Somatic Therapy

Healing Trauma Through the Wisdom of the Body

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach that recognizes trauma isn’t just stored in the mind—it’s also held in the body.
By working with physical sensations, breath, movement, and mindful awareness, somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body’s natural capacity for regulation and healing.

Where talk therapy focuses on thoughts and emotions, somatic therapy attends to your nervous system and physiology—supporting deep, lasting change from the inside out.

Why Somatic Therapy Works

Trauma can leave the body stuck in survival mode, even long after the danger has passed. This often shows up as:

  • Feeling on edge or shut down

  • Chronic muscle tension or pain

  • Difficulty relaxing

  • Emotional overwhelm or numbness

  • Trouble feeling present and connected

Somatic therapy helps restore balance to your nervous system so you can move from “just surviving” into truly living. By increasing your awareness of bodily sensations and learning tools to release stored stress, you build resilience, safety, and trust in yourself.

What We Might Do in Session

Your sessions will be collaborative, paced to match your comfort level, and always rooted in trauma-informed care. Depending on your goals, we may integrate:

  • Breathwork to regulate your nervous system

  • Grounding exercises to anchor you in the present moment

  • Gentle movement or stretching to release tension

  • Mindful body scanning to increase awareness of physical sensations

  • Pendulation and titration to approach difficult sensations safely

  • Resourcing to strengthen your internal sense of safety

How It Fits With EMDR and ART

Somatic therapy can be a stand-alone approach or seamlessly woven into EMDR and ART sessions.
For many clients, somatic tools help:

  • Prepare the nervous system before processing difficult memories

  • Maintain regulation during reprocessing

  • Deepen integration after EMDR or ART work

This creates a whole-person approach—supporting both your mind and body through every stage of healing.

Who It’s For

Somatic therapy may be especially supportive if you:

  • Have experienced trauma and find it hard to talk about it

  • Feel disconnected from your body or emotions

  • Experience physical symptoms tied to stress

  • Struggle to calm down or stay grounded

  • Want to complement existing therapy with body-based practices

What to Expect

  • Sessions are paced for safety—no pushing into overwhelming territory

  • You’re always in control of what you choose to engage with

  • You’ll leave with practical tools you can use in daily life

  • No special physical ability or experience is needed

Next Steps

Somatic therapy is offered as part of my standard therapy sessions and can also be included in Therapy Intensives for clients seeking deeper, concentrated work.