What is Somatic Therapy?
Listening to the wisdom of your body.
Somatic therapy is a body-centred approach to healing that recognises how deeply our life experiences live within us, not only in our minds, but in our bodies too.
When we experience stress, trauma, or emotional overwhelm, the body can hold on to those memories as tension, discomfort, or disconnection.
By slowing down and learning to listen to your body’s sensations, you begin to release what has been “frozen” or “stuck” and allow your nervous system to find balance again.
How it Works
In a somatic session, we create a space of safety and awareness. Together, we’ll gently explore what’s happening in the body, sensations, emotions, impulses, or memories, and how they connect to your present experience.
Using trauma-informed techniques such as:
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Bilateral processing
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Relational psychotherapy
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Mindful awareness and breath
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Parts and inner child work
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Polyvagal-informed nervous system regulation
You’ll learn to notice, stay with, and move through the body’s natural responses, supporting your ability to self-regulate and heal from within.
Why the Body Matters
Our nervous system shapes how we feel, think, and connect. When it becomes overwhelmed, we may feel anxious, disconnected, or “stuck.” Somatic therapy helps you build resilience by restoring communication between mind and body, allowing the body to process what words alone cannot reach.
How Somatic Experiencing Works
Bilateral Processing
The aim of Somatic Experiencing is to enable the nervous system to bring itself back into regulation. We do this in a variety of ways, including focusing on the felt sense, a deep awareness of emotions and physical sensations as they arise in the body. This helps you navigate more skilfully through states of stress and activation.
Titration
Rather than diving straight into the heart of trauma, we begin gently, working at a pace that feels manageable. As sessions progress, you gradually increase your capacity to experience sensations and emotions, building confidence and safety along the way. This gentle pacing supports integration.
Pendulation
We explore the movement between states of activation and calm, between dysregulation and self-regulation. You’ll learn to recognise these shifts and develop resources (sources of strength and comfort) that help your nervous system tolerate and release stored stress.
Session Expectations
One of the key differences between Somatic Experiencing and traditional talk therapy is that there is less emphasis on retelling your story or analysing the past. Instead, we focus on what is happening in the present moment, in your body.
You’ll be invited to sit comfortably, take time to settle, and share any themes or issues you’d like to explore that day. As the session unfolds, we’ll gently notice physical sensations, emotions, and thoughts as they arise, working at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.
The role of the Somatic Experiencing Practitioner is to act as a compassionate guide, helping you to gradually tolerate, release, and integrate what emerges.
Through this process, whatever has been stuck or unresolved in your body can begin to move and release naturally. You may notice tingling, warmth, gentle movements, or even a sense of calm spreading through the body. These are signs that the trapped energy beneath symptoms is being released, allowing space for greater relaxation, clarity, and well-being.
How Many Sessions Will I Need?
There’s no set number of sessions, each person’s journey is unique. As a guide, Steph recommends beginning with six sessions to allow the process to unfold and see how it feels. You’re free to continue or stop at any time, and when you feel ready to conclude, a final session helps bring the work to a natural close.