Your Body Has Something to Say…

Have you ever noticed how your chest tightens when you’re anxious?

How your shoulders carry the weight of stress long after the stressful event has passed? Or how certain memories seem to live not just in your mind, but in the very tissues of your body? Your body has been keeping score all along storing experiences, emotions, and memories in ways that traditional talk therapy might not fully address. This is where somatic therapy enters, offering a pathway to healing that honors the profound wisdom of your embodied experience.

 What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy is a holistic approach that recognizes the body as an integral part of the therapeutic process. The word “somatic” comes from the Greek word “soma,” meaning “living body.” Rather than viewing the mind and body as separate entities, somatic therapy understands them as interconnected aspects of a unified system.

This approach recognizes that:

Trauma lives in the body as much as it lives in the mind.

Emotions have physical components that can be accessed and processed through bodily awareness

Healing happens through the body as well as through cognitive understanding

The nervous system holds patterns that can be gently reorganized through somatic interventions

The Science Behind the Approach

Research in neuroscience and trauma studies has validated what somatic practitioners have long understood: our bodies store emotional and traumatic experiences in ways that can impact our daily lives. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking work in “The Body Keeps the Score” demonstrates how trauma literally reshapes the brain and body, creating lasting changes in how we respond to the world. The autonomic nervous system our body’s automatic response system can become dysregulated by overwhelming experiences, leaving us stuck in patterns of:

Hypervigilance (constantly scanning for danger)

Hyperarousal (feeling amped up, anxious, or unable to settle)

Hypoarousal (feeling numb, disconnected, or shut down)

Oscillation between these states

What Somatic Therapy Looks Like

Contrary to what some might imagine, somatic therapy doesn’t require extensive physical movement or touch (though these can be incorporated if appropriate and consented to). Instead, it often involves:

Mindful Awareness: Learning to notice bodily sensations, breath patterns, and physical responses without judgment.

Gentle Movement: Simple exercises that help discharge stored tension and restore natural flow.

Breathwork: Using conscious breathing to regulate the nervous system and access deeper states of calm.

Grounding Techniques: Practices that help you feel more connected to your body and present moment.

Boundary Work: Exploring how your body communicates “yes” and “no” to help strengthen personal boundaries.

Titration: Working with small amounts of activation or sensation to prevent overwhelm while still processing stored experiences.

During somatic therapy, you might notice some of the following responses that are actually quite normal and often indicate that your body is processing and integrating experiences in healthy ways.

Spontaneous movements like stretching, yawning, or gentle trembling

Changes in breathing patterns as your nervous system recalibrates

Temperature fluctuations as blocked energy begins to move

Emotional releases that feel natural and integrated rather than overwhelming

Increased body awareness and sensitivity to internal signals

A sense of settling or deep relaxation as your system finds equilibrium

 Who Can Benefit from Somatic Therapy?

Trauma Survivors: Those who have experienced overwhelm that traditional talk therapy hasn’t fully addressed.

Anxiety and Panic: Individuals whose anxiety manifests physically and who want to work with their body’s responses.
Chronic Pain: People whose physical symptoms may have emotional or stress-related components.

Relationship Difficulties: Those who struggle with boundaries, intimacy, or attachment patterns.
Life Transitions: Anyone navigating major changes who wants to process these shifts holistically.

Highly Sensitive People: Individuals who are naturally attuned to subtle energies and sensations.
Performance Issues: Artists, athletes, or professionals who want to work with stage fright, creative blocks, or performance anxiety.

The Gentleness of Somatic Work

One of the most beautiful aspects of somatic therapy is its inherent gentleness. Unlike approaches that might push you to “power through” difficult emotions, somatic work emphasizes:

Following Your Body’s Wisdom: Trusting that your system knows how to heal when given the right conditions

Respecting Your Pace: Moving at a speed that feels safe and sustainable for your nervous system.

Honoring Your Boundaries: Ensuring that you remain in your window of tolerance throughout the process.

Cultivating Self-Compassion: Learning to be kind to yourself as you navigate your healing journey.

Somatic therapy is not about fixing your body or forcing it to change. Instead, it’s about:

Developing a friendly relationship with your physical experience

Learning to trust your body’s signals and wisdom

Creating space for natural healing processes to unfold

Integrating mind and body** in your daily life

Building resilience from the inside out

Your body has been your companion through every experience of your life. It has protected you, carried you, and stored your memories with remarkable intelligence. Somatic therapy offers an opportunity to listen more deeply to what your body has been trying to tell you and to honor the wisdom it holds. If you’ve been feeling like something is missing from your healing journey, if you sense that your body holds pieces of your story that haven’t been fully heard, or if you’re curious about what it might feel like to inhabit your body more fully, somatic therapy might be the gentle invitation you’ve been waiting for. Your body has something to say. Are you ready to listen?