10/06/2026
SOMATIC THERAPY | PART 1 OF 2
What Is Somatic Therapy?
When people think of therapy, they often think of talking, reflecting, and gaining insight.
While words can be incredibly powerful, some experiences are held beyond language. Stress, overwhelm, grief, anxiety, trauma, and even everyday life experiences can leave imprints not only in our thoughts, but also within our bodies and nervous systems.
Somatic therapy is an umbrella term for approaches that recognise the deep relationship between the mind, body, emotions, and nervous system. Rather than viewing emotional experiences as purely cognitive, somatic therapies invite us to pay attention to bodily sensations, movement, tension patterns, breath, and physiological responses as valuable sources of information.
The body is not separate from our emotional world. It participates in every experience we have.
Within the broader somatic field, some approaches utilise movement, breathwork, touch, bodywork, or mindfulness-based practices, while others are grounded in psychotherapy and therapeutic dialogue. Relational somatic therapies integrate conversation with careful attention to bodily sensations, emotions, nervous system responses, and survival patterns as they emerge in the present moment.
At its heart, somatic therapy helps us cultivate greater awareness of our internal experience, strengthen our capacity for regulation, and develop a deeper connection with ourselves.
In Part 2, we'll explore some of the foundational principles and key elements commonly found within somatic therapy.