Somatic Therapy: Healing Trauma Through the Body

What Is Somatic Therapy and Why Does It Work?

Somatic therapy recognizes that trauma lives in the body, not just the mind. When traditional talk therapy feels insufficient, body-based approaches can access healing in ways that words cannot reach.

The core principle: Your nervous system holds trauma patterns that must be addressed through physical awareness and regulation, not just cognitive understanding.

The Science Behind Body-Based Trauma Healing

How Trauma Gets Stored in the Body

When trauma occurs, your nervous system activates fight-flight-freeze responses. If these natural reactions are interrupted or overwhelmed, the energy becomes trapped in your nervous system.

Physical manifestations of trapped trauma:

• Chronic muscle tension
• Digestive issues
• Sleep disturbances
• Autoimmune conditions
• Chronic pain without clear medical cause

Research findings: Brain scans show trauma survivors have heightened activity in areas responsible for fear and survival, while areas for language and reasoning show decreased activity.

Why Talk Therapy Isn't Always Enough

Traditional therapy primarily uses the thinking brain (prefrontal cortex), but trauma is processed in deeper brain structures that don't respond well to language.

The challenge: When you're triggered, your rational brain goes offline. This is why you might understand your trauma intellectually but still feel overwhelmed by symptoms.

Major Somatic Therapy Approaches

Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Developed by: Peter Levine Core concept: Trauma symptoms result from frozen survival energy in the nervous system

Key techniques:

• Tracking body sensations (temperature, tension, tingling)
• Titration (working with small amounts of activation)
• Pendulation (moving between comfort and discomfort)
• Completing thwarted defensive responses

Research backing: First randomized controlled trial showed significant PTSD reduction compared to wait-list control group.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

While primarily known for eye movements, EMDR is fundamentally somatic, using bilateral stimulation to help the nervous system process trauma.

Success rates:

• 90% of single-trauma survivors no longer meet PTSD criteria after 3 sessions
• 77% of multiple-trauma survivors recover after average 6 sessions
• Recognized as "best practice" by U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Created by: Pat Ogden Focus: Integration of body awareness with psychological processing

Techniques include:

• Mindful awareness of posture and movement
• Working with physical impulses and gestures
• Boundary and containment exercises
• Movement experiments to complete trauma responses

How Somatic Therapy Works in Practice

What Happens in a Session

Preparation phase:

• Learning to notice body sensations
• Developing grounding and self-regulation skills
• Building tolerance for difficult feelings
• Establishing sense of safety in your body

Processing phase:

• Gentle exploration of trauma-related sensations
• Allowing natural movements and expressions
• Completing interrupted fight-flight-freeze responses
• Releasing trapped survival energy

Integration phase:

• Developing new patterns of self-regulation
• Building resilience and capacity for stress
• Integrating healing into daily life

The Concept of "Titration"

Rather than overwhelming you with full trauma memories, somatic therapy works with small, manageable pieces.

Example: Instead of reliving entire car accident, you might explore the sensation of your hand wanting to push away, or notice how your breathing changes when thinking about the moment before impact.

Somatic Techniques You Can Practice

Basic Body Awareness

Body scan practice:

1. Lie down comfortably
2. Start at the top of your head
3. Notice sensations without trying to change them
4. Move slowly through each body part
5. Practice curiosity rather than judgment

Benefits: Develops interoception (awareness of internal sensations) which is often disrupted by trauma.

Grounding Techniques

5-4-3-2-1 sensory grounding:

• 5 things you can see
• 4 things you can touch
• 3 things you can hear
• 2 things you can smell
• 1 thing you can taste

Physical grounding:

• Press feet firmly into floor
• Push hands against wall
• Squeeze and release muscle groups
• Hold a stone or textured object

Boundary Work

Physical boundary exercise:

1. Stand arm's length from wall
2. Place palms against wall
3. Slowly push away from wall
4. Notice the sensation of creating space
5. Practice saying "no" while pushing

This helps rebuild sense of personal agency and protective capacity.

Pendulation Practice

How to pendulate:

1. Notice an area of tension or discomfort
2. Find an area that feels neutral or pleasant
3. Gently shift attention between the two areas
4. Allow sensations to change naturally
5. Don't force or direct the process

This teaches your nervous system that difficult sensations are temporary and manageable.

Who Benefits Most from Somatic Therapy?

Ideal Candidates:

Trauma survivors who experience:

• Panic attacks or anxiety without clear triggers
• Dissociation or feeling "not in your body"
• Chronic pain or tension
• Hypervigilance or easily startled responses
• Feeling stuck despite years of talk therapy

People with developmental trauma:

• Childhood abuse or neglect
• Attachment disruption
• Complex PTSD
• Difficulty regulating emotions

When Somatic Therapy Is Especially Helpful:

• Pre-verbal trauma (before age 3)
• Medical trauma or procedures
• Accidents and injuries
• Sexual trauma
• Combat or war trauma

What Makes Somatic Therapy Different

Traditional Therapy Focus:

• Understanding trauma story
• Changing thought patterns
• Developing coping strategies
• Processing emotions verbally

Somatic Therapy Focus:

• Releasing trapped survival energy
• Restoring natural self-regulation
• Completing interrupted responses
• Building resilience capacity

Integration Approach:

Many therapists now combine somatic techniques with traditional approaches for comprehensive healing.

The Polyvagal Theory Connection

Somatic therapy draws heavily from Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory, which identifies three neural pathways:

Social engagement (ventral vagal): Safety and connection Fight-flight (sympathetic): Mobilized defense Freeze-collapse (dorsal vagal): Immobilization and shutdown

Goal of somatic therapy: Help you access the social engagement system more readily and move fluidly between states as appropriate.

Common Experiences During Somatic Therapy

What You Might Notice:

Physical sensations:

• Trembling or shaking (natural discharge of trauma energy)
• Temperature changes (hot flashes, chills)
• Tingling or numbness
• Changes in breathing patterns

Emotional responses:

• Waves of sadness, anger, or fear
• Sudden relief or lightness
• Feeling more "present" in your body
• Increased emotional capacity

Signs of Healing:

• Better sleep quality
• Reduced chronic pain or tension
• Improved digestion
• Greater emotional stability
• Increased energy and vitality
• Better boundaries in relationships

Finding a Qualified Somatic Therapist

Look for training in:

• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
• Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
• EMDR certification
• Trauma-informed yoga therapy
• Body-oriented psychotherapy

Red flags:

• Promises quick fixes
• Lacks trauma-specific training
• Pushes physical contact without consent
• Dismisses need for medical care

Combining Somatic Work with Other Approaches

Somatic + CBT: Body awareness plus thought pattern work Somatic + EMDR: Enhanced processing through multiple modalities
Somatic + Yoga: Movement and breath with therapy integration Somatic + Medication: Body work can enhance medication effectiveness

Self-Care During Somatic Therapy

Support your healing process:

• Prioritize sleep and rest
• Stay hydrated and eat nourishing foods
• Gentle movement like walking or stretching
• Warm baths or cold compresses as needed
• Journal about body sensations and changes

Warning signs to discuss with your therapist:

• Increased dissociation
• Uncontrollable shaking or trembling
• Severe sleep disruption
• Increased suicidal thoughts
• Inability to function in daily life

The Timeline of Somatic Healing

Initial sessions (1-6): Learning body awareness and self-regulation Early processing (3-12 months): Gentle exploration of trauma patterns Integration (6-18 months): Developing new nervous system patterns Maintenance: Periodic sessions to maintain progress and address new challenges

Remember: healing trauma through the body is often slower than cognitive approaches, but the changes tend to be more lasting and comprehensive. Your nervous system needs time to develop new patterns of safety and regulation.

The body remembers trauma, but it also remembers healing. Through somatic approaches, you can access your innate capacity for recovery and resilience.