Somatic Therapy

 

What is Somatic Therapy?

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Somatic Therapy is a type of therapy that focuses on the connection between your mind and body. When we experience trauma, stress, or emotional pain, it does not just stay in our minds—it often gets stored in our bodies as well.

 

Somatic therapy helps you become aware of these physical sensations and teaches you how to release them. This type of therapy can help reduce stress, ease emotional pain, and improve your overall well-being.

 

At Kind Works Counseling, we use somatic therapy as part of other therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). By including the body in the healing process, we can help you recover in a more complete way. The goal is to not only help your mind process trauma but also to help your body release the physical stress it is holding.

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How Somatic Therapy Works

 

In somatic therapy, you learn to focus on how your body feels during therapy. This could mean paying attention to tension, tightness, or other sensations in your body as you talk about your experiences. By becoming aware of these feelings, you can release physical stress that may have built up over time.

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Some techniques we use include:

• Body Awareness: We help you notice what is happening in your body while you talk about difficult memories or emotions.

• Breathing Exercises: Breathing deeply and slowly can calm your nervous system and reduce stress.

• Grounding Techniques: These methods help you stay focused and connected to the present moment, especially when processing strong emotions.

• Tension Release: Learning how to let go of physical tension in your body can help you feel get you out of "Fight or Flight" mode which decreases both the mental and physical symptoms of conditions like anxiety.

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Somatic Therapy in EMDR

 

We often include somatic therapy in EMDR sessions. As you engage in the process of EMDR, we also guide you to notice and work with how your body feels. This helps you process trauma on a deeper level—both in your mind and in your body—so you can experience more lasting relief from emotional and physical distress.

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Benefits of Somatic Therapy

 

Somatic Therapy offers many benefits, such as:

• Reducing Anxiety and Stress: By calming the body, somatic therapy can help lower your overall levels of anxiety and stress.

• Releasing Stored Trauma: Tension and emotional pain that are stuck in your body can be released, giving you relief from feelings of heaviness or being stuck.

• Improving Emotional Control: As you learn to understand how your body responds to emotions, you can better manage difficult feelings.

• Building Resilience: Over time, you can feel more connected to your body and more able to handle life's challenges.

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Is Somatic Therapy Right for You?

 

Somatic therapy may be helpful if you feel disconnected from your body, experience physical symptoms of anxiety or stress, or feel stuck in your healing process. It is especially useful for those who want to explore how their body holds onto stress and trauma and are looking for a more complete approach to healing.

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If you are interested in learning more about somatic therapy and how it can help you, we are here to support you in your healing journey.