somatic therapy

What most people want to know about somatic therapy is what is it and would I benefit from it? So let’s start with what is it…

Somatic therapy considers the body’s role just as essential as the mind’s in growth and healing. In fact, neuroscience and neurobiology supports this: the mind is neurally rooted in the body. Instead of a brain-centric therapy, Mara Counseling focuses on providing a balanced perspective that holds sacred the body, mind, and soul.

There are many types of somatic approaches to therapy including mindfulness skills, yoga, somatic experiencing, sensorimotor psychotherapy, EMDR, art therapy, dance therapy, music therapy, Safe and Sound Protocol, and more!

Traditional therapies fall under a “talk” therapy umbrella, which means they rely a lot on verbal processing and cognitive functioning. In somatic therapy, your therapist is trained to help you heal when you cannot articulate an experience or when your brain and body are too overwhelmed or shut down to process. This is because somatic or body therapists are trained to utilize the nervous system’s innate and untapped (non-verbal) tools.

Any of these sound like you?

• I have some coping skills and I think I know what’s wrong, but I can’t move forward.

• When I try to figure out what’s wrong, I get so overwhelmed or I ultimately feel like I’m thinking in circles.

• When I try to use calming skills, it seems to make things worse and I often wonder what’s the point if it doesn’t help.

Somatic therapy can help you:

• Tap into undiscovered streams of information and innate wisdom

• Work alongside your biology and current behaviors to rediscover calming skills that don’t bypass direct paths to healing

• Find a deeper sense of presence that allows you to make long-lasting and meaningful change

• Grow a sense of self-confidence and empowerment from what you already have within you

somatics in session

When we introduce movement or somatic/body-based activities into sessions, it can be difficult to explain because so many factors impact what it might look like for you.

For starters, movement-based activities are often paired with talk-based activities. These activities can last 30 seconds or span an entire session. All movement-focused activities aim to restore skills that cannot be done through verbal processing alone. They are not considered exercising in the cardiovascular sense, though they can benefit the heart.

Some clients prefer to have the option to add movement into their session and may dress in a way that makes movement more comfortable. Oftentimes, movement is done seated and does not require special equipment or clothing. At times, we may utilize a meeting room for yoga-focused session, which I talk about next.

yoga in session

At times, yoga is utilized to improve the body-mind connection, which can be the focus of therapy or one moment during a session. Yoga is often an effective way to help heal or repair our nervous system, when it seems inefficient or not to be responding accurately to the current moment.

For those utilizing yoga as needed in session, this is a collaborative process and is never required. All movement is gentle and subtle, though variations for more intensity may be appropriate at times.

Sessions with a professional counselor and registered yoga teacher may be structured, and pre-planned formats for groups, couples, or individuals. And at times these sessions might be customized to meet needs as they arise in the moment. Some verbal exploration is part of this process, as it helps the therapist support you and your goals.

The therapist does not have training in touch-assisted yoga and is not able to provide physical adjustments.