Somatic Therapy is for you if…

You feel overwhelmed, dysregulated or always on edge.

You feel emotionally distant, numb or disconnected.

You experience anxiety, chronic pain, fatigue or other mindbody (psychophysiological) symptoms.

You have low self-esteem.

Your internal dialogue is filled with pressure, criticism and negativity.

You obsess about your looks, always trying to present yourself perfectly.

Your self-worth depends on external validation or status recognition.

You feel like you have no purpose, doing a job just to get by.

You are a people pleaser, having a hard time saying no and setting boundaries.

You don’t experience joy or fulfilment in your life, even though things are going “well”.

You keep finding yourself in unhealthy relationship patterns (intimate, family, friends, colleagues).

You are hyper-independent and being vulnerable feels weak, scary or impossible.

You have a hard time opening up to real connection, intimacy or love.

You tend to overthink and ruminate over past events or what you could have done differently.

You get triggered easily, acting out of alignment or proportion.

You are living a life that doesn’t feel truly yours.

What happens in a Somatic Therapy session?

We will move through a uniquely tailored but sequential approach, blending various Somatic Practices; movement, tactics for nervous system regulation, and gentle touch (optional).

We follow what your system is ready for that day, making sure you feel grounded and safe at all times.

Although talking plays an important role in Somatic Therapy, it is not prioritised. We will focus on attuning to bodily cues; sensations, emotions, tensions or aches.

While doing this we allow them—through various techniques—to ‘speak’, soften, express, shift, move and eventually, integrate.

What will we focus on during a typical session?

We will work on undigested experiences.

We will work on emotional range and capacity.

We will work on self and body awareness.

We will build the capacity—progressively, safely, as directed by what you are ready for on a given day—to go towards what may have previously felt difficult or dangerous. Through this you will begin ‘teaching’ your nervous system new ways of interpreting the world; establishing a more systemic sense of safety and resilience in the process.

How can Somatic Therapy help you?

You will learn to identify your triggers, patterns and conditioned behaviours more easily.

You will learn to stay present through difficult sensations and emotions.

You will learn to self-regulate, both proactively and reactively.

You will learn to inhabit your body, space and time on your terms.

You will learn to feel freer and less inhibited by past conditioning and limiting beliefs.

Wondering how this different from the group of therapeutic practices often called ‘talk therapies’?

Psychotherapy is an evidence-based approach to therapy, often called ’talk therapy’. There are many different kinds of psychotherapy, including cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), dialectical behaviour therapy, psychodynamic therapy, psychoanalysis and supportive therapy. Psychiatrists and psychologists both rely on these techniques when supporting patients in diverse clinical contexts. The main difference between the various forms of psychotherapy and somatic therapy is that psychotherapy is a top down approach, whereas somatic therapy is a bottom up approach. This means that psychotherapy works predominantly with the mind; verbally expressing and processing to better understand and evolve past, present and future psychological dynamics. Somatic therapy works predominately with the body; creating safe conditions for a person to go towards difficult sensations, emotions, or memories. Through effective, evidence-based techniques, professional guidance and co-regulation, the necessary conditions for the body are created. Through this, suppressed emotions can be released, traumatic events can be processed, and fragmented or abandoned ‘parts’ of the psyche can be integrated. This bottom up approach has a neurophysiological basis in the structure of the vagus nerve. 80% of signals are sensory ones that travel from the inner organs ‘up’ to the brain, supporting parasympathetic activation (the system that is responsible for calming the body), while 20% of the signals travel from the brain ‘down’ to the rest of the body.

None of this is us suggesting this (somatic therapy) versus that (psychotherapy). Somatic therapy can work alongside other therapeutic modalities and clinical practices.

If you have any questions, please contact us. If you’re interested in a free 15 minute consult, click here.

Esther