Table of Contents
Table of Contents
If you haven’t noticed, the Western world we live in is governed not by our bodies but by our brains. While this “cerebral-first” perspective has led to spectacular advances, what if the disconnect between our minds and bodies works against us when it comes to healing?
This is the question that’s often posed by therapists who specialize in somatics—a holistic, body-focused form of psychological treatment that has become increasingly popular among practitioners and patients alike.
For a good reason too: Since the onset of the pandemic, mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, and substance abuse have skyrocketed by 38 percent. To date, more than one in five American adults struggles with a mental health condition. This disproportionately affects young girls and women, who are a stunning three times more likely to experience mental health complications than men.
But what is somatic therapy, exactly, and why is it progressively seen as the key to calm, clarity, and healing? And how can you supplement your somatic therapist’s efforts in the name of physical, spiritual, and emotional health?
Let’s dive in.
Somatic techniques have been racking up views on social media sites like TikTok—a platform that’s frequently used by Gen Z for mental health counsel and relief—, but the practice can be traced back to the early 19th century.
Then, Austrian psychoanalyst and psychiatrist Wilhelm Reich—a student of Freud’s and the nearly-indisputable godfather of somatic therapy—posited a game-changing question:
What if our psychological issues manifested physically in our bodies and were stored in our tissues?
Fast forward to the mid-20th century. A cadre of revolutionary thinkers—chiefly Bessel van der Kolk, Pat Ogden, Thomas Hanna, and Peter Levine—expanded on Reich’s preliminary beliefs and experiments and created a novel way to manage mental health conditions ranging from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to sexual dysfunction.
This paved the way for van der Kolk’s wildly successful, The Body Keeps the Score, which claims that “trauma is encoded in the viscera” and provoked a global dialogue (and became a catchphrase) about the body’s tendency to “hold onto” trauma and its stimuli. Importantly, The Body Keeps the Score officially shifted the once-overwhelming conviction that talk therapy is paramount to healing.
Somatic therapy is founded on Reich’s original belief that unprocessed emotions and unresolved traumas get stuck in the body and result in a host of disturbances, including:
Also known as “somatic dysregulation,” the effects of stress, complicated emotions, and both small and significant traumas aren’t exhibited solely in the body, naturally. Somatic therapy emphasizes that mental health issues may also result in sleep disorders (like nightmares and insomnia), memory problems, anger, irritability, difficulty concentrating, and panic attacks.
Our nervous systems are thrown into overdrive when we encounter trauma or an emotionally taxing situation—and with it, cortisol production accelerates. Usually, once the moment or emotional challenge passes or becomes integrated, our nervous systems return to normal.
However, some people’s nervous systems can get trapped in survival mode, especially in situations that are chronically stressful—whether that’s ongoing tension with a partner, enduring grief, or a less-than-hospitable work environment. With the continual release of stress hormones, immunity diminishes, and physical symptoms—like pervasive fatigue—may surface.
Rather than discussing feelings, behaviors, thought processes, perceptions, and impulses as you would in traditional psychotherapy, somatic therapists ask clients to assess what they’re experiencing in their bodies.
A tight neck, persistent abdominal aches, a clenched jaw—all may be viewed as the “vessel” of the original pain or undisclosed emotion. Somatic therapists then work with the body in a variety of ways, like movement, breathwork, relaxation techniques, touch, posture adjustments, and massage, to loosen and diffuse these areas, ultimately unifying the brain and body and facilitating both equilibrium and self-regulation.
Somatic therapy’s focus on physical ailments and symptoms also organically inspires enhanced self-awareness—and it’s from this place that people act (and react) less to triggers and more from a place of centeredness.
Somatic therapy is an umbrella term for several modalities of body-oriented therapy, with the most prevalent coming down to:
Established by the aforementioned Dr.Levine, somatic experiencing (SE) uses a “bottom down” approach to integrate and heal memories and emotions, typically through the use of guided imagery, pendulation, and noting the link between physical sensations and emotions. Studies on the efficacy of SE are somewhat limited, but the research that does exist demonstrates that somatic experiencing may help diminish the symptoms of PTSD.
Sensorimotor psychotherapy operates from the same standpoint as all somatic therapy—that the body keeps the score—and attempts to help patients “complete” their physical reaction to trauma and pain that may have been abbreviated during the initial incident. (For example, not being able to run to safety.) The idea is that finishing this movement, either literally or through discussion, fills the patient with a sense of victory and helps them rewire their nervous system. This may be a particularly beneficial form of somatic therapy for those with PTSD, anger, and addiction.
EMDR, as it’s more commonly called, aims to move trauma survivors out of the distress of their recollections by using a combination of guided instructions and eye movements (usually dictated by the EMDR specialist). Considered the best treatment for veterans wrestling with PTSD by both the Department of Defense (DOD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs, EMDR tends to lead to more immediate results than any other form of trauma therapy.
It ought to go without saying that these aren’t the only types of somatics your therapist might suggest. Meditation, mindfulness, breath-work, physical movement, brain-spotting, Hakomi, and vocal work—all can be effective at minimizing the unpleasant symptoms, negative thoughts, and destructive behaviors associated with select mental health issues.
Bear in mind too that some of these therapies may be paired with traditional talk therapy, as well as cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT—a tried and true form of treatment that endeavors to help clients identify distortions in their thoughts and utilize proactive, problem-solving skills to deal with challenging situations.
First things first: If you believe that you’re experiencing a mental health condition of any nature, it’s critical to set up an appointment with a professional. With their evaluation and direction, they can help you determine if somatic therapy may help you or if another modality might engender better results.
If, however, you simply want to enrich your body-mind connection to feel better, period, you may want to consider:
Put simply, your fascia is your body’s interior webbing—a thin but mighty sheath of connective tissues (such as glycoproteins, collagen, and elastin) that shields your bones, blood vessels, and organs while also keeping your internal structure intact. A number of matters, from trauma to inactivity, can cause your fascia to become thick and stiffen, resulting in knots and other discomforts. To mitigate this, prioritize stretching and body treatments like myofascial release.
Yoga is globally praised for its capacity to foster a stronger bond between your brain and body, in part because it urges both conscious breathing and remaining in sometimes-demanding poses. Not only does this help stretch your fascia, but it may also promote greater emotional regulation, heightened tranquility, and improved sleep.
One of the most instructive metaphors put forward by Dr. Levine is how animals in the wild behave after facing terror: Instead of isolating, ruminating, or self-destructing as a human might, they tend to physically shake off their fear before galloping away with their herd.
How might relying on your own community build a deeper relationship between your mind and body? Because family and friends create a sense of safety—a quieter, more comfortable place that enables you to tap into your internal cues. At the same time, an outlet for your experience or overwhelming emotions—whether that’s dancing, painting, writing, or running—may urge the brain and body back into balance.
Above all, practice self-care. When you treat yourself exceptionally well—with fresh, organic food, supplements that nourish your nervous system, nurturing sleep, pleasurable activities, and, yes, therapy when it’s called for—you’ll be in a much more resilient space to handle whatever might come your way.
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DISCLAIMER: These statements have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease.
