What to Expect in a Somatic Therapy Session
Many people seek out somatic therapy after feeling stuck with traditional talk therapy. While talk therapy can help us understand our thoughts and emotions, it often doesn’t address how stress, trauma, and habitual patterns are stored in the body.
Somatic therapy has become a buzzword, but what does it actually mean? And what does a somatic therapy session look like?
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is an umbrella term for therapies that include body awareness as an integral part of the healing process. In traditional therapy, we may gain insight into our struggles, but even when our minds understand an issue, our bodies don’t always follow suit.
For example, you may know that you are safe, but your body may still respond as if it’s in danger—triggering anxiety, chronic pain, insomnia, IBS, or other stress-related conditions. Somatic therapy helps bridge this gap by integrating both the mind and body in therapy.
How is Somatic Therapy Different?
Somatic therapy isn’t just about noticing the body—it’s about including the body in the therapeutic process. This can feel unfamiliar or even uncomfortable for those who have learned to disconnect from their physical sensations, especially if past trauma has made the body feel unsafe.
Many of my clients are highly self-aware and articulate. They are successful in their careers and personal lives, yet they carry persistent anxiety, emotional distress, or a sense of unease that they cannot seem to shake. This is where somatic work comes in.
What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session?
Starting with Grounding
A typical session often begins with a grounding practice. I might invite you to:
Close your eyes (if comfortable)
Feel your feet on the ground
Notice your breath
This simple exercise shifts the focus away from overthinking and into body awareness. It also helps me, as the therapist, to tune into my own body, allowing us to coregulate—a process where our nervous systems subtly sync, creating a safe and attuned therapeutic space.
If you feel uncomfortable, numb, or restless during this practice, that’s completely normal. Rather than seeing discomfort as a problem, we treat it as a starting point for exploration.
Navigating Body Awareness Safely
Somatic therapy is a space where all experiences are welcome—whether you feel calm, anxious, disconnected, or unsure. However, tolerating body awareness can be challenging, especially for long-term trauma survivors.
If tuning into your body feels overwhelming, we titrate awareness—introducing body-based practices gradually. If someone repeatedly returns to storytelling despite being invited into the body, this might indicate that the body still doesn’t feel like a safe place to be. In these cases, we explore gentler ways of reconnecting, such as:
Neurofeedback (to train the brain in self-regulation)
Tapping (EFT) (to release emotional distress through acupressure points)
Expressive arts therapy (to process emotions through creativity)
A Simple Practice: The Pause
One of the most valuable tools I encourage clients to use is the pause practice.
Pausing is a moment of intentional awareness—taking a few breaths to check in with yourself before transitioning to the next activity. You can practice pausing:
Before and after meetings
Before eating a meal
Between daily tasks
Anytime you feel emotionally unsettled
I personally practice pausing between therapy sessions to clear my energy and be fully present for each client. Unlike grounding, which is about regulation after stress, pausing is about listening—tuning into how you feel in the moment, without judgment.
Your Body is Your Guide
Your body is constantly sending you messages—through tension, restlessness, intuition, or even silence. Learning to listen to your body is the first step in somatic therapy.
If you're considering somatic psychotherapy, start with this simple pause practice. It will prepare you to deepen your awareness and begin the work of reconnecting with your body as a source of wisdom, resilience, and healing.
