Mindfulness & Somatic Coaching: The Perfect Complement to Therapy

Mindfulness and Somatic Coaching:  What is it?

Mindfulness and Somatic Coaching is an individualized, supportive and compassionate  approach to becoming more embodied, alive and experiencing greater safety in our bodies.

Mindfulness and somatics coaching is a wellness service that we offer at New Pathways that can be an excellent complement to the work of psychotherapy.   We believe that deep healing in mental health requires an integration of approaches that help us connect with both the body and mind. 

How is coaching different from therapy?

One of the main benefits of working with a mindfulness and somatic coach is that a session can be tailored to focus specifically on tools and techniques that are relevant to your life and nervous system. Sessions are focused entirely on mindfulness and somatic practices which may allow individuals more easily access the feelings and sensations that come up in therapy sessions.  These tools can include meditation practices, breathwork, movement, somatic resourcing, and mindfulness in daily life.  

 It can be challenging to establish a regular mindfulness practice on your own, without the support of a group or community.  A mindfulness coach is different from a therapist as their focus is on helping you develop and maintain a regular practice for your own well being.  This can be a great complement to the work you do in  therapy.

Individual or Group Mindfulness Coaching: What’s Best?

Traditionally, mindfulness programs have been offered in groups based on evidence-based programs such as Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy and Mindful Self Compassion.  Our mindfulness coach, Trish Sullivan, has developed a mindfulness group program that incorporates trauma-informed psychoeducation and practices for mental health.  The group format is great to consider if you can attend in person, at a regular time, and resonate with group learning.  Other people might find it better to learn with an individual format that is tailored to your schedule and preference for online or in person.  

Benefits of Mindfulness Practices

Specifically, as we become more familiar, comfortable, and grounded in our mind/bodies we have greater capacity to 

• Feel more alive and present in our lives

• Feel more stable, grounded and calm

• Manage a wider range of emotions and experiences without becoming overwhelmed

• Experience greater confidence and freedom in our bodies and lives

Core Elements of a Coaching Session: Somatic Resourcing, Mindfulness & Psychoeducation

Somatic (body-based) practices for nervous system regulation include developing what we call somatic resources.  These include the following:

• Grounding

• Orienting 

• Centering

• Movement

• The Breath

• Noticing “The Good”

  Mindfulness Practices to build resilience and develop self-compassion can include the following:

• Mindfulness of the Breath for concentration, stability and calm

• Mindfulness of the Senses in Everyday activities – eating, walking, being in nature, listening to music

• Mindfulness of Emotions 

• Compassionate Body Scan

• Self-Compassion and Gratitude Practices 

  Psychoeducation is information to help make sense of and normalize the experience of living in a human body-mind, including:

• Neuroscience –  The Triune evolutionary brain, the negative bias, neuroplasticity

• Nervous System, The Stress Response Cycle and the Window of Tolerance

The Coaching Relationship

The coaching relationship is an important part of the process of healing and growth and it is built upon a few important assumptions: 

• Each individual is whole and capable of healing and growth

• The body/mind and nervous system play a vital role in the healing process, the body can bring about transformation that may not be available through a cognitive only approach. 

• Authentic shared experience between coach and client is a contributor to healing by supporting trust in the Self and the Other. 

How it Works

If you are interested in working with Trish Sullivan as a mindfulness and somatics coach, she would be happy to meet with you for a free 15 minute consultation.  This is a time to explore interests, goals and fit of working together.

To learn more about Trish and her approach to working with clients at our clinic, please visit her bio.

About Trish

Registered Yoga Teacher, Certified Trauma Informed Yoga & Somatics, MBSR-f, MBA

• Practicing and teaching yoga and meditation for 20+ years

• Registered Yoga Teacher (200 hrs)

• Certified Trauma Informed Yoga and Somatics Facilitator (150 hrs)

• Certified Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Facilitator (200+ hrs)

• Currently training in Somatic Experiencing (SE) modality

• Daily meditation and movement practice, regularly attend multi-day Vipassana based silent meditation retreats.

• Leads classes/programs in a wide variety of settings including wellness centers, psychotherapy clinics, corporate and in private practice.