Somatic Therapy: Reconnecting with Your Body to Heal Trauma.
In a world that constantly demands more of us, it’s easy to live life from the shoulders up—always in the mind, always thinking, analysing, and problem-solving. This is especially true for those who’ve experienced trauma, chronic stress, or attachment wounds. When the body’s natural rhythms are disrupted by such experiences, we often disconnect from it as a way of coping. We live in our heads, where it feels safer to control, think, and distance ourselves from what feels painful or overwhelming.
But the body holds a different kind of wisdom, one that can’t be found in the mind. When we begin to reconnect with our bodies through somatic therapy, we start a healing journey that takes us back to a place we might have avoided for years—the body. It’s a place that, for many, might not have always felt safe.
Somatic Therapy: Reconnecting with Your Body to Heal Trauma
Most of us live from the shoulders up—constantly analysing, planning, and thinking our way through life. When we experience chronic stress, attachment wounds, or trauma, our body can start to feel like an unsafe place to be. We may disconnect, numb out, or stay stuck in fight-or-flight mode without even realising it.
Approaches like Somatic Experiencing and Hakomi help us slowly reconnect with our body’s wisdom, allowing us to process unresolved emotions, regulate our nervous system, and feel more at home within ourselves. Somatic therapy doesn’t just help us release stored energy or patterns in the nervous system—it helps us create new ones. It works with present-moment bodily sensations as a bridge to the past, helping us uncover the origins of our current distress and gently shift how we relate to ourselves and the world.
Why Trauma Gets Stuck in the Body
Trauma isn’t just a story from the past; it’s a physiological imprint left in the nervous system. When something overwhelming happens, our nervous system responds instinctively—fighting, fleeing, freezing, or fawning to keep us safe. If these responses aren’t fully processed, they can become stuck patterns, leading to:
Chronic tension, pain, illness or fatigue
Anxiety, hypervigilance, or looping thoughts
Emotional numbness or dissociation
A sense of being stuck despite therapy or mindset work
Somatic therapy helps us tune into these patterns, complete the responses that got interrupted, and allow the nervous system to reset. Rather than just understanding our trauma intellectually, we can process it on a deeper, embodied level.
Core Principles of Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy isn’t about forcing change; it’s about creating a safe and supportive space where change can naturally unfold. Some of the key principles include:
Tracking Sensations: Learning to notice subtle shifts in the body and using them as a guide for healing.
Titration: Working in small, manageable doses to avoid overwhelming the nervous system.
Pendulation: Moving between states of activation and relaxation to build resilience and capacity.
Resourcing: Finding sensations of safety, strength, or comfort in the body to create a foundation for healing.
Somatic Techniques You Can Try Now
Grounding: Getting Present in Your Body
Rather than escaping discomfort, grounding techniques help you anchor into the present moment. Try this: bring your attention to a sensation in your body—maybe a tightness in your chest, a flutter in your stomach, or warmth in your hands. Instead of pushing it away, get curious. Ask yourself: What message do you have for me? or When did I first experience this? This gentle inquiry allows your body to guide the process rather than forcing an intellectual answer.
Orienting: Finding Safety in the Present
Look around the space you’re in and let your eyes land on something pleasant or neutral. Notice the colours, textures, and shapes. This simple practice signals to your nervous system that you are safe in this moment.
Self-Soothing Through Touch
Place a hand on your heart, your belly, or anywhere that feels comforting. Breathe into that spot and notice any shifts in sensation. This can help regulate your nervous system and bring a sense of calm.
Shaking It Off: Releasing Stuck Energy
Animals naturally shake after a stressful event to discharge excess energy—humans can do the same. Try standing up and shaking out your hands, arms, and legs for a few minutes, noticing how your body feels afterward.
The Power of Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy invites us to put on a new lens—one that sees healing not as an intellectual process, but as a full-body experience. By reconnecting with our body’s wisdom, we can release old patterns, create new pathways, and move towards a deeper sense of wholeness. If you’ve been feeling disconnected, stuck, or overwhelmed, somatic therapy might be the missing piece in your healing journey.
Are you ready to tune in and listen to what your body has to say? Your healing can start now. Reach out for a free 15-minute consultation with one of our therapists—this gives you an opportunity to ask questions and see if you’d like to work with them ongoingly.