Somatic Body Based Therapy
Somatic Body Based Therapy
Somatic body based therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach to healing that works with your body and nervous system — not just your thoughts and behaviors. Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy recognizes that trauma, anxiety, and emotional pain are stored in the body and must be addressed at that level for real, lasting healing to occur.
What Is Somatic Body Based Therapy?
Most traditional therapy approaches work “top down” — starting with thoughts and beliefs and working toward emotional and physical change. Somatic body based therapy works differently. It uses a bottom up approach — starting with the body, sensations, and nervous system, and allowing insight and emotional healing to follow naturally.
This matters because trauma and chronic stress don’t just live in our memories or our thinking mind. They live in our muscles, our breath, our posture, and our nervous system responses. A bottom up approach meets trauma where it actually lives — and creates change that is felt, not just understood.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
I am trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy a body-oriented approach developed by Pat Ogden that integrates somatic awareness with trauma-informed care. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy recognizes that the body holds the history of our experiences — particularly the ones that were too overwhelming to process at the time.
In Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, we pay close attention to physical sensations, posture, movement, and nervous system responses as they arise in the present moment. Rather than retelling the story of what happened, we track what is happening in your body right now — and use that as a doorway to healing.
This approach is particularly effective for:
- Complex trauma and PTSD
- Chronic anxiety and hypervigilance
- Dissociation and emotional numbness
- Nervous system dysregulation
- Body image distress and disconnection
Polyvagal Theory and Somatic Healing
My somatic work is deeply informed by Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. Polyvagal Theory revolutionized our understanding of how the nervous system responds to safety and threat — and why so many trauma survivors feel stuck in states of anxiety, shutdown, or disconnection even when they are objectively safe.
According to Polyvagal Theory, the autonomic nervous system operates in three primary states:
- Ventral vagal — the state of safety, connection, and calm where healing and growth are possible
- Sympathetic activation — the fight or flight response, characterized by anxiety, hypervigilance, and reactivity
- Dorsal vagal shutdown — the freeze or collapse response, characterized by numbness, dissociation, and disconnection
Many people who have experienced trauma cycle between sympathetic activation and dorsal vagal shutdown — oscillating between overwhelm and numbness without ever finding the ventral vagal safety their nervous system needs to heal.
Somatic body based therapy helps your nervous system find its way back to the ventral vagal state — building the capacity for safety, connection, and genuine healing from the inside out.
Types of Somatic Body Based Therapy
There are many approaches that fall under the umbrella of somatic body based therapy. In my practice I draw from several evidence-based methods to create a tailored approach for each client.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy As described above, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy works directly with body sensations, movement, and nervous system responses to process unresolved trauma and build internal resources.
EMDR Therapy EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a somatic and body based approach that uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories. EMDR works directly with the nervous system to reduce the emotional charge attached to distressing experiences — making it one of the most effective somatic treatments available for trauma and PTSD.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Internal Family Systems (IFS) incorporates somatic awareness by helping clients notice where different “parts” show up in the body. A tight chest, a sinking stomach, or a held breath are all somatic signals that point to parts carrying pain or protective responses. By working with these body-based signals, IFS helps create lasting internal shifts.
Mindfulness and Body Awareness Somatic therapy also incorporates mindfulness practices — learning to slow down, notice bodily sensations without judgment, and develop a more trusting relationship with your own physical experience.
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Therapy?
Somatic body based therapy is effective for a wide range of concerns including:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Depression and emotional numbness
- Grief and loss
- Abuse recovery
- Chronic pain and illness
- Disconnection from self or body
- Relationship patterns rooted in early attachment wounds
If you have tried talk therapy and feel like something is still stuck — somatic body based therapy may be exactly what your nervous system needs.
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Body Based Therapy?
Somatic body based therapy is effective for a wide range of concerns including:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Depression and emotional numbness
- Grief and loss
- Abuse recovery
- Chronic pain and illness
- Disconnection from self or body
- Relationship patterns rooted in early attachment wounds
If you have tried talk therapy and feel like something is still stuck — somatic body based therapy may be exactly what your nervous system needs.
Online Somatic Body Based Therapy
I offer online somatic body based therapy to adults across Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey. Online somatic therapy is just as effective as in-person sessions — and offers the added benefit of allowing you to work from the safety and comfort of your own home environment.
Return to your
Center of Balance
541-499-7338
I offer a FREE 15-minute consultation.
Find out how Somatic Therapy can help you.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is Somatic Therapy needed?
If you have experienced past trauma or current stress it is a good time to seek somatic therapy.
If you have tried talk therapy and find that things are not shifting in the way that you would like
them to, then it’s a perfect time to try somatic therapy.
How does Somatic Therapy work?
Somatic therapy combines traditional talk therapy with grounding and mindfulness techniques
designed to help us get out of our minds and connected to our bodies. During a session, the
therapist will help a person focus on their concerns and pay attention to any physical
experiences that happen once these concerns are brought to the surface. At this point,
different techniques such as deep breathing, relaxation exercises, mindfulness or other
modalities may be used to help relieve any symptoms felt in the moment.
How much does Somatic Therapy cost?
Somatic therapy rates are the same as rates for other therapy.
Insurance Coverage: I accept Aetna, First Choice Health, Providence, and Pacific Source insurance in Oregon, Washington, Georgia, New Jersey, and Florida. If you have insurance from another provider I can work with you as an out-of-network provider and provide a superbill for reimbursement.
Private Pay Options: For clients without insurance or preferring to pay privately, I accept credit, debit and HSA/FSA payments.
How long does Somatic Therapy take?
The short answer is that it depends on what your needs and goals are. Our goal is to help you
heal as soon as possible. How long you will need therapy depends on your personal goals for
treatment. If you have a symptom that you want to improve it may be a short treatment, say
one to three months. If you have trauma that is more complex it can take much longer and your
quality of life has been impacted for years. Our work will be tailored to your needs at a pace
that feels comfortable and safe for you. We will work with you to design a plan that helps you
meet your goals in a time frame that will work for you.
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Center of Balance Counseling offers somatic body based therapy for adults throughout Oregon, Washington, Georgia, Florida, and New Jersey. Services include Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, EMDR therapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS) for trauma, PTSD, anxiety, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Somatic therapy is informed by Polyvagal Theory and a bottom up approach to healing that addresses trauma where it is stored — in the body and nervous system. Online somatic therapy available via secure telehealth.