Reconnecting Mind, Body, and Nervous System Through Healing Touch

At CARE Counseling, Inc., we understand that some experiences are too deep for words alone. That’s why we offer NeuroAffective Touch® Therapy (NAT)—a gentle, trauma-informed approach that helps clients reconnect with their bodies, emotions, and inner sense of safety through therapeutic touch.

Especially beneficial for those healing from early developmental trauma, relational wounds, or chronic dysregulation, NAT supports the nervous system in ways traditional talk therapy may not reach.

What Is NeuroAffective Touch®?

NeuroAffective Touch® is a somatic therapy model developed by Dr. Aline LaPierre. It is based on the principle that touch is a vital language of early development, and that healing often requires attuned, compassionate contact—especially when trauma occurred before verbal memory or in environments lacking safe touch.

NAT integrates:

• Somatic psychology

• Attachment theory

• Developmental neuroscience

• Polyvagal theory and nervous system regulation

It is not a massage. NAT is a subtle, non-invasive touch used to support the relational repair between body and mind.

Why Touch Matters in Therapy

The body stores unprocessed trauma—especially early or preverbal trauma—in the nervous system and tissues, not just in memory. Clients may experience:

• Chronic muscle tension or fatigue

• Disconnection from body awareness (dissociation)

• Feelings of numbness or emotional shutdown

• Difficulty trusting others or establishing boundaries

• Overwhelm in response to emotional closeness

NeuroAffective Touch provides right-brain, body-based co-regulation, helping the nervous system feel held, safe, and connected—sometimes for the first time.

What Happens in a NAT Session?

Sessions are individualized and may include:

• Gentle, clothed touch at key areas like the back, sternum, arms, or head

• A focus on consent, pacing, and felt safety

• Therapeutic attunement to body sensations, emotions, and boundaries

• Integration with talk therapy, somatic tracking, or IFS/parts work

• No manipulation or pressure—only non-invasive, relational touch

You are always in charge of the process. NAT is collaborative, respectful, and invitational.

Who Can Benefit from NeuroAffective Touch?

NAT can be especially helpful for clients who:

• Feel “cut off” from their body or emotions

• Have early attachment injuries or childhood trauma

• Experience somatic symptoms with no medical explanation

• Struggle with intimacy, self-regulation, or dissociation

• Want to deepen their trauma healing beyond talk therapy

Clients often report a growing sense of:

• Inner calm and regulation

• Body-mind integration

• Greater emotional range

• Restored trust in themselves and others

Why We Offer NAT at CARE Counseling, Inc.

Our trauma-informed clinicians understand that not all healing happens in language. We are committed to integrative, body-centered care that supports the full human experience—mind, body, and nervous system.

NeuroAffective Touch can be offered as:

• A standalone therapy

• Integrated within somatic or relational sessions

• Combined with modalities like IFS, Brainspotting, or EMDR

• A gentle first step for clients learning to reconnect with their bodies

We always prioritize choice, consent, and collaboration.

Let’s Reconnect—Gently, Safely, Together

If you’ve ever felt like something is “missing” in talk therapy… or that your body carries things your words can’t explain… you are not alone.

At CARE Counseling, Inc., we are here to help you heal—not just from the neck up, but from the inside out.

Your body remembers. And it deserves to feel safe again.