The ABCs, Reimagined:A Trauma-Informed, Somatic(ish) Twist on a Classic Therapy Tool

If you’re a therapist working with clients living in the long shadow of loss, chaos, or emotional neglect, you know how hard it is to catch those lightning-fast trauma responses. By the time you’ve reached for any intervention—cognitive, somatic, or otherwise—the moment has already blown through the room. Trying to slow these reactions can feel like chasing a tornado with a butterfly net.

Before we dive in, click here for a free downloadable worksheet you can share with clients.

The Classic ABC Model in Session

One of my longtime favorites is the ABC model from Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).
On paper, it’s tidy and logical:

• A: Activating Event

• B: Beliefs

• C: Conclusion/Consequence

Here’s how it often plays out with clients:

• A: My boyfriend sent me an ambiguous text message.

• B: He probably doesn’t really like me. He’s going to break up with me. This always happens to me. I knew he was a jerk!

• C: I started texting other guys, and did some online shopping.

This sequence can help build self-awareness. But with clients whose stories are tangled up in old grief, trauma, and attachment wounds, it can feel a little... sterile. The model catches the thoughts but misses the rush—the ways the body leaps into survival mode before the mind can even finish a sentence.

A Modified, Somatic(ish) Approach

Over time, I started revising the ABC model to better fit what actually happens in the therapy room—where the body often tells the story before the client does.

Here’s how my updated ABC model works in session:

A: Activating Event
Example: “My client’s adult son moves into his own apartment and has no sheets or dishes. Mom notices, and her nervous system goes into Code Red.”

Therapist Move:
Encourage clients to name this moment. Even just labeling the trigger as “A” can slow the tumble.

B: Expanded Beliefs & Body
Instead of just exploring “What are you thinking?”, I now add:

• What story are you telling yourself?
  (Pull in examples from EMDR’s negative core beliefs list. Explore beliefs about self, others, and life.)

  
  “I failed. I haven’t prepared him for life. I have to fix this. He can’t cope. Life is always throwing him curveballs, and it isn’t fair.”
  

• What’s happening in your body as you tell it?
  (Encourage noticing sensations—chest tightness, shallow breath, restless energy.)
  

  “Heaviness in my chest. Shallow breath. Restless energy. I might need to sway, shake, or take a deep breath.”

Practice The Three-Minute Pause:
Place a hand on your heart.
Notice the urge to act.
Ask: “What does my own body need right now?”

C: Consequences of Beliefs/Body States

Classic C asks “What did you do as a result of your beliefs?” In this case, maybe Mom rushes to buy supplies, scrolls endlessly, or spirals into guilt.

Somatic C goes deeper, asking “How did your beliefs and bodily state drive your next move?”

The client learns to get curious about their body’s messages and needs. They learn to tolerate an array of sensations, and to begin to extend care to themselves before they spring into action.

Note: The Conclusion or Consequence is not a direct reaction to the activating event; it’s a response to the beliefs and body state!

NEW Consequences/Conclusions:
After the client has noticed and explored what their body is asking for, it’s time to revisit and challenge those beliefs. This is commonly called the “Crushing the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)” activity. Invite your client to revisit those beliefs about themselves, others, and the world, and to replace them with “counterarguments” and kinder statements. They’ll be better able to amend their thoughts when their body feels safer and more regulated.

Why This Matters
For clients with relational trauma, the urge to fix or control isn’t just a “bad habit”—it’s the residue of a past that demanded more than they could possibly give.

By reworking the ABCs to include the body, we help clients pause, care for themselves, and begin to rewrite the old survival stories—one pause, one breath at a time.

Try It In Your Practice
In your next session, invite your client to:

• Label their “A”—the activating event.

• Map their “B”—beliefs and bodily sensations.

• Pause before “C”—their automatic action. Ask: “What does my body need here?”

• Write down their ANTs, and try a gentle counter-argument.

• Celebrate even the smallest moment of noticing. That’s new wiring, right there.

Let’s keep sharpening our tools—softer, deeper, more human every year.

If you’ve made your own modifications, I’d love to hear them! Drop your thoughts in the comments or reach out. We’re all in this together, one sacred pause at a time.