute to developmental trauma, even if you don’t consciously remember them.
How TEB and Transforming Touch® Work
TEB therapy is considered an integrative neurodevelopmental approach to the treatment of developmental trauma. It aims to:
Create Safety and Trust
TEB therapy provides a safe, nurturing space where clients can rebuild trust within themselves and with their therapist. The practitioner always explains each step of the process and asks for permission before beginning any touch-based work.
Support the Nervous System
Transforming Touch® works directly with the nervous system to help reset neurological patterns, and the body learns to respond to stimuli with a sense of safety rather than threat or activation. As the nervous system becomes more regulated, the client develops resilience and can achieve deeper healing.
Sessions can take place in person or, when appropriate, online through Transforming Intentional Touch®.
What Do I Do in a TEB Therapy Session?
You don’t need to do anything. Simply show up and be open to connecting with your therapist. After the practitioner has explained the process in detail, sessions typically take place on a massage table while you remain fully clothed.
The goal is to help your body develop greater capacity, regulation, and resilience. Sessions are often scheduled weekly, giving your body time to integrate the work. Many clients notice changes around the third or fourth month, though everyone’s timeline is unique.
Begin Your Healing Journey
Healing is a process, but you don’t have to navigate it alone. If you’re curious about how TEB® or Transforming Touch® can help you recover from trauma and restore balance to your nervous system, please reach out to schedule a consultation for TEB therapy in Silver Spring, MD. Together, we can explore which format—online or in-person—best supports your goals. You can also visit the Recommended Reading page to learn more about somatic healing and trauma.