In today’s fast-paced world, our minds are constantly stimulated – planning, analysing, prioritising often trapping us in loops of thought at the expense of feeling. Meanwhile, our bodies run in the background, propelled by mental checklists and to-do lists, rarely given a chance to pause. Yet, it is the body that holds deep, innate intelligence. When we care for and regulate our nervous system, the body becomes the foundation for emotional stability, improved mood, and day-to-day wellbeing. Somatic therapy recognises this honouring the body as a vital and intelligent partner in the healing process.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to mental health that integrates traditional talk therapy with awareness of bodily sensations, posture, breath, and movement. The word somatic comes from the Greek word soma, meaning “the living body.” This therapy recognises that trauma, stress, and emotional experiences don’t just affect our thoughts – they also live in our bodies.
Unlike traditional approaches that focus primarily on cognition or behaviour, somatic therapy helps clients tune into how emotions manifest physically and supports the body in releasing stuck energy or tension related to past experiences.
Why the Body Matters in Therapy
When we go through overwhelming or distressing events whether it’s a car accident, a painful breakup, or long-term emotional neglect, our body creates survival responses. Sometimes these reactions get “stuck,” leading to symptoms like:
- Chronic tension or pain
- Fatigue and sleep disturbances
- Anxiety or panic
- Emotional numbness or shutdown
- Hypervigilance or startle responses
Somatic therapy helps individuals process these experiences in a safe, regulated way, restoring a sense of safety and control.
Core Practices in Somatic Therapy
Some commonly used somatic techniques include:
- Grounding and orienting exercises
- Breathwork for regulation
- Body scans to increase interoceptive awareness
- Titration and pendulation (slowly approaching distress in small doses)
- Touch work (when appropriate and consented to)
- Movement and posture tracking
These practices help clients build a deeper relationship with their body, cultivating trust, stability, and emotional clarity.
Who Is It For?
Somatic therapy can benefit a wide range of people, including those experiencing:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and chronic stress
- Dissociation or feeling “disconnected”
- Depression and emotional numbness
- Relationship issues rooted in attachment patterns
- Eating disorders and body image struggles
- Chronic illness or somatic symptoms without a clear medical cause
This approach is especially helpful for people who struggle to verbalise their experiences or feel like they “understand everything logically” but still feel stuck.
The Benefits of Somatic Therapy
- Greater regulation of the nervous system
- Improved connection to bodily cues (like hunger, rest, boundaries)
- Release of trauma held in the body
- Increased emotional resilience and capacity to manage distress
- Stronger mind-body integration
- A felt sense of safety, connection, and agency
Clients often describe feeling more present, empowered, and alive after integrating somatic tools into their healing.
What To Expect in a Somatic Session
Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and paced with your comfort in mind. Your clinician may guide you through a brief grounding practice, help you notice sensations in your body, or support you in exploring a difficult memory with care. There is no expectation to relive trauma instead, the focus is on building safety, regulation, and embodiment.
The Body Remembers And Can Also Heal
Somatic therapy honours the truth that healing doesn’t just happen through insight it happens through felt experience. It reconnects us to the body as a source of strength, intuition, and healing.
Whether you’ve experienced trauma, feel stuck in old patterns, or simply want to feel more grounded and whole, somatic therapy offers a path home to yourself.
Interested in exploring somatic therapy?
Our clinic offers trauma-informed, body-based therapy with qualified therapists trained in somatic approaches. Reach out today to book a session or learn more.
