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Somatic therapy is a type of mental health treatment that emphasizes the role of the body and nervous system in healing. This increasingly popular type of therapy may seem a bit mysterious, as it can be a bit difficult to imagine how a therapist might incorporate the body into counselling. My hope is to demystify somatic therapy so that you can feel like you can make an informed choice about whether or not it might be right for you and your goals.
In this post, I’ll explore some key concepts that you are likely to see in somatic therapy. It’s important to remember that each therapist works differently and may have different training and experience, so somatic therapy is going to look a bit different depending on who you work with.
Resourcing
Often one of the first ways you may encounter somatic therapy is through resourcing. ‘Resources’ in therapy are things you can do to help yourself when your nervous system is dysregulated (as in fight, flight, or freeze). In somatic therapy, we use tools involving the body as resources.
The most basic example of a somatic resource is deep breathing. Breathing has a powerful effect on the nervous system - it activates the parasympathetic “rest and digest” system. There are many different ways of breathing out there (box breathing, long exhales, etc.) that can be beneficial.
But breathing is only one type of somatic resource. There are countless others, such as swaying gently from side to side, adjusting your posture in a variety of ways, tensing and releasing muscles, and more. Depending on what qualities you are needing (soothing, empowerment, energizing, etc.) different resources may be helpful.
Somatic resources may be used in session to ensure you are grounded, and may also be utilized outside of session as a practice to help deal with moments of dysregulation.
Pendulation
In somatic therapy, somatic resources may also be used to help with something called ‘pendulation’. Pendulation is the ability to move between focusing on something distressing (like a painful emotion or traumatic memory) and something pleasant so that the nervous system doesn’t become too overwhelmed.
The ability to pendulate between pleasant and unpleasant emotions is a skill that can help process past experiences in a way that feels safe and tolerable. Somatic therapy provides a specific way in which we can build this skill, by focusing on bodily sensations. This is a key way that somatic therapy can help with trauma healing.
The Body as a Source of Information
Somatic therapy encourages us to tune in to the wisdom of the body, listen carefully, and respond accordingly. We live in a culture that teaches us to disconnect from our bodies - whether it be through being endlessly busy, scrolling our phones, strict diet and exercise regimes, and cultural overemphasis on the appearance of the body rather than how it feels.
Somatic therapy invites us to learn to tune back into our body and the information it provides. This is facilitated by a therapist inviting you to check in with your body throughout the session, and encouraging you to do so throughout your daily life. In time, this can become a habitual way of living. Being in tune with the body allows us to better be in tune with ourselves, others, and life.
Additionally, because trauma lives in the body, physical sensations can provide important information about where emotions may be stuck, and what they need to heal. By learning to pay close attention to our body sensations, a space is created for healing to happen - whether that’s in a room with a therapist, or at home.
There are Different Types of Somatic Therapies
Somatic therapy is an umbrella term that encompasses a variety of unique theories/interventions including Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Hakomi, Polyvagal Theory, EMDR, yoga therapy and more. Each of these has their own particular take on how they implement the use of the body.
Personally, I use a blend of Hakomi, EMDR, and Polyvagal theory, as well as some tools I have learned from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy and my own experiences in therapy. I am also hoping to pursue formal training in Somatic Experiencing in the near future. So as you can tell - I am passionate about the power of somatic therapy!
Some great books to read on this topic if you’d like to explore it further:
The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel Van De Kolk
In an Unspoken Voice - Peter Levine
Polyvagal Exercises for Safety and Connection - Deb Dana
Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook - Arielle Schwartz
I hope this helps give a bit more of a sense of what somatic therapy entails. If you have any questions at all, I’d love to connect. Feel free to send me an email at charlotte@relateandrestore.ca, or if you’re interested in booking a free consultation to see if somatic therapy is the right fit for you, click this link to access my booking schedule.