Genital Armoring: How the Body Holds Trauma & Blocks Pleasure

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In This Episode

We explore genital armoring—how the body stores sexual trauma, tension, and protective patterns that limit pleasure and sensation with Susanne Roursgaard. You’ll learn how these patterns form and how somatic healing can restore sensitivity, aliveness, and connection.

Today’s Guest:

Susanne Roursgaard, creator and founder of The Gaia Method (since 2010), has decades of experience as a practitioner, therapist, teacher and workshop leader.  With her passion for helping others to feel freedom, safety, boundaries, joy, compassion and love, she is dedicated to bringing healing and trauma release to her clients – to feel natural sensitivity and pleasure in the body, to feel alive, to be at home in their body and to have peace of mind. In essence, to help people discover who they really are.

Susanne is and has always been very curious, wanting to know and understand life. This has lead to a variety of education as a Psychotherapist, Body-oriented Trauma Therapist, Sexologist specializing in Sexual Abuse, Family Therapist, Couples Counsellor, Interspiritual trainer, certified TRE-provider, and last but not least, her medical background working as a Danish Midwife for 23 years.

Susanne was born in Denmark, now living more around the world than any specific place. Her bases are The Netherlands and Denmark. She is a mother of 2 children, both young adults now. 

Susanne is now sharing her life, her path and work with her beloved Adam Beker. She is a Shamanic and Tantric practitioner with a committed meditation practice. 

What You’ll Learn About Genital Armoring & Sexual Trauma

Go Deeper: Related Articles

• Why Can’t I Feel Anything During Sex?
• What Is Genital De-armoring?

Common Questions About This Episode

Who is Susanne Roursgaard?

Susanne Roursgaard is the creator and founder of The Gaia Method, which she has developed since 2010. Her training spans psychotherapy, body-oriented trauma therapy, sexology with a focus on sexual abuse, family and couples counseling and TRE certification, and she worked as a Danish midwife for 23 years. She is also a shamanic and tantric practitioner and joins Rahi Chun for this conversation.

What is genital armoring?

Genital armoring describes how the body can store sexual trauma, tension and protective patterns in the genitals. In this episode, Susanne estimates that up to 80 percent of sexual armor comes from early childhood, before age seven. Somatic healing can help restore sensitivity, aliveness and connection.

What are the signs of genital armoring?

Susanne explains that boredom or frustration during intimacy can be a signal of genital armor. Another sign is when the body responds physiologically to arousal while the person does not feel embodied pleasure. She describes how permission and conviction can help bridge that gap.

Can pregnancy and childbirth bring up past sexual trauma?

Yes, drawing on her years as a midwife, Susanne shares how pregnancy and childbirth can trigger memories of past sexual violation. Her work with clients who had histories of sexual abuse led her to specialize in genital de-armoring. She also discusses how the energetic interruption of an unintended C-section may be addressed through the cervix.

How does genital de-armoring work?

In this conversation, Rahi and Susanne discuss being with what is, without imposing an outside agenda, as a way to invite the body’s trust and responsiveness. This gentle presence allows protective patterns to soften in their own time. As the episode reminds us, slow is the fastest way.