What is Somatic Therapy?
Mind-Body Connection
Moving Beyond Talk Therapy to the Wisdom of the Body
While traditional therapy often focuses on the narrative (the "story" of what happened) somatic therapy invites the body into the conversation. The word somatic is derived from the Greek word soma, meaning "the living body in its wholeness." This approach recognizes that our experiences, especially traumas, are not just stored in our memories but are etched into our nervous systems, muscles, and posture. By shifting the focus from what you are thinking to what you are sensing, we can access and release deep-seated patterns that talk therapy alone may not reach.
The Language of the Nervous System
Understanding Regulation, Resonance, and the Felt Sense
At the heart of somatic work is the study of the autonomic nervous system and its role in our emotional well-being. When we experience stress or trauma, our bodies can become "stuck" in states of high arousal (anxiety/fight-or-flight) or low arousal (depression/shutdown). Somatic therapy teaches you to track your "felt sense," the internal physical sensations that signal your emotional state, to help expand your window of tolerance. Through techniques like grounding, titration, and pendulation, we work to re-establish a sense of safety and resilience, allowing your system to return to a state of calm and connection.
The Path to Somatic Integration
Befriending the Self through Movement and Play
Healing is not merely the absence of symptoms, but the presence of vitality and integration. By incorporating psychodynamics and play therapy into a somatic framework, we create a space to explore the unconscious through movement, gesture, and creative expression. This process allows the many "parts" of the self (including the inner child and your protectors) to be seen and heard in their physical form. Whether working with children or adults, this integrative approach fosters a radical befriending of the self, transforming old survival strategies into new, flexible ways of being in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a typical somatic session actually look like?
Unlike a traditional session where we stay purely in the cognitive story, a somatic session periodically pauses the narrative to check in with the body. We might explore how a certain memory changes your breathing, where you feel tension when discussing a specific person, or what authentic impulses your body has in a moment of stress. Sessions can include guided grounding, visualization work, mindful movement, expressive arts, or different kinds of "play" to help you move through a physical sensation rather than just talking about it.
Do I have to do "exercises" or move a lot to do this work?
Not necessarily. Somatic work is about awareness more than exertion. Sometimes "movement" is as subtle as noticing a shift in your posture or a change in your heart rate. While we may use more active modalities like flow arts or play therapy if it feels right for your process, the goal is always to follow your body's natural pace. We never force a movement; we simply create the space for your body to express what it has been holding.
How do I know if I’m "in" my Window of Tolerance?
The Window of Tolerance is the zone where you can effectively process emotions without becoming overwhelmed (hyper-arousal) or shutting down (hypo-arousal). In our sessions, we work on tracking your nervous system. You’ll learn to recognize the physical indications that you are reaching your edge (such as a tight chest or a sense of numbness) and we will use somatic tools to bring you back into a state of regulated safety.
Can this help with feelings or memories that I can’t put into words?
Yes, and this is precisely where a somatic approach excels! We often carry "unnameable knowns" - deep-seated sensations, gut feelings, or patterns of tension that represent memories stored in the body long before we had the language to describe them. Because trauma and early developmental experiences are often processed in the non-verbal parts of the brain (the limbic system and brainstem), they can feel impossible to talk through. Somatic therapy bypasses the need for a perfect narrative by befriending the body, allowing us to process and release the stuck energy of the past without needing to find the "right" words first, moving toward a sense of wholeness that feels lived rather than just understood.