Nearly every day, I receive inquiries from people asking about somatic therapy.
While many are unfamiliar with the specifics, they recognize it as a powerful and effective therapeutic approach due to their exposure to popular materials such as the book “The Body Keeps the Score” and videos of psychologist Gabor Mate.
In a general sense, somatic psychotherapy:
- is based on the idea that emotional and psychological experiences are stored in the body. Therefore psychological material can manifest as physical tension, pain, or other sensations.
- recognizes that by the body can help us access subconscious thoughts, feelings, and experiences
- uses the body as a mechanism of healing trauma and releasing emotions
During a session, a somatic therapist might employ various techniques depending on their approach and training. These can include:
- bilateral stimulation, tapping, and acupressure methods
- meditative states and guided imagery
- body movement and motion
- eye movements
- focused awareness on physical sensations
In contrast, talk therapies like psychoanalysis and CBT rely on dialogue as the primary tool for facilitating change and gaining insight. In a very general sense, talk therapists help you identify and work through your conscious thought, emotions, narratives, and behaviors. Somatic therapies tend to focus more on your subconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories.
Some of the more well-known and time-tested methods include EMDR, Internal Family Systems, Brainspotting and Somatic Experiencing. The world of somatic therapy is rapidly evolving with the emergence of new approaches, some of them offshoots of these more common therapies.
Both styles of therapy can be highly beneficial, and many therapists are skilled in both modalities. In my practice, clients often appreciate a blend of the two. For instance, on days when a client feels ready for deeper emotional work, we might use a somatic approach. On other days, if a client is already feeling overwhelmed and needs practical support, we focus more on dialogue to address specific issues.
