Daily Tools for Trauma Recovery: How PAT (Psychology and Acupuncture Therapy) Supports Healing Through the Body

We all carry stories in our bodies. Tension in the jaw. Tightness in the chest. A stomach that knots under stress. These aren’t just random aches—they’re messages. They’re the residue of experience, and they deserve to be witnessed and released, not buried.

This is where PAT—Psychology and Acupuncture Therapy—comes in. Developed by Dr. Hamid Montakab, PAT blends classical Chinese medicine with somatic psychology, offering a practical and compassionate approach to trauma healing through the body. Whether you’re a practitioner or someone on your own healing journey, PAT provides a framework and tools for gently releasing emotional and physical holding patterns.

What Is PAT?

PAT is a trauma-informed acupuncture approach that addresses how trauma gets stored in the fascia, nervous system, and organ systems. But it’s not just about needles. PAT also integrates affirmations, breath, posture, and self-awareness to help reprogram the body’s protective patterns.

You could think of it like this: while acupuncture moves energy and clears blockages, PAT invites conscious participation—it’s about helping the mind and body speak the same language.

Why Trauma Lives in the Body

Trauma isn’t just something that happened to us—it’s also what happened inside us as a result. If we didn’t have the capacity to process overwhelming experiences (especially in childhood), our bodies did the best they could: they braced, froze, pushed through, or dissociated.

In Chinese medicine, these unresolved experiences can become stored in the sinew (Jing Jin) channels, the Po (somatic soul), and the defensive Wei Qi. Over time, these holdings manifest as symptoms: chronic pain, anxiety, digestive issues, sleep disturbances, or emotional numbness.

PAT offers us a roadmap back to the body—with tools we can use every day.

Daily Tools from PAT: How You Can Start Now

You don’t need a diagnosis—or even a big trauma story—to benefit from PAT-inspired practices. Here are some simple tools you can begin using now:

1. Segmental Awareness (Body Mapping)

Start by gently scanning your body. Ask yourself:

• Where do I feel tight, numb, or tense?

• Do I feel connected to my feet? My breath? My belly?

• What happens when I bring attention there?

Each “armor segment” (ocular, cervical, thoracic, diaphragm, abdominal, pelvic) corresponds to emotional patterns. By noticing where we feel constriction, we begin to decode what the body’s holding.

Try this daily check-in for 1 minute each morning.

2. Breath + Acupressure + Affirmation (PAT Point Protocols)

Choose a point like Yintang (between the brows) or Ren 17 (center of the chest). Apply gentle pressure and take slow, intentional breaths.

Pair it with an affirmation:

• “I am safe in my body.”

• “It is safe to be seen.”

• “I can let go of this armor.”

This combo engages both the energetic and neurological systems, anchoring new patterns.

Repeat 3–5 times, ideally before bed or after a stressful interaction.

3. Postural Repatterning

Trauma often shapes posture: shoulders hunched, chest collapsed, pelvis locked. With guidance, we can begin to soften these patterns.

Try gently standing upright, opening the chest, and grounding through the feet while breathing slowly. Notice what comes up—and offer compassion.

Even 30 seconds of conscious standing can interrupt a fear-based loop.

4. Emotional Qi Discharge Practices

When your nervous system is overloaded, your Qi gets stuck. To discharge this safely, try:

• Shaking (like animals do post-threat)

• Sighing loudly

• Humming or toning

• Moving your spine in spirals

These help move stored energy without needing to “figure it out” cognitively.

Build a 5-minute daily release ritual.

5. PAT + Acupuncture Sessions

Working with a practitioner trained in PAT or trauma-informed acupuncture can help you go deeper. The needles access stored emotion and energy in ways that talk therapy sometimes can’t.

In a session, we may:

• Choose points based on which “body armor” segment is holding trauma

• Add affirmations or breathwork

• Create space for emotional release without needing to talk or relive the event

Each session builds trust and safety in your body, one layer at a time.

Healing Doesn’t Mean Erasing. It Means Integrating.

Trauma recovery isn’t about forgetting the past. It’s about letting your body feel safe enough to stop bracing against it. With small, consistent tools like those from PAT, you can slowly unravel the old patterns—and start writing a new one.

If you’re interested in learning more or experiencing this firsthand, reach out to book a trauma-informed acupuncture session. Your body remembers—and it also knows how to heal.