Why Somatic Therapy? And what does that actually mean?

Why Somatic Therapy? And what does that actually mean?

When I first began to experience embodiment (the awareness of the body and its relationship to the world), I thought I was entering into a very rare and unique experience. I was amazed at the healing and empowering qualities of embodiment. The social context I was in (being a college student identifying as a white cis woman on the east coast in the United States) gave me the impression that I was embarking on something radical.  It took me much longer to learn that the experience of being an embodied human is so not new. In fact, it is part of our ancient history and something we all have the ability to enliven. 

It is radical though. Feeling alive in my human body and recognizing my breath as a source of life force means stepping outside of the confines of objectification. In those moments my body is not an object to place duties on, but an evolving organism to tend to and listen to. In those early embodied experiences I felt for the first time in my conscious memory (because we certainly experience this as young children) that I was more than all the stories the world told me about myself. 

Actions such as learning to listen to my body’s signals, enjoying subtle movement, and  connecting with my breath provide me with a sense of my human-ness outside of the identities I hold to function in society. Embodiment breaks through the heavy isolation of today’s life and provides a sense of shared humanity. 

So, that’s my personal and felt description of somatic therapy/practices, but what is somatic therapy in general? First it’s important to clarify language. The term is relatively new in the field. It took off after the groundbreaking book “The Body Keeps the Score” by Bessel Van Der Kolk changed the field of psychotherapy. (https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/resources/the-body-keeps-the-score). Somatic therapy can be used interchangeably with the terms “body-centered” or “body-oriented” therapy. It includes various evidence based modalities, such as the ones I list here (https://www.bodiesofjoy.com/individuals). Somatic therapy center’s the client’s experience of the here and now and empowers them to access the mind-body connection as a healing resource. Here is a great explanation of somatic therapy:  https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapy-types/somatic-therapy

Now, why do I center my practice around somatic therapy? First, I want to scream from the roof tops “somatic therapy is not for everyone!” With any trending mental health intervention (psychedelic therapy, EMDR, ect) there’s a slippery slope to proselytizing. I think this is particularly the case with somatic therapy as it’s quite a paradigm shift to connect with the wisdom of the body in a society that regards the body as something to impress knowledge onto. Some people may do great connecting with their body through exercise or other means and then focusing on more cognitive and or behavioral therapeutic interventions. 

With all that in mind, somatic therapy and the experience of embodiment in general has been the most helpful healing source for me and so that’s why I’m all about it for my clients. I have the felt experience of its effectiveness and feel passionate about offering others the opportunity to be blown away by the wisdom of their body, the power of their breath, and the corresponding release of effort in their mind.