An Emerging-Evidence Modality
Tension and Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) is an emerging-evidence modality within CROWN’s 360° Integrative Mind-Body Therapeutic Protocol. Developed by Dr. David Berceli, TRE uses specific physical exercises to activate neurogenic tremoring — the body’s natural mechanism for discharging muscular tension following acute stress. CROWN includes TRE in the protocol because it addresses a specific dimension of discrimination trauma — chronic, somatically held tension — that is not fully reached by cognitive or talk-based therapies.
As with EFT, CROWN is transparent about TRE’s evidence status. The modality has a credible theoretical basis and promising preliminary findings. It does not yet have the depth of clinical validation that characterises CBT or yoga therapy. CROWN’s clinical validation programme evaluates TRE’s specific contribution within the integrated protocol.
What TRE Is
TRE is a series of exercises designed to fatigue specific muscle groups — particularly the psoas, hip flexors, and quadriceps — in a way that activates involuntary neurogenic tremoring. This tremoring is a natural mammalian stress-discharge mechanism observable across species: animals that survive threat events often exhibit visible shaking or trembling as the body returns to homeostasis.
In humans, this tremoring response is frequently suppressed — socially (trembling is perceived as weakness) and pharmacologically (anxiolytics dampen motor activation). TRE’s hypothesis is that deliberately activating this suppressed mechanism allows the body to complete the stress-discharge cycle that chronic tension interrupts.
The TRE process typically involves:
- A series of standing exercises designed to progressively fatigue the target muscle groups.
- Lying down in a specific position (knees bent, feet together, knees apart) that facilitates the onset of tremoring.
- Allowing the tremoring to occur without conscious control, for a period determined by the practitioner and client together.
- Gradually bringing the tremoring to a close through controlled movement.
The process does not require talking about traumatic experiences, making it accessible to individuals who find verbal processing of discrimination experiences difficult or retraumatising.
The Evidence Landscape
TRE’s evidence base is developing. The theoretical foundation draws on established neuroscience — the role of the autonomic nervous system in stress response, the concept of “somatic experiencing” articulated by Peter Levine, and the well-documented phenomenon of neurogenic tremoring in mammals. The clinical evidence, while promising, is limited in scale.
Supporting evidence:
- Berceli et al. (2014) reported preliminary findings from a study of TRE with military personnel, documenting reductions in PTSD symptom severity and improvements in sleep quality.
- Heath and Beattie (2019) conducted a systematic review of TRE research, identifying positive outcomes across multiple studies for stress reduction, improved sleep, and reduced muscular tension, while noting that most studies were small and lacked rigorous control conditions.
- McCann (2011) documented qualitative outcomes of TRE in humanitarian aid workers exposed to chronic occupational stress, reporting themes of physical relief, improved sleep, and reduced somatic symptoms.
Limitations:
Large-scale randomised controlled trials of TRE are limited. The existing evidence is drawn primarily from small samples, often without adequate control conditions. The mechanism of action — specifically, whether the benefits arise from the tremoring itself, from the relaxation that follows muscle fatigue, or from the self-care and body-awareness dimensions of the practice — is not definitively established.
CROWN presents these limitations honestly. TRE is included in the protocol because its mechanism addresses a specific clinical need, not because its evidence base is mature.
How CROWN Applies TRE
Within the 360° Protocol, created by Yanina Soumaré, TRE addresses the chronic somatic tension that accumulates from sustained discrimination stress.
The Somatic Imprint of Discrimination
Individuals who have experienced years or decades of appearance-based discrimination often carry chronic muscular tension that persists even when the discriminatory environment is no longer present. This tension represents the body’s adaptation to a sustained threat — muscles that were chronically contracted in vigilance or protection do not automatically release when the threat is removed.
Common tension patterns in individuals who have experienced hair discrimination include:
- Neck and shoulders: Protective contraction around the head and hair, often unconscious, maintained during social interactions where hair has previously attracted negative attention.
- Jaw and facial muscles: Sustained social vigilance — monitoring others’ reactions to one’s appearance — produces chronic tension in the muscles of facial expression and jaw clenching.
- Psoas and hip flexors: The psoas muscle, which connects the spine to the legs, is particularly responsive to threat perception. Chronic activation manifests as lower back pain, restricted hip mobility, and a perpetual state of physical readiness.
- Scalp tension: Both from psychological stress and from the physical practices (tight braiding, chemical treatment, heat styling) often adopted in response to discriminatory pressure.
CBT can help an individual understand why they carry this tension. Yoga therapy can help them become aware of it. TRE offers a pathway for the body to release it — through a mechanism that operates below the level of conscious control.
The Non-Verbal Pathway
For some individuals, the most harmful experiences of discrimination are also the hardest to articulate. They may not have clear narrative memories to process through EFT or cognitive restructuring through CBT. They may simply carry a pervasive physical tension and hypervigilance whose origins are diffuse rather than event-specific.
TRE’s non-verbal mechanism is particularly valuable for these individuals. The practice does not require identifying specific traumatic memories, articulating emotional experiences, or engaging in cognitive analysis. It works directly with the body’s held tension, allowing discharge without the requirement for conscious narrative processing.
Clinical Safeguards
TRE within the 360° Protocol is always conducted under the supervision of a trained practitioner who can monitor the tremoring process, regulate its intensity, and provide grounding if the experience becomes overwhelming. Practitioners are trained to recognise signs of emotional flooding or dissociation during TRE and to transition smoothly to grounding techniques — including breathwork — when needed.
The protocol does not use TRE in early sessions. It is introduced after a therapeutic relationship has been established, after breathwork skills are in place for self-regulation, and after CBT has provided a cognitive framework for understanding what may arise during somatic processing.
Expected Outcomes
Participants working with TRE within CROWN’s 360° Protocol may expect:
- Reduction in chronic muscular tension, particularly in the patterns described above
- Improved physical ease and range of motion
- Reduced somatic symptoms (headaches, jaw pain, lower back tension) associated with chronic stress
- Improved sleep quality, particularly for individuals whose sleep is disrupted by physical tension
- A sense of physical release that complements the cognitive and emotional work of other modalities
These outcomes are evaluated within CROWN’s clinical validation programme, which includes both self-report measures of physical symptoms and, where feasible, physiological measurements of muscular tension and relaxation.
Within the 360° Protocol
TRE occupies a specific niche within the integrated protocol. It addresses what cognitive therapy cannot reach (unconscious somatic tension), what yoga therapy approaches from a different angle (conscious body awareness versus involuntary release), and what breathwork regulates at the autonomic level but does not directly discharge at the muscular level.
The modalities are not competing approaches. They are complementary tools, each addressing a different dimension of the multi-layered harm that identity-based discrimination produces. TRE’s contribution is in the realm of deep, physically held tension — the body’s memory of sustained threat — and its release.