Clinical Articles & Research
The body
knows.
Science agrees.
Evidence-based articles written by Alison Leigh, PhD, MFT — drawing from 30 years of clinical practice and peer-reviewed research on trauma, intimacy, and healing.
7
Somatic Therapy & Trauma
Featured Article · Somatic Therapy
Why Your Body Holds the Key to Healing Trauma
PMC Randomized Controlled Trial · Somatic Experiencing for PTSD · Peer Reviewed
For decades, trauma treatment focused almost entirely on the mind. But the first randomized controlled trial of Somatic Experiencing found significant reductions in PTSD symptoms — not by revisiting the story, but by working directly with the body's physical sensations and nervous system responses.
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02
Somatic Therapy
What Somatic Therapy Actually Is — And Why It Works
PMC Scoping Review · SE Effectiveness
A comprehensive scoping review found evidence for positive effects across multiple populations and trauma types. The nervous system is where healing lives — not just the narrative.
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03
Trauma
Veterans, Trauma, and the Body: What New Research Tells Us
Wiley / Psychology & Psychotherapy 2025
A 2025 RCT comparing Somatic Experiencing to Prolonged Exposure in veterans found that SE participants described a felt sense of body safety not found in cognitive-only approaches.
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04
Mind-Body Healing
The Body Can Balance the Score: Interoception & Recovery
PMC / MDPI 2025 · Somatic Self-Care
2025 research shows that by developing interoceptive awareness people can rebuild the nervous system regulation that trauma destroys.
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Sex Therapy & Intimacy
05
Sex Therapy
When You and Your Partner Want Different Things in Bed
Sage Journals 2024 · Sex Therapy & EFT for Desire Discrepancy
Mismatched libido is one of the most common challenges couples face. New research shows integrating sex therapy with EFT produces significantly better outcomes. Desire lives in emotional safety, not just physical availability.
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06
Couples Therapy
Does Couples Therapy Actually Work? What 25 Years of Research Says
Wiley / Journal of Family Therapy 2025
A landmark 2025 review spanning 25 years found consistent strong evidence that couples therapy works across all relationship types. EFT showed the strongest results with moderate to large reductions in conflict.
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Couples & Trauma
How Couples Therapy Helps When One Partner Has PTSD
PMC / BMC Psychology 2025 · Meta-analysis of 18 Studies
When one partner carries trauma, both people carry it. A 2025 meta-analysis of 18 clinical studies found that couples therapy significantly reduces PTSD symptoms and improves relationship functioning in both partners.
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