Research & Further Reading
My work is informed by an ongoing interest in research into trauma, the nervous system, body awareness, touch and the ways our bodies contribute to emotional regulation and wellbeing.
This page brings together a selection of research papers, articles and further reading that I have found particularly useful. I have included short, accessible summaries alongside links to the original research where possible.
Somatic Experiencing & Trauma Regulation
Somatic Experiencing for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder
Brom et al., 2017 — Journal of Traumatic Stress
A randomized controlled study exploring Somatic Experiencing with adults experiencing PTSD. Participants receiving 15 weekly SE sessions showed reductions in post-traumatic stress symptoms and depression. The findings provide encouraging early evidence for Somatic Experiencing, although further research is needed.
Somatic Experiencing, Chronic Pain & PTSD
Andersen et al., 2017 — European Journal of Psychotraumatology
A randomized controlled study exploring Somatic Experiencing alongside usual treatment for people with chronic low-back pain and PTSD symptoms. The additional SE intervention was associated with greater reductions in PTSD symptoms and fear of movement, although improvements in pain and disability occurred in both groups and the authors noted limitations in the clinical significance of the findings.
Veterans’ Experiences of Somatic Experiencing for PTSD
2025 — European Journal of Psychotraumatology
A qualitative study exploring how military veterans with PTSD experienced Somatic Experiencing and Prolonged Exposure therapy. Participants described changes in bodily experience, the therapeutic relationship and the process of therapy. Those receiving SE described developing a greater language for understanding bodily experiences that could also be applied in other situations.
Interoception & Body Awareness
Interoception and Mental Health: A Roadmap
Khalsa et al., 2018 — Biological Psychiatry: Cognitive Neuroscience and Neuroimaging
A major review bringing together research on how the nervous system senses, interprets and integrates signals from within the body. It explores the role of interoception in emotional experience, self-regulation and mental health, and highlights important directions for future research.
The Multidimensional Assessment of Interoceptive Awareness (MAIA)
Mehling et al., 2012 — PLOS ONE
This research explores the different ways people notice and relate to sensations within the body. It highlights that body awareness is not a single ability, but includes qualities such as noticing sensations, regulating attention, emotional awareness, listening to the body and experiencing the body as safe and trustworthy.
Interoceptive Awareness & Post-Traumatic Stress
Leech, Stapleton & Patching, 2024 — Frontiers in Psychiatry
A scoping review examining research on interoceptive awareness and PTSD. Across 43 studies, emotion regulation emerged as a particularly important theme. The review also highlights that adaptive body awareness involves not simply noticing internal sensations, but how those sensations are attended to and interpreted.
Therapeutic Touch & Regulation
Affective Regulation Through Touch
Fotopoulou, von Mohr & Krahé, 2022 — Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences
This review explores how social and affective touch can contribute to emotional and physiological regulation. It considers the role of touch in social connection and caregiving, and examines how touch may support the regulation of bodily and emotional states through several interacting biological and psychological processes.
Social Touch and Human Development
Cascio, Moore & McGlone, 2018 — Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
A review exploring the role of social touch throughout human development. It examines how touch relates to attachment, social connection, learning and emotional regulation, while highlighting that the experience of touch is shaped by factors such as relationships, context and individual differences.
The Physical and Mental Health Benefits of Touch
Packheiser et al., 2024 — Nature Human Behaviour
A large systematic review and meta-analysis examining touch interventions across a wide range of ages and health outcomes. The findings suggest that touch interventions can have beneficial effects on physical and mental wellbeing, including reductions in pain, anxiety and depressive symptoms in adults. The research also highlights how factors such as the number of sessions and the type of touch can influence outcomes.