What is Somatic Therapy?

What happens in your body as you read these words? Your body is an ecosystem, constantly teeming with rich information about how you’re doing, what feels nourishing and safe, and what sets off your inner danger signals. When we feel stuck in reactive loops, it’s a sign that our body (more specifically, our nervous system) is already mobilizing or shutting down before our conscious, problem-solving mind can choose how to respond.

Somatic therapy helps you track these patterns in your body (tension, breath, impulses, posture) and gently work with them to restore a sense of regulation. As your system settles, more space opens between stimulus and response, making room for new actions and patterns that feel steadier and more aligned with you.

What this looks like in a session:

• Tracking what’s happening inside: Your therapist might guide you to slow down and notice what’s happening in your body in real time, following sensations like tightness in your chest, a shift in your breath, or a subtle urge to pull back. We stay with the experience just enough to build awareness, without pushing past what feels manageable.

• Resourcing: We might identify and connect with something that helps your system feel more settled or supported, like the feeling of your feet on the ground, the sight of something neutral in your visual field, an image of a safe place, or a memory of being with someone you could trust. These anchors help your body find stability as you move through more activating moments.

• Mindful gesture & experimentation: You might be invited to try gently exploring an impulse in your body (e.g. the urge to push away, reach out, or take up more space) and exaggerate or complete that movement in a small but intentional way. This can open up new emotional insight and support responses that feel more aligned and complete.