Somatic Therapy: 5 Common Techniques
Look up the word “somatic,” and most often, you’ll find it defined as “of or relating to the body.” Therefore, on the surface, this can appear to contradict the concept of a mental illness. On the contrary, it’s quite common for someone diagnosed with a mental health disorder to display physical symptoms. That’s a big reason why somatic therapy exists and why it’s sometimes called “body psychotherapy.”
Let’s say you’re dealing with an anxiety disorder. The somatic symptoms you may experience include digestive and psychosomatic disturbances, insomnia, fatigue, headaches, dizziness, and chest pain. Somatic therapy is an approach designed to address anxiety and its physical manifestations.
Somatic Therapy Basics
We often hear about a mind-body connection. Such discussions have value, but it’s especially helpful to perceive the mind and body as being so connected that they are indistinguishable. For example, emotional distress can be stored in your body as a physical sensation like pain. Healing this complex problem can best be achieved through a holistic approach like somatic therapy.
I’ve written about how you can release negative emotions by treating the physical issues associated with them. This is accomplished by any one of the different forms of somatic therapy. Here are a few examples:
Somatic Experiencing (SE): Based on the observable premise that certain movements can help people relieve stress and soothe themselves.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Hand and finger movements are used to help a person process a negative thought without getting triggered.
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP): Through direct interaction, a somatic therapist can alleviate feelings of aloneness by validating a client’s experiences.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: This approach connects physical sensations with our attachment style to create new, more secure connections with others.
Gestalt: A mindful approach to understanding what you’re experiencing at the present moment — and why.
Somatic Therapy: 5 Common Techniques
1. Grounding
Somatic symptoms can accelerate when we feel unsafe or out of control. A counterbalance involves grounding oneself in the here and now. Something like rapid physical movement or tensing informs your mind that no danger is currently present.
2. Resourcing
There is immense value in reminding yourself of what it’s like to feel secure and happy. Resourcing involves intensely recalling moments when one was with others they trust in a safe environment. Such visualization can serve as an emotional anchor.
3. Developing Boundaries
Somatic symptoms can feel most extreme when you feel you’re at the mercy of others. Setting and enforcing boundaries reduces the power anyone has over you. When you know where one person ends, and you begin, your body reaps the rewards.
4. Movement
As mentioned above, with SE, bodily movement is empowering, calming, and grounding. Rather than somatic symptoms making your body feel like the enemy, somatic therapy aligns you with your inherent physical power. Over time, you’ll discover the precise combination of movements that work ideally for you.
5. Titration and Pendulation
Titration (a term borrowed from chemistry) is a somatic technique in which you let yourself slow down to focus on what your body is feeling when you’re tense, depressed, angry, anxious, etc. Pendulation, as the name implies, has you swinging back and forth between resourcing (see #2 above) and titration to find a healthy rhythm that works for you.
How Does One Get Started With Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a particular specialty, so you’ll want to find someone with specific training who is compatible with you. Set up some consultations and listen carefully to your body as you talk with practitioners. With this in mind, I invite you to reach out soon about anxiety therapy and for a chat that can change your life in a meaningful way.