What is Somatic Therapy?

​​Somatic therapy is a bottom- up integrative approach to talk therapy. This approach to therapy considers the human being as a whole, understanding that each system or component that makes up our being cannot be separated. Seeing the individual through this lens does not allow for the body and the feelings, sensations, posture and patterns to be ignored when addressing the mind and the thoughts, emotions, attitudes and belief systems, and vice versa. 

When we are able to make a connection within ourselves, we too come to experience that any one ‘part’ of us informs the rest of us, and that there is a lot of power and freedom that comes with taking agency in our experience. It’s often the counter view, that we have no control over our thoughts or our physical ailments, that leaves us feeling disempowered or helpless. 

Some people reach a threshold with traditional talk therapy because the ability to create change takes a lot of responsibility, motivation and awareness.

A fundamental way that we can break through these thresholds or limits is by seeing and feeling the evidence of change within our bodies. As for most of us, to be able to think critically, believe in something, or make sound decisions, we need a collection of trusted data points to reflect on to inform ourselves. Without a strong sense of navigation to lean on (call it intuition, or gut feelings), it’s easy to feel lost. This feeling of lostness can cause internal upset, leading us to disconnect from ourselves.

It may seem too obvious or simple, but the best way back to yourself, is through yourself. And the best way to connect to yourself is by connecting with your body.

If we don’t have a solid internal compass, life can feel out of control. We may find ourselves feeling anxious or flustered, addressing our day to day life like we are in some sort of danger. When we perceive danger (real or imagined) our stress response via our autonomic nervous system is activated, therefore we become hyper-vigilant and scanning our environment for threat, essentially expecting the worst. If we remain in this state for too long, we can become dysregulated. Living in a dysregulated state disrupts our hormonal rhythms, suppresses our immune system, decreases our ability to think logically or manage our emotions, tightens the tissues in our bodies, and much more. 

We can go to multiple health practitioners to address our different symptoms separately, or we can approach stress, anxiety and other uncomfortable feeling states through safely navigating the sensations and feelings in our bodies. Many of us seek a sense of safety or security in external things before learning to trust ourselves and our bodies. Somatic therapy will help guide you to form a healthy relationship with your body, so you can feel safe in the world. 

When we investigate posture, gesture, muscular patterns, emotional patterns and physiological arousals we use to express ourselves through somatic therapy, we are better able to find the root causes of what is keeping us sick or stuck.  

Rather than telling ourselves or our therapists stories that validate our beliefs about ourselves, we can find true evidence in what the body is doing. There is so much relief when we are totally honest with ourselves and the people around us- even if those truths are hard. When there is a sense of relief, our nervous system relaxes, which communicates a sense of safety throughout the body and ease in letting go. This alone helps to facilitate a self regulation process, restoring harmony, homeostasis and overall well being.