Meeting the Inner Protector – When Vulnerability Doesn’t Feel Safe
somatic therapy workshop in Berlin – embodied emotional healing
We Don’t Shut Down Without a Reason
You’re in a space you feel safe.
You sit down to write.
You’re in session.
You’ve taken the breath.
You’ve done the work.
And then:
Blank.
Flat.
Gone.
No access to the part you wanted to share.
No clarity in what felt open just a moment ago.
This is often the moment people say:
“Something’s wrong with me.”
“I must be blocked.”
“I don’t know why I shut down.”
Here’s what I’ve learned in over a decade of somatic work:
You’re not broken.
You’re protected.
Who Is the Inner Protector?
The inner protector is a somatic pattern — a part of your nervous system that steps in when vulnerability doesn’t feel safe.
It doesn’t come from fear of emotion.
It comes from fear of not being seen in that emotion.
Big difference.
This part of you may show up as
Holding back words when you try to speak from the heart
Tightening in the jaw or gut
Sudden overthinking or withdrawal
Feeling small, unworthy, or invisible
Numbing out or changing the subject
It’s not sabotage.
It’s loyalty.
The protector learned early on that certain parts of you — the soft ones, the sensitive ones — weren’t welcomed.
Maybe they were ignored.
Maybe they were too much for the room.
Maybe they weren’t met with the kind of presence they needed.
So this part of you stepped in to keep things intact. To keep you safe.
And it’s doing its job very well.
A Personal Moment
Just last week, I sat in a bright café in Berlin after a long walk. The kind of morning where my body felt open and alive.
I was ready to write. The sun was hitting the table, coffee warm in my hand. I had a story I wanted to share — something real, something close to the heart.
And then: nothing.
My thoughts slipped away. My chest tightened. I stared at the page.
Nothing moved.
In the past, I would have pushed through. Tried harder.
Instead, I paused.
And then I heard the whisper inside:
“Careful. What if no one gets it? What if you’re not received again?”
That’s when I recognized the protector.
Not blocking me.
Guarding the part of me that still remembered not being seen.
The younger one. The one who once spoke honestly and was met with silence.
This isn’t about weakness.
This is how the nervous system survives in a world that often doesn’t know how to listen.
How Somatic Therapy Meets the Protector
In somatic work, we don’t try to break through these patterns.
We listen.
We slow down.
We don’t say:
“Let it go.”
We ask:
“What’s not feeling safe right now?”
Often, the protector doesn’t need to be pushed aside.
It needs to be acknowledged.
Met with care.
Respected for the job it’s done — and gently reminded that the world is different now.
Sometimes the shift happens in stillness.
Sometimes through touch, or movement, or color — like in my recent experience using deep blue to access an old pain center in my lower back.
The body remembers, and it speaks in sensation — not just words.
What You Can Do When the Protector Shows Up
When you feel yourself shut down or freeze, try this:
Pause.
Don’t force the next step. Let the moment be as it is.
Breathe into your body.
Where do you feel the tension? Where did the openness disappear?
Ask gently:
What part of me isn’t feeling seen right now?
Place a hand on your body.
Chest, belly, wherever the sensation is strongest. Offer warmth.
Say (silently or out loud):
“I see you. I get why you’re here.”
That’s enough.
This isn’t about digging deeper or fixing.
It’s about making contact — just enough to let the protector know it’s not alone anymore.
This Is the Work We’ll Do Together
In response to this theme — and the countless times I’ve witnessed this in sessions — I’ve created a new workshop in Berlin:
Feel Your Body. Listen Deeper.
A day of guided exploration, movement, and connection to the wisdom of your own body.
The focus?
Meeting what’s there.
Learning to listen to the subtle signals.
And creating space for the parts of you that rarely get to speak.
I’m still finalizing the location — but the waitlist is open.
Final Words
The protector isn’t a problem to solve.
It’s a signal — a wise part of your system letting you know that something precious is close.
We don’t need to fight it.
We need to meet it.
And sometimes, that’s all the body needs — to be met where it’s been waiting for years.
Let this be your reminder:
Even the parts that hide want to be seen.
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inner protector, trauma healing, feeling seen, somatic therapy, emotional safety, nervous system, vulnerability