WHAT IS SOMATIC TRAUMA THERAPY?
Somatic therapy, particularly as it pertains to resolving trauma, has surged in popularity over the past several years. You have likely heard of the benefits of working somatically but maybe you are wondering; What is somatic therapy? Why would someone need somatic therapy? Or, How might somatic therapy benefit me? These are great questions that I will address through this post.
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a form of therapy that seeks to integrate mind and body. The word “soma” means body and therapy is generally concentrated around cognitive/mindful processes. Therefore, somatic therapy is a body based mindful therapy. When we see a symptom or problem from an integrative perspective, we are better able to access the root cause and address it more holistically, resulting in more effective healing. We know through modern science, that trauma is held in our body, therefore the best way to move it out of the body is through a body based therapeutic approach. This can take a number of approaches, with different people responding well to unique modalities. We are, after all, bio-individuals with unique lived experiences. So, what works well for you might not work for another. This is why it’s helpful to try different approaches at different times to see what resonates best for you.
Why would someone need Somatic Therapy?
If you have had traumatic experiences that seem to linger through experiences such as persistent anxiety, hypervigilance, body pain, tension, headaches, nausea, social anxiety, or any other body-based response, somatic therapy may be an excellent resource for your healing. Trauma doesn’t have to be major, like a car crash, to create lasting impact. What becomes traumatic in your psyche and body is actually more about who was or wasn’t with you when the event occurred and how you experienced the event, given your particular history. Therefore, seemingly insignificant events could have a traumatic impact and would very likely resolve with a gentle, body based therapeutic approach with a caring provider. There are endless uses for somatic therapy. Anyone can benefit.
How might Somatic Therapy benefit me?
As mentioned above, I truly believe anyone could benefit from somatic trauma therapy. But how, you might wonder. Somatic therapy is proven to reduce painful and uncomfortable physical sensations such as the ones listed above. It also helps your brain reorient in the way it processes what has happened to you, resulting in more positive and hopeful thought processes. It increases your mindfulness capacity and resources you with tangible skills to move through future difficulties with more ease and less long-term challenges.
What If I Don’t Want to Tune into My Body?
This is a common concern people have regarding somatic therapy techniques. Some people are very uncomfortable dropping into their body and paying attention to the cues it gives them. For some, the body has been a place of fear and lack of safety. It makes perfect sense that the protective parts of you might not want to invite those sensations. There are, however, very gentle ways to integrate your somatic experience in therapy without having to move or engage yourself physically. There are mindful ways to slowly allow your somatic experience to come online in a therapeutic way that are gentle and considerate of a pace that works for you. So, if you feel hesitant about this form of therapy but are curious about the benefits, I’d encourage you to honor your impulses by talking to a therapist about more gentle approaches that are respectful of a pace that feels good to you. Sometimes these things take quite a bit of time, and that’s ok. Be patient with yourself!
Somatic Modalities
The two most widely known types of somatic therapy use today are
Somatic Experiencing, designed by Peter Levine
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, designed by Pat Ogden
Other somatic modalities that have been proven effective include:
As you can see, there are a number of different avenues through which you can come to somatic healing work. Feel free to discuss any of these with a trained somatic therapist to collaborate on which might be best for you. I am a somatic trauma therapist myself and would be happy to answer any questions and point you in the direction of a resource that could be helpful in your process.
Take good care!
Rachael Alba