What Is Somatic Therapy? Understanding a Body-Based Approach to Healing
Most of us have a general idea of what traditional talk therapy looks like. You may expect to be sitting with a therapist and talking through your thoughts, feelings, and experiences. But in some cases, or for some people, just talking isn’t enough to heal. What if your body is holding on to stress, trauma, or tension in ways you can’t explain with words?
This is where somatic therapy comes in.
So… what is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that helps you tune into what your body is feeling. You may be asked to notice things like breath, muscle tension, posture, and sensations. The idea is simple: our bodies hold onto experiences, especially stressful or traumatic ones, and paying attention to those signals can help us heal more on a wholistic level.
Instead of focusing only on thoughts and emotions, somatic therapy invites you to explore what’s happening physically, too. It’s gentle, grounding, and surprisingly powerful.
How it’s different from traditional talk therapy
In talk therapy, you mostly process things with your mind. In somatic therapy, the body has a seat at the table.
You might explore:
Where you feel emotion in your body
How your nervous system responds to stress
What happens in your body when you talk about something difficult
How breathing, grounding, or small movements can help you settle
It’s not about forcing anything to happen, but about slowing down enough to notice what your body has been trying to tell you.
Why somatic therapy is useful
Somatic approaches can be especially supportive if you:
Feel stuck even after talking things through
Experience anxiety, panic, or chronic stress
Have trauma or overwhelming experiences in your past
Notice physical symptoms alongside emotional ones
Want to feel more grounded and connected to yourself
When you understand your nervous system and learn how to regulate it, things feel less overwhelming. You start to feel more present, more in control, and more at home in your body.
What to expect in a session
Somatic sessions still include conversation, but you and your therapist may slow down or pause to check in with your body.
You might:
Notice where tension shows up
Explore your breathing
Practice grounding tools
Pay attention to sensations as you talk
Take breaks to regulate if things feel intense
Is somatic therapy right for you?
If talk therapy has helped—but not fully—or if your body reacts strongly to stress, trauma, or emotions, somatic therapy might be a meaningful next step. It’s a way to reconnect with yourself, rebuild safety in your body, and experience healing that goes deeper than just talking.
