Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy is an approach that incorporates body and mind and holds the importance of gestures, body language, sensations, and physiological processes alongside thoughts and verbal processing. There are many different forms of somatic therapy and somatic therapies have been practiced for many years, in many cultures, across the world. I primarily incorporate Somatic Experiencing into my work.
Benefits of Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy allows us to explore sensations, emotions, body language, imagery, and thoughts in order to explore an experience or a difficulty in your life in its entirety. In somatic methods, it is believed that thoughts, emotions, and sensations all influence one another and it is healing to bring all into the work together.
Somatic Therapy can support with:
Resolving symptoms of trauma, such as intrusive memories, feeling on edge, feeling emotionally numb, sleep disturbances, physical pain, or intense experiences of emotions
Increasing resiliency and capacity to navigate stressors socially, emotionally, and physically
Increasing ability to be with self in the moment, to experience the present, to feel more connected to daily life
Feeling ability to develop resources for support within self
Improving sense of connection in relationships with others and to the world around you
What does this look like in a session?
Somatic therapy can look different in each session. We may incorporate mindful awareness, movement, breath work, or the exploration of gestures or body language. We may also take time to explore sensations, emotions, and thoughts around experiences you are sharing in a session to see what further information may exist. These are only a few ways that somatic therapy may be incorporated and the core component that will be present will be an invitation in each session to explore in a mind-body connected way.
I am currently a student in the Somatic Experiencing Professional Training Program, seeking to complete the educational and related requirements of the program to use the Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner credential.