Somatic Interventions in the Counseling Space

Take a minute to notice your body right now in this moment. What are you doing? How are you taking up space? See if you can feel the ground beneath you, your feet on the floor, the pattern of your breath. Can you let your shoulders drop, your jaw loosen, and your body soften?

You probably weren’t just casually thinking about your body taking up space or your feet on the floor until reading those last few sentences. What you just engaged in was somatic awareness. Somatic awareness can be defined as enhancing your awareness of your body and moving out of your head, and into your body.

Research is showing that the most effective therapy incorporates somatic interventions because we are not designed to live solely in our heads. Our bodies are wonderful communicators if we stop and listen to them.

What might be some common signs that your body is trying to communicate with you?

• Chronic pain
• Feeling like you are moving through life at 1.5x (or more) speed
• Heaviness in your shoulders
• Regular fatigue
• Feeling “shaky”
• Digestive issues
• Frequent sickness
• Temperature changes in the body
• Racing heart
• Tingling sensations
• Feeling “heavy” or sluggish
• Tightness in areas like your chest and jaw

In our culture, we live detached from our bodies. However, if we can learn to compassionately attune to our bodies, there is a wealth of knowledge that can come forth. As humans we experience around 400 emotions a day on average, and they are not just mental. These emotions can be processed more effectively if we make the connection between the mind and body.

As a therapist, I have noticed that the clients that take the time to “check in” with their bodies more regularly are the ones that experience the quickest desired results.

Somatic interventions work because they target the underlying neurobiological systems. Sometimes, just regular talk therapy is not enough for the deeply embedded physiological responses caused by emotions, stress, and trauma in the nervous system. The most effective change and healing comes when the body is at a state of safety. This can only occur if the brain doesn’t feel like it is threatened.

Somatic interventions teach us to listen to our body, notice our responses, and regulate our nervous system. What might this look like in the therapy room?

• Grounding Techniques – connecting with something physical in the present moment
• Breath Regulation – purposefully shifting the pattern of one’s breath in order to reduce physiological stress response symptoms
• Body Scanning – noticing sensations throughout the body from the top of your head to the tip of your toes
• Pendulation – shifting back and forth from distressing to pleasant sensory stimuli to increase stabilization
• Movement and Posture – changing positions and noticing the change

At Simplify Life, our team of therapists seeks to make it a priority to incorporate somatic interventions because we firmly believe that your body is a voice worth listening to! If you feel you would benefit from learning to connect more with your body, feel free to reach out to one of our trained therapists.

Here are some more resources for connecting with your body…

The Wisdom of Your Body: Finding Healing, Wholeness, and Connection Through Embodied Living by Dr. Hillary McBride

Practices for Embodied Living: Experiencing the Wisdom of Your Body by Dr. Hillary McBride