What you should know about somatic therapy and trauma

In recent years, the conversation around mental health has shifted dramatically, with more people seeking help and exploring various therapeutic options. Amid this evolving landscape, somatic therapy has emerged as a promising approach for those who feel stuck or unfulfilled with traditional talk therapy.

Jay Hughes, a Salt Lake City resident, found himself at such a crossroads after eight years of therapy. “I wanted to look at right now and to start having better control over my life,” he says.

His search for a new path led him to somatic therapy, a practice that bridges the mind and body to foster healing. “I was able to build a roadmap through my body that allows me to navigate how to live moving forward,” Hughes says.

But what exactly is somatic therapy, and how does it work? Here’s what you need to know about this innovative approach to mental health and the growing interest in using the body as a gateway to emotional well-being.

What is somatic therapy?

Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on cognitive functions, somatic therapy emphasizes the body’s role in storing emotions and experiences.

“That negative belief that you’re holding about yourself? It has a physical resonance in the body. We are allowing ourselves to get in touch with where it is and create space to let go of it,” says Shay DuBois, a licensed psychotherapist who is trained in trauma-focused modalities.

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This therapy method can be traced back to early 20th-century psychology, where pioneers like Wilhelm Reich explored how physical tension and muscular patterns relate to psychological states. Reich’s “body armor” concept suggested that repressed emotions could manifest physically and that addressing these physical manifestations could lead to emotional healing.

“That idea that we just try to change someone’s thought patterns or behavior? Well, that’s helpful, but that doesn’t change the place it’s stored,” says Scott Lyons, a licensed holistic psychologist and creator of the Embody Lab, a somatic techniques training platform.

He likens unaddressed trauma to a boulder that fell from the sky and landed in your house. “You could reframe your idea of it or avoid that room, but the boulder is still there,” he says. “We actually have the tools to dissolve and metabolize that boulder.” 

Although it is not as extensively researched as cognitive behavioral therapy, somatic therapy has shown promising results, particularly for individuals dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and anxiety symptoms.

In 2015, Bessel van der Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps The Score, brought awareness to how we think about and heal from trauma. Societal attitudes toward mental health have historically minimized or dismissed the impact of trauma, but this book provided validation for many individuals. 

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Somatic therapy has gained even more attention recently, in part thanks to social media, where content creators and therapists are raising awareness and providing education to millions of people. As therapy has become more popular than ever, there was a 58 percent increase in demand for trauma-related treatment from 2020 to 2021. 

Trauma refers to any deeply distressing experience that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope and leaves lasting psychological and physical effects. It can result from a single event, a series of events, or ongoing stress.

However, trauma isn’t only associated with grave experiences like rape or incest. According to attachment research, the way you were treated as a baby—whether you got too much or too little attention—could result in unresolved trauma, too. 

This concept has been misunderstood for so long because its effects are not always immediately apparent. Traditionally, the focus has been on psychological symptoms, often overlooking the subtle ways that trauma is stored in the body. “There are things that can happen early in life that we don’t have a narrative of, but our body remembers,” says DuBois. 

What to expect in a somatic therapy session 

Somatic therapists use various techniques, but the fundamentals are about body awareness, says Lyons.

Sessions often start with a check-in. Dubois commonly asks her clients questions such as “Where in the body are you feeling the anxiety? Does it have a texture? Does it have a color? Is there a weight? Can you describe it to me? Sometimes, sessions involve minimal talking, allowing clients to spend time with their feelings.

Lyons says this body awareness is crucial, and sometimes, people are so disconnected from their physical selves that it can take days, weeks, or months to achieve it. 

Once clients are ready to progress, therapists use other techniques, like pendulation. This method manages overwhelming feelings by shifting between states. For example, Lyons may recognize a strong physical response to a client’s memory. He would say, “We’re going to pause here. And I want you to focus on something that feels good or focus on my voice.” Then, they would go back and forth, changing focus between the stressful memory and the calming moment.

Safety is a driving principle of bodily therapy. Unlike cognitive behavioral therapy, which uses exposure to discomfort to promote desensitization, somatic therapy lets the client control the pace and intensity. DuBois recalls her jaw trembling and hands shaking during her sessions. “It would feel powerful, and not always in a great way,” she says. “But I always had permission to say, ‘Nope, I’m done.’” 

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Somatic therapy offers a holistic approach to healing that may be beneficial for those who haven’t had success with talk therapy and can provide tools for individuals to reclaim their lives from past traumas. 

While research is still developing, anecdotal experiences like Hughes’ and Dubois’ are encouraging. “I felt like I was always trying to find a problem,” says Hughes, “Now I’m realizing that I am the solution.”

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