About Somatic Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, is a way to help people with a broad variety of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties. Psychotherapy can help eliminate or control troubling symptoms so a person can function better and can increase well-being and healing.

A somatic therapist helps people release damaging, pent-up emotions in the body by using various mind-body techniques. These can vary widely, ranging from hypnosis, breathwork and dance, psychodrama, body awareness, calming tension in the body, pendulation, titration and resourcing.

Examples of somatic techniques:

• Body awareness, which helps people recognize tension spots in the body as well as conjure calming thoughts

• Pendulation, which guides people from a relaxed state to emotions similar to their traumatic experiences and then back to a relaxed state

• Titration, which guides people through a traumatic memory while noting any accompanying physical sensations and addressing them in real time

• Resourcing, which helps people recall resources in their lives that promote feelings of calm and safety, such as special people and places.