To experience embodied awareness, take notice of the underlying sensations that actually inform you about how you feel. If you were to be asked how you feel when you are stressed or in pain, a common answer might be, “I feel anxious” or “I feel upset.” It’s important to go further by becoming curious about how you know that you’re feeling anxious or upset. Is there a tightness or burning that is happening right now inside of you that you are labeling “anxiety” or “upset”?
-Peter Levine
Somatic Work
Trauma can register within our bodies on a cellular level. What that means to an individual — and how best to heal from serious traumas encountered in life — is the focus of a newer form of mental health counseling known as somatic therapy.
The resounding success of The Body Keeps the Score testifies to mounting public awareness that trauma affects people deeply. Our bodies remember, and we can work with the body to resolve stress and trauma.
What's the fundamental concept? It's a treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within and express themselves via the body. Somatic therapies posit that our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved emotional issues can become 'trapped' inside. A trained practitioner works with you to find safe ways to get in tune with and work on completing stuck nervous system reponses.
Who might benefit from somatic therapy?
Since disturbing feelings often show up in the body in debilitating ways, somatic therapy aims to drain those emotions of their power, relieving pain and other manifestations of stress, such as disrupted sleep or an inability to concentrate.
These types of emotions can stem from a variety of conditions and circumstances that somatic therapy may potentially help alleviate. They include
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
complicated grief
depression
anxiety
trust and intimacy issues
self-esteem problems
Anxiety can lead to muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and back. It can cause a lot of discomfort, pain, stiffness, and trouble with daily activities. If we're experiencing chronic anxiety or distress, it's almost like we have our foot on a gas pedal. It's not a panic attack, but we're never feeling a reprieve and there's a constant wear and tear on the body.
Typical talk therapies such as CBT engage only the mind, not the body, encouraging people to become aware of disturbing thoughts and behavior patterns and work to change them.
But in somatic therapy, the body is the starting point to achieve healing. This form of therapy cultivates an awareness of bodily sensations, and teaches people to feel safe in their bodies while exploring thoughts, emotions, and memories.
Cognitive behavioral therapies focus on conscious thought and work on challenging thoughts in relation to anxiety and behaviors, helping desensitize people to uncomfortable sensations, but somatic therapy is more about relieving the tension, as opposed to desensitizing people to it.
Even mindfulness meditation, which some experts consider somatic in nature, differs in one key way from somatic therapy— Mindfulness meditation lets any feeling or emotion come into our minds without judgment, as opposed to homing in specifically on bodily sensations that are happening.
Ashley has been training with Somatic Experiencing International for the last three years, and is currently an Advanced Level I practitioner. She will be registered with SEI and have her certification in March of 2025. She would be honored to guide you through an Exploratory Somatic Experiencing Session, to help you determine whether this impactful, life-changing modality is right for you.
SOMATIC SUPPORTIVE TOUCH
Somatic supportive touch refers to a therapeutic approach that uses gentle, mindful touch to help a person connect deeply with their body, promoting relaxation and a sense of safety, often used to address stress, trauma, or emotional dysregulation by calming the nervous system through physical contact; it's a key component of somatic therapy, which focuses on body awareness and integrating physical sensations with emotional experiences.
Focus on body awareness:
The practitioner pays close attention to the client's body sensations and responds with touch that is tailored to their needs.
Gentle pressure:
Unlike massage, somatic touch often uses very light pressure to facilitate a sense of safety and calm.
Nervous system regulation:
The intention is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for relaxation and "rest and digest" functions.
Can be used for trauma recovery:
Somatic touch can be particularly helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma as it can help to release stored tension in the body.
What might a somatic touch session involve?
Holding: The practitioner may gently hold different parts of the body to provide a sense of support and stability.
Slow, mindful movements: Gentle rocking or swaying motions can be used to promote relaxation and body awareness.
Breathing techniques: Integrating breathwork can further enhance the calming effect of touch.