Nadine, what do you mean by Somatic Psychotherapy?
Somatic psychotherapy recognizes the body as central to our emotional and psychological experience. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on thoughts, somatic therapy engages the body’s sensations, movement, and nervous system to address deep emotional patterns. Neuroscience, particularly Polyvagal Theory, shows the mind-body connection, where trauma is stored as implicit memories in the body. Somatic therapy helps bring these memories into awareness, allowing for healing through mindfulness, movement, and self-inquiry. By reconnecting with the body’s wisdom, somatic therapy restores a sense of safety, integrates emotions, and cultivates resilience, helping us reclaim a deeper connection to ourselves.
In Greek, soma means body—more specifically, "the living body known to the self." This definition captures the essence of somatic psychotherapy: a therapeutic approach that recognizes the body as central to our emotional and psychological experience.
Beyond Traditional Talk Therapy
Conventional therapy often emphasizes talking and thinking—intellectual processes that can bring insight but don’t always touch the deeper layers where emotions reside. Emotions aren’t just ideas; they’re experiences that live in our muscles, tissues, and nervous system. Every emotion has a somatic signature, a unique combination of sensation, movement, posture, and chemistry. Our bodies hold these experiences, shaping how we feel and respond to the world.
The Body-Mind Connection
Neuroscience, particularly Polyvagal Theory, shows us how deeply our mind and body are connected. The vagus nerve carries about 80% sensory information to the brain, meaning our thoughts often follow our physiological state—what Dr. Stephen Porges describes as "story follows state."
Many early experiences, especially from infancy, are stored in the body as implicit memories—felt as sensations, images, or patterns of tension rather than words. When emotions or trauma become overwhelming, we may disconnect from bodily sensations as a protective response. Over time, this can lead to chronic tension, anxiety, or physical symptoms like migraines and digestive issues.
Implicit Memory: The Body’s Quiet Archive
Many early experiences, especially from infancy, are stored in the body as implicit memories—memories that shape our perceptions, emotions, and behaviors without conscious recall. Unlike explicit memories, which we can actively remember and narrate, implicit memories are felt rather than told. They live in our nervous system as sensations, reflexes, and patterned responses to the world.
For example, a child who experienced inconsistency or lack of attunement may develop a subtle bracing in their muscles, a habitual withdrawal from connection, or a deep sense of unease in relationships—without ever recalling a specific moment that caused it. These embodied patterns, formed before we had words, shape our emotional life and how we experience safety, connection, and trust.
Somatic psychotherapy helps bring these implicit memories into awareness—not as stories, but as felt experiences that can be explored with curiosity and compassion. By engaging the body through mindfulness, movement, and gentle inquiry, we can begin to reshape old patterns, allowing new possibilities for connection and healing to emerge.
Reconnecting with the Body’s Wisdom
Somatic psychotherapy offers a way back to ourselves. Through guided self-inquiry, mindfulness, and nervous system regulation, we learn to notice our inner sensations (interoception) and our body's movements and postures (proprioception). This gentle, body-based awareness can help process emotions, regulate the nervous system, and restore a sense of connection.
Unlike traditional therapy, which often works with thoughts and behaviors, somatic therapy directly engages the body’s innate ability to heal. It supports completing stress responses that were interrupted in the past, allowing the body to release what it has been holding.
The Goals of Somatic Psychotherapy
Restoring the body as a place of safety and increasing capacity to process preverbal and nonverbal memories
Integrating unprocessed emotions
Completing stress responses that were interrupted in the past
Cultivating a healthier relationship with oneself and the world
A Journey of Deep Listening
Somatic psychotherapy invites us to listen deeply to the wisdom of our bodies. By slowing down and paying attention to sensation, we gain access to a new level of self-awareness and healing. It’s a gentle yet profound process—one that doesn’t require reliving trauma but instead allows us to integrate and move forward.
As we reconnect with our somatic intelligence, we develop greater resilience and a broader capacity for life. Healing isn’t just about change; it’s about reclaiming a deeper, more embodied connection to ourselves.