Sarah Cannata is a passionate advocate for healing through embodied writing and body-based techniques. With a rich background in journaling, meditation, and embodied processing (EP), Sarah has transformed her personal journey of overcoming trauma into a powerful method to help others connect with their inner selves. As a certified EP Practitioner, she combines expressive writing with mindfulness and body-awareness practices to empower individuals to navigate challenges, regulate their nervous systems, and embrace a holistic path to well-being.
In this interview, Sarah shares insights into her journey, the creation of “Storytelling for the Soul,” and the transformative impact of her approach.
How did your journey with embodied writing and body-based techniques begin, and how have they transformed your life?
I’ve been journaling since I was around 12 years old. Many things have come and gone throughout my life, but writing has been my constant safety blanket. There is something special about words that are for your eyes only. If people are interested in the science behind the benefits of writing, I encourage them to look into expressive writing.
For most of my life, I treated my past as though it didn’t happen and never made the time to revisit the experiences that required further processing. When I turned 30, running away was no longer an option because my body was telling me something was wrong. I was struggling to sleep and experiencing intensifying gut issues. I started experimenting with modalities like meditation and breath-work and, a few years later, discovered embodied processing (EP). EP is a body-based approach to working with trauma, and I am a certified EP Practitioner through The Centre for Healing in Australia.
Blending EP and journaling was a game-changer as I started feeling into my body from the neck down as I wrote. Writing was no longer solely a cerebral process. EP and embodied writing or journaling is a lifestyle. Healing is an ongoing journey, and while there are always more layers to explore, my gut issues and quality of life generally are considerably better because I now understand how to regulate my nervous system.
What inspired you to create Storytelling for the Soul, and how does it empower individuals to explore their inner world?
When I started blending embodied writing with EP, I wanted to see if the benefits I experienced would apply to others. I started running sessions with people who wanted help with specific symptoms like being overwhelmed, stressed, and burnt out and who were open to writing. I completed session after session with people who all benefitted from our work together in different ways. I also encouraged them to continue the practices outside our sessions as this work is a lifestyle.
What strikes me about our modern world is that despite how connected we are through technology, we’re generally more disconnected than ever. Many people are so busy going through the motions daily that they never notice what’s happening in their bodies. I was one of those people. I was an ambitious woman; I had my goals, and nothing was going to prevent me from achieving them. Until my body started breaking down. People usually come to me with a specific challenge they’d like to explore, and we do so by combining EP and journaling. If you imagine an iceberg, we explore what’s happening beneath the surface in embodied writing sessions.
Can you explain how combining writing with embodied processing and mindfulness helps clients address and work through trauma?
Trauma occurs in the body, which means it must be processed in the body. Many trauma experts are far more qualified to talk about its complexities, so I encourage people to research trauma further if this interests them. Bessel van der Kolk, Gabor Maté and Irene Lyon are good people to start with. Trauma is part of the human experience, and we all have trauma to some degree on a spectrum. It’s also highly subjective, which means what may be traumatic for you, is not traumatic for me and vice-versa.
I combine writing and EP to work with the autonomic nervous system, which controls the body’s automatic functions that we need for survival (for example, digestion, breathing and heart rate). We do this by building a resource (this is an EP term) and using writing and other body-based techniques like sighing and rubbing our hands together at varying paces. There are many different techniques. I’ll expand on what a resource is in the next question.
For example, when I was experiencing gut issues, I’d describe what the sensations in my body felt like in writing and use my resource whenever they were becoming too much for me. I realised through this work that I constantly felt like I had a knot in my stomach and explored this in more depth by myself and with other EP practitioners. I still use body-based techniques like sighing or rubbing my hands together whenever I feel I need to.
How do you create a safe, trauma-informed space for individuals to feel seen, heard, and supported during their healing journey?
Being present with a client and having the capacity to support them throughout the session with whatever surfaces are more important than any technique I may use. I start each session by helping people to find a resource. A resource is an EP term that refers to anything—internal or external—that allows a person to feel safe, grounded, connected, and better able to navigate emotions, challenges, or sensations arising in their body. If people cannot relate to words such as ‘safety’ or ‘grounded’, think of the opposite of overwhelm. A resource can be anything, and in my experience, it is very much a practice that, in most cases, I spend several sessions helping people to build, which can also change over time. Some examples are a pet, a memory, a place, etc. Once we have established the resource, we can explore whatever surfaces in the session, knowing we can also come back to the resource if someone’s nervous system tips into overwhelm.
Some people cannot feel their bodies when they start working with me. Everyone’s journey is different, and part of this work requires connecting with the client and using my intuition to guide the session. I aim to provide people with tools they can use daily. Writing is one of the most cost-effective, accessible, under-utilised tools. People can also use their resource in any situation as needed without anyone else having to be aware of what they are doing.
What advice would you give to someone new to using writing as a tool for personal growth and well-being?
Before delving too deep into this work, I encourage people to develop their resource. Writing can be triggering, particularly if we are exploring aspects of our lives that may be upsetting. Your body will tell you if your nervous system is tipping into an overwhelmed state – it’s vital that you listen. You can always come back to exploring a specific topic or challenge in the future – again, your body will tell you when it’s ready.
People can start by putting aside 5 to 10 minutes daily to write. Feel into your body as you write. Use journal prompts if you need help getting started and work up to free writing. Above all else, I encourage people to be open and curious while practising self-compassion. Catch yourself if you are judging what you’ve jotted down on paper. The quality of your writing is irrelevant to this work. I genuinely believe everyone is a writer – like any other skill, the more you write, the easier your words will flow.
People are welcome to visit my website, which has several free resources (including journal prompts) to get you started. And I am always happy to speak to anyone on Zoom who reaches out: [email protected]
To find out more about Sarah’s work, visit her website: www.sarahcannata.com
