Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach that helps you understand and shift emotional patterns by working with sensations, movement, and the body’s responses—not just thoughts.
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What is Somatic Therapy?
How Somatic Therapy Works
Somatic therapy focuses on how emotions and past experiences live in the body—through tension, shutdown, hypervigilance, breath patterns, and stress responses that can feel automatic. Instead of only talking about what happened, somatic work helps you notice body signals in real time and build practical tools to regulate the nervous system. Many people find it helpful for anxiety, trauma symptoms, persistent distress, and feeling disconnected from the body or emotions.
Who Can Benefit From Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy can be a good fit when your emotions or reactions feel automatic, hard to explain, or strongly physical—especially if they’re connected to anxiety, stress, or past experiences.
Somatic Therapy may help with:
- Trauma
- Anxiety or Panic Attacks
- Stress
- Stress-Linked Somatic Symptoms (i.e. stomach issues, headaches, etc.)
- Sleep Problems
- Grief and Loss
- Emotional Numbness
- Eating Disorders
What to Expect in Somatic Therapy
Sessions often include gentle, guided attention to body sensations, breath, posture, movement, or grounding while exploring present-day stressors and triggers. Your therapist may help you track patterns like tightening, numbness, racing heart, shallow breathing, or “freezing,” and then practice regulation skills such as orienting to safety, titrating intensity, resourcing, or completing stress responses through small movements. The pace is typically gradual and collaborative, with an emphasis on staying within a manageable range so you feel supported rather than overwhelmed.
Meet Your Care Team
Our specialized clinicians are experts in treating this condition and are here to support your journey to wellness.
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Cydney Germany
PsyD
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Kari Johnson
Psy.D., MT-BC
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Kendra Rooney
LAC
FAQs About Somatic Therapy
Can somatic therapy help with panic attacks?
It often can, because it teaches you to recognize early body signals and use grounding and regulation tools before escalation.
How long does somatic therapy take?
It depends on your goals and what you’re working on. Some people notice meaningful changes in body awareness and regulation fairly early, while longer-standing patterns often take more time and benefit from consistent, paced work.
What should I look for in a somatic therapist?
Look for a licensed clinician with training in somatic methods (and trauma-informed care if that’s relevant), who can explain their approach clearly and prioritize pacing, consent, and safety.
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