Somatic Therapy: What is it and how does it work?
Somatic therapy connects the mind and body through touch, sound, or movement. It is used to help process trauma that is stored in the body, and a holistic form of therapy that is grounded in the relationship between the mind and the body. The word “somatic” is derived from the Greek word “soma” which means “living body”.
Three decades of research in the fields of neurobiology and psychoneuroimmunology have demonstrated the powerful connection between the mind and the body. Imaging technology and brain science has revealed how embodied the mind really is, and how the fight, flight, or freeze response arises in our emotions and memories.
These approaches access subconscious stress and trauma along with memories of fear, pain and anxiety that are held deep in the body beyond the reach of talk therapy. The embodied mind is expressed through a muscle or tissue contraction or a loss of free flowing energy in a body area that is connected with the event. For example, our neck and shoulders may automatically tighten when we come into contact with someone who actually is a real “pain in the neck” to be around.
Gentle techniques and clinical tools are used to release and transform the subconscious stress that is stored in the autonomic nervous system of our body, and causes emotional and physical pain.
Somatic therapies are used in many cultures and arise from ancient eastern practices as well as recently developed western techniques. Simple interventions based on movement, images, and breathing are taught and applied. These help to calm the nervous system and re-direct negative emotions that arise, quickly bringing you back to emotional balance and empowerment.
Somatic therapy releases and transforms stress from our daily living that we keep inside us, and transforms and heals painful memories of events, situations, and traumas that have happened since birth. It is a highly effective therapy that uses the power of your unique emotional and physical cues to serve as your guide to effective and long lasting healing.