Heal relational trauma with Neuroaffective Touch®
Restoring connection, safety, and self-regulation where words alone cannot reach
NeuroAffective Touch® (NAT) is a specialised somatic modality created by Dr Aline LaPierre. By honoring the equal importance of the body and mind, NAT directly addresses emotional, relational, and developmental trauma that exists below the level of conscious language.
Because early life experiences and attachment bonds are registered in our physiology long before we develop verbal language, touch offers a direct, non-verbal doorway into the nervous system—helping to repair implicit memory and restore felt safety in relationship.
Your SKIN is a direct entry into your BRAIN.
Dr Aline LaPierre
Why NeuroAffective Touch®?
Many holding patterns, anxiety states, and relational difficulties originate in our early developmental years or pre-verbal life. When our early needs for safety, connection, or attunement weren't fully met, our physiology adapts by holding tension or pulling back from relationship.
NeuroAffective Touch® uses mindful, intentional touch to communicate directly with your nervous system, organs, and tissue. It provides a caring, regulated relational field where your body can discover what it feels like to be safely held, seen, and supported in real time.
A NeuroAffective Touch® Session
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Getting comfortable
Learning to have your needs met is one of the foundational keys to repairing relational trauma. In session, we take time to negotiate touch, positioning, and boundaries so your system learns that when you ask, you receive. Many people have never had their physical or emotional boundaries honored in this way—your body loves discovering this safety.
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Exploring
Bringing body sensations into gentle awareness creates space for genuine healing. As touch is applied—for instance, holding your shoulders or supporting your brainstem—we explore what arises in real time.
These are powerful relational explorations that give your physiology permission to unwind and update.
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Sharing
Sharing your experience during and after touch work helps your mind connect with what is occurring inside your body. This relational process—being deeply seen, heard, and met without judgement—bridges the gap between felt body sensation and conscious understanding.
FAQs
What does Neuro & Affective Mean?
Neuro - Touch is a profound form of non-verbal communication that reaches deep into our internal space. Therapeutic touch does not merely touch the surface of the skin; it contacts thousands of sensory nerve receptors in your joints, muscles, connective tissue, and organs. These receptors send immediate signals directly to the brain—hence the term Neuro.
Affective - Touch carries an immediate emotional resonance. During touch work, clients often share: "It feels like you are touching my emotions." Because our nervous system and emotional life are deeply intertwined, body touch naturally opens the door to emotional unwinding and integration—hence the term Affective.
What teachings and frameworks inform NeuroAffective Touch®?
NeuroAffective Touch® is a polyvagal-informed, psychobiological approach. It thoughtfully integrates key principles from:
Somatic psychotherapy
Attachment and developmental theory
Psychodynamic psychotherapy
Affective and interpersonal neurobiology
Polyvagal Theory (Dr Stephen Porges)
Where to Begin
The best way to 'get' this work is in a session where you can experience the process in your body.