Somatic Therapy

Often, I have found many of us feeling disconnected with our bodies, our experiences. Somatic therapy helps us become in tune with our physical sensations such as tension, numbness, tightness. This attunement helps us process emotional pain, trauma or anxiety. The idea is that our experiences or trauma aren't just stored in the brain-it's held in the body too. Through somatic therapy, we integrate talk therapy with body-based techniques to help release this stored tension. 

 

Some common techniques used during somatic therapy include:

 

• Body awareness: Noticing breath, posture, muscle tension, heart rate

• Grounding: Techniques to help feel present and safe in the body (e.g. feeling feet on the ground)

• Movement: Stretching, shaking, or gentle movement to release tension

• Breathwork: Conscious breathing to calm or energize the nervous system

• Touch therapy: Gentle, safe therapeutic touch (in some modalities)

• Pendulation: Moving between calm and distress to build emotional resilience