Somatic Therapy is a way of helping people with symptoms such as anxiety, depression or PTSD by working with the body as well as the mind to release the underlying causes of the distress. This can lead to more ease, positive wellbeing and a sense of greater freedom and enjoyment in life.

The word ‘Somatic’ refers to the body, and comes from the Greek word soma. In contrast to psychological approaches which work with the mind and are said to be ‘top down’ methods, Somatic Therapies are ‘bottom up’ approaches that work with the body and the lower unconscious parts of the brain to influence the upper, conscious levels of the mind. In Somatic Therapy there is usually less talking than in a counselling session, and more emphasis on awareness of what the person is experiencing in their body including sensations, emotions and any movements that the body makes.

The word ‘Therapy’ comes from the Greek word therapeia meaning ‘curing or healing’. It is now often used as a short-hand for Psychotherapy, but there are many other types of therapists including Physiotherapists, and other body-based approaches which are therapeutic including massage and movement-based methods such as Feldenkrais or dance-movement therapy.

Somatic practices which include movement with awareness such as Yoga and QiGong (Chi Gung) have been known for thousands of years to promote health. Applying a Western Scientific view, research by Bessel van der Kolk in 2014 showed a significant reduction in PTSD symptoms for women taking a 10 week course of trauma-informed Yoga.

One of the best known Somatic Therapies is Somatic Experiencing™ which I began studying in 2017 and forms the foundation of my current practice. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy™ developed by Pat Ogden; and Hakomi™, the work of Ron Kurtz are two other well-known Somatic Therapies. All three share a holistic, or whole person approach and work with the mind and body as one.

Somatic Experiencing™

Somatic Experiencing was developed by Peter Levine over many years of clinical work, observation of nature, and research. Dr Levine has qualifications in psychology and medical biophysics, and the knowledge and insights that led him to develop this pioneering approach come from many disciplines including biology, psychology, physiology and neuroscience.

The basic premise of SE is that when the body-mind perceives an emergency situation, a sequence of protective responses are mobilised. If these responses do not cycle through to completion, the survival impulse is ‘paused’ or gets ‘stuck’ in an activated state, leading to symptoms which can continue to affect the person many years later. In SE therapy, the person is gently guided through awareness of internal sensation, emotion and movement impulses, to renegotiate the experience so that the lingering symptoms are reduced or resolved.

SE is versatile and can be used in many professional settings including counselling, dance therapy, massage and body-work, by first-responders and even in educational settings.

Read more about Somatic Experiencing here >>

Other Somatic Therapy Approaches

Somatic Therapy is a rapidly expanding field, and of the many choices available, I have trained in NeuroAffective Touch™, the work of Aline LaPierre who teaches a nuanced and highly attuned way of working with early childhood experiences.

I am now studying Deep Brain Reorienting™, created by Dr Frank Corrigan. An approach based in detailed neuroscience understanding of how the lower parts of the brain operate under stress, Deep Brain Reorienting aims to resolve the effects of distressing past experiences by guiding the client through a natural sequence of processing in the deep brain below the level of the ‘thinking mind’.

I also have some training in Somatic Attachment approaches, including the work of Diane Poole Heller, as well as being a teacher of 5Rhythms™ conscious dance, and a keen student of many other mind-body approaches over the years.

Trauma and Resilience

Trauma has been defined as any experience that feels overwhelming to that person at that time. It can include single events such as an accident, or repeated similar events over time, for example an abusive adult relationship, or difficult early-life experience. Other forms of trauma can be pervasive, such as racism, religious persecution or growing up in severe poverty.

After a potentially traumatic event, responses can vary for complex reasons. One person may recover quickly back to their usual self, another may develop active symptoms such as anxiety and flashbacks, while a third person may feel numb and depressed. If you are troubled by symptoms like these, it is worth getting help to resolve them.

‘Trauma is a psychophysical experience, even when the traumatic event causes no direct bodily harm.’
Babette Rothschild

It is also good to know that post traumatic growth can occur for some people, with the person recovering to a level of wellbeing greater than before the incident. There is now increasing understanding about how Protective Childhood Experiences (PCE’s) can greatly reduce or neutralise the effects of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACE’s), and this gives optimism for helping children now and in the future.

“I don’t work with trauma, I work with resilience.”
Peter Levine

The healing journey in Somatic Therapy

The three stages of therapy described by Dr Judith Herman adapt well to Somatic Therapy. First there is a period of stabilisation, in which you become familiar with this way of working, and learn skills that you can use life-long to help build and restore resilience. I draw from a wide range of techniques and exercises to help you bring your autonomic nervous system back into balance – settling any over active ‘fight and flight’ responses, or lifting low energy states and starting to notice any ‘freeze’ response which might be present. For some people this first set of skills might be all they want or need for the time being.

The second phase is where the client feels ready to enter into the deeper work, processing any difficult past experiences. Here we can use specific techniques from Somatic Experiencing™, or if you prefer, we can start a series of Deep Brain Reorienting™ sessions. How much time the first and second stages need varies from person to person.

The third phase is one of integration of the work done and re-engagement with the world from this new place. It is important to recognise and celebrate the gains made and to be open to the new possibilities this enables in your life, as well as within your sense of self.

Find out more

If you would like to know more about my Somatic Therapy practice, please use the contact form to book a free 20 minute zoom call. I am available to see clients in-person on the Kāpiti Coast, or from anywhere in Aotearoa on zoom.

References:
besselvanderkolk.com/uploads/docs/Yoga-F-J-Clin-Psychiat-1.pdf
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7987739/