Somatic Therapy
Understanding Somatic Therapy and Its Benefits
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy, also known as body-centered therapy, is a holistic approach to healing that recognizes the deep connection between the mind and body. It’s based on the understanding that our emotions, especially those tied to trauma, don’t just live in our minds—they also show up in our bodies. By integrating physical and psychological techniques, somatic therapy helps heal in ways that traditional talk therapy alone can’t reach.
Trauma and PTSD
Chronic pain
Anxiety and depression
Body awareness
Emotional regulation
Physical symptoms of stress
Developed in part by Peter Levine, who created Somatic Experiencing in the 1970s, somatic therapy has been shown to be effective for treating PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, and more. Research from reputable journals like the Journal of Traumatic Stress and Plos One highlights its benefits for a variety of conditions, including fibromyalgia, substance use, and chronic low back pain.
"The cure for pain is in the pain."
How Somatic Experiencing Works and Its Benefits
The Mind-Body Connection
Trauma experts like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk have long known that trauma isn’t just a mental experience—it’s stored in our bodies and nervous system. Somatic therapy works by tapping into this connection, addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of trauma.
When we experience emotions, our nervous system reacts—this could mean a racing heart, shallow breathing, or tight muscles when we’re afraid. But the reverse is also true: physical sensations can impact our emotions. Chronic muscle tension, for example, can fuel feelings of anxiety or irritability.
In short, emotions and physical sensations are intertwined. The more we understand this connection, the better we can regulate our emotional responses and improve our overall well-being.
This interconnection means that:
- Emotional experiences leave imprints on the body
- Physical experiences can evoke emotional responses
- The state of your nervous system influences both your physical sensations and emotional experiences
Understanding this connection is key in Somatic Therapy. By learning to recognize and influence these patterns, you can gain more control over your emotional responses and overall well-being.
"Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going on inside ourselves."
The Process and Benefits of Somatic Therapy
When integrating Somatic Therapy into our sessions, you can expect to focus on some or all of the following:
Body Awareness: Paying attention to your physical sensations, posture, and movements helps you connect to how emotions and stress show up in the body.
Releasing Stored Tension: Gentle exercises, stretching, or specific movements help release tension that may be tied to past emotional experiences.
Nervous System Regulation: Techniques like controlled breathing and grounding exercises help calm your nervous system, shifting you from a “fight-or-flight” response to a more relaxed state.
Mindfulness Practices: You’ll learn to observe your bodily sensations without judgment, which helps process emotions more effectively.
Resourcing: You’ll identify positive physical sensations that bring comfort, which you can draw upon when you feel stressed or overwhelmed.
Titration: In trauma work, I guide you through processing difficult memories in manageable steps, helping you avoid emotional overwhelm.
Completion of Survival Responses: If you’ve experienced trauma, we may explore completing physical responses (like running or fighting back) that were interrupted during the event.
Integration: You’ll verbalize your physical sensations to better integrate them with your thoughts and emotions.
Experiential Exercises: I might use role-playing, movement, or guided imagery to help you explore emotions through the body.
Some forms of somatic therapy may also involve appropriate touch to help release tension or deepen body awareness, always with your consent and comfort in mind.
Above all, somatic therapy is a collaborative process. You’re always in control, and we’ll move at a pace that feels right for you. The goal is to help you reconnect with your body, feel more in tune with your emotions, and gain tools to manage stress and challenges.
Somatic Therapy with Other Modalities
While somatic therapy can be highly effective on its own, it often works even better when combined with other therapies. Its holistic approach to the mind-body connection makes it a perfect complement to therapies like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Psychodynamic Therapy, and more.
The tools you’ll learn in our sessions will not only help you in therapy but also give you lifelong strategies to understand how your body’s sensations impact your emotional state, and vice versa.
Why I Specialize in Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy gives you the power to reconnect with your body, offering a path to healing from trauma that goes beyond the mind. Often, trauma triggers two main states in the body: hyperarousal (feeling constantly on edge) or hypoarousal (feeling emotionally numb or disconnected). Both states can leave you feeling stuck, unable to think clearly or make decisions that serve you.
When you’re in these states, your nervous system is too focused on survival to access your reasoning and problem-solving abilities. Cognitive therapies like CBT can struggle in these states because the body isn’t calm enough to allow the brain to function effectively.
Somatic therapy changes this by working with your body’s sensations to regulate your nervous system, bringing you back into a state where you can think clearly and make empowered decisions. It’s about putting your conscious mind back in the driver’s seat of your life.
Let Me Help You Reconnect with Your Body So You Can Live More Freely
Somatic therapy has profoundly impacted my own healing journey, and I’m passionate about sharing it with others. If you’re curious about how it can help you, I invite you to schedule a free 20-minute consultation to explore how we can work together to bring more peace, presence, and freedom into your life.
