We go through life accumulating stress and traumatic encounters. In some cases this can manifest as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other conditions that affect our mental and physical well-being.
One of the ways in which these experiences can be addressed is through somatic therapy. In contrast to traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy focuses on healing the mind through the body.
The method concentrates on stabilizing the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which regulates heart rate, blood pressure, respiration, and digestion. Stress from trauma can shift the body into continuous fight or flight mode, with somatic therapy bringing it back into balance.
So, how does it work?
Practises should always be conducted by a trained therapist and may involve a variety of exercises. One is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) in which traumatic memories are recalled while following the therapist’s finger from side to side to create new neurological connections. Other approaches include breathing exercises, massage, and performing physical movements like shaking and jumping.
At the end of the day, the purpose of somatic therapy is to get in better touch with your body and notice how it responds physically to traumatic experiences.
