When we think of therapy, most of us imagine sitting on a couch, talking through our thoughts and feelings with a trained professional. This traditional approach—like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, or other talk-based models—can be incredibly helpful. It gives you space to reflect, gain insight, and understand your emotions and behaviors.

 

But sometimes, words alone aren’t enough. Our bodies carry memories too—especially memories of trauma, stress, and intense emotions. Somatic therapy recognizes this connection between mind and body and works with both to support healing.

 

What is Somatic Therapy?

The word “somatic” comes from the Greek soma, meaning body. Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach to healing that helps you notice how your body holds onto experiences. It’s not just about thinking or talking about stress or trauma—it’s about noticing what’s happening in your body, learning to release tension, and creating new patterns of feeling safe and present.

For example, somatic therapy might help you notice:

• A flutter of nerves or tightness in your chest before a stressful conversation

• Shallow breathing that accompanies worry or overwhelm

• Muscles that feel tense or restless without any obvious reason

By tuning into these sensations, you can work with your nervous system, release stored tension, and build resilience—tools that support emotional, physical, and mental well-being.

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How Somatic Therapy Differs from Traditional Talk Therapy

Unlike talk therapy, which primarily focuses on thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviors, somatic therapy emphasizes felt experience in the body. While talking through your experiences can help you understand why you feel a certain way, somatic therapy helps you feel how those experiences live in your body—and how to move through them.

 

Instead of relying solely on reflection or cognitive exercises, somatic therapy uses techniques like gentle movement, breathwork, body awareness, and sometimes touch to help you release stuck energy and regulate your nervous system. This doesn’t mean talk therapy isn’t valuable—it’s often powerful to combine the two approaches, using insight and body-centered work together.

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Who Benefits Most from Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy can be particularly beneficial for people who:

• Have experienced trauma and feel “stuck” in their bodies

• Struggle with anxiety, panic, or chronic stress that shows up physically

• Experience chronic pain, tension headaches, or other stress-related conditions

• Feel disconnected from their body, emotions, or creativity

• Are seeking personal growth through mind-body integration

 

Even if you haven’t experienced trauma, somatic therapy can help you feel more present, embodied, and alive, supporting emotional balance, self-regulation, and deeper connection to yourself and others.

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Why Consider Somatic Therapy?

Imagine feeling calmer in your body before stress escalates, noticing tension before it becomes pain, or experiencing more joy, creativity, and connection because your body is no longer holding onto past stress. Somatic therapy offers practical tools to help you do just that.

It helps you:

• Calm your nervous system and regulate emotions

• Release stored tension and trauma

• Increase awareness of your body’s signals

• Access joy, presence, and vitality more fully

 

Somatic therapy isn’t a replacement for talk therapy—it’s a complementary approach. It’s a gentle invitation to listen, feel, and respond to your body, helping you live more fully in mind and body, with awareness, resilience, and joy.