Understanding What Your Body May Be Communicating

Sometimes we understand something intellectually but our body seems to respond differently. You might know you are safe but still feel tense or on edge. You might understand why a relationship affects you the way it does but still feel your chest tighten during conflict. You might tell yourself to relax while your jaw, shoulders, or stomach remain tense. 

Somatic therapy recognizes that our experiences aren't only held in our thoughts. Emotions, stress, relationships and past experiences can also influence how we experience and respond to the world through our bodies. 

Rather than focusing only on changing thoughts, somatic therapy brings curiosity to the connection between the mind, body, emotions and nervous system. 

Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to therapy that incorporates awareness of physical sensations alongside thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences. 

During traditional talk therapy, you might describe feeling anxious, overwhelmed, angry, disconnected, or stuck. Somatic therapy adds another layer of curiosity: 

What happens in your body when you feel that way?

You might begin noticing changes in your breathing, muscle tension, posture, temperature, heart rate, energy or sensations such as heaviness, tightness, restlessness, numbness or an urge to move away. 

These sensations aren't something we need to immediately fix or eliminate. Instead, somatic awareness can help us better understand what happens within you when you experience stress, emotion, connection, conflict, or uncertainty. 

Somatic therapy does not mean that every session involves movement. It often looks like slowing down enough to notice what is already happening. Your therapist might invite you to notice:

• Where an emotional shows up physically 
• Changes in breathing or muscle tension 
• An impulse to move forward or away from something 
• What happens in the body when discussing a person or experience
• Moments when you begin to feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or activated 
• Sensations associated with feeling safe, confident or connected
• What your body wants to communicate

Somatic practices may also include grounding, breathing, movement, orienting to your environment, or simply learning to stay present with a sensation without immediately reacting to it. 

You are always encouraged to maintain choice and agency in this process. 

Somatic therapy isn't about perfectly regulating your nervous system or eliminating uncomfortable emotions. It's about developing a greater ability to notice yourself. 

Over time, this work may help you recognize stress responses earlier, identify emotions more clearly, understand your needs and boundaries, and tolerate uncomfortable feelings, reconnect with physical sensations, and develop a greater sense of choice.