Somatic Therapy

Where healing begins with your body and extends to your soul.

Somatic Therapy in Ontario

Stress and difficult experiences can affect more than your thoughts. You may also notice tension, restlessness, numbness, changes in breathing, difficulty relaxing or a sense that your body remains on alert even when no immediate danger is present.

Somatic therapy is a body-aware approach to psychotherapy that considers the connection between thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and nervous-system responses.

Rather than focusing only on talking about what happened, somatic therapy can help you notice how experiences affect you in the present and develop greater awareness, regulation and choice.

Virtual somatic therapy is available to adults located across Ontario.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy integrates traditional psychotherapy with careful attention to physical experience.

During therapy, you may be invited to notice sensations such as:

Muscle tension or heaviness
Changes in breathing
Warmth, pressure, tingling or numbness
Restlessness or an impulse to move
An urge to withdraw or become still
Shifts in energy and alertness
Moments of settling, support or connection

The purpose is not to search for symptoms or interpret every physical sensation. It is to become more aware of how your mind and body respond to stress, emotion and relationships.

This awareness may help you recognize patterns earlier and respond to them more intentionally.

How Stress and Trauma Can Affect the Body

When the brain perceives danger or overwhelm, the nervous system organizes a response intended to help you cope.

You may experience:

Fight responses, such as anger or defensiveness
Flight responses, such as anxiety, restlessness or avoidance
Freeze responses, such as feeling stuck or unable to act
Shutdown responses, such as numbness, fatigue or disconnection
Relational protective responses, such as people-pleasing or difficulty setting boundaries

These reactions are not necessarily signs that something is wrong with you. They may reflect ways your mind and body learned to respond during stressful or difficult circumstances.

A response that was once protective can sometimes continue after the original circumstances have changed. Somatic therapy may help you recognize these present-day reactions without judging or forcing them to disappear.

Is Trauma Stored in the Body?

People often use the phrase “trauma is stored in the body.” This can be a helpful metaphor, but it should not be understood to mean that trauma is literally stored in a muscle or another specific body part.

Distressing experiences may influence:

Muscle tension
Breathing patterns
Sleep
Attention and concentration
Emotional regulation
Sensitivity to reminders
Feelings of safety
Automatic protective reactions
Awareness of physical needs and boundaries

Somatic therapy works with these present-day patterns. It does not require the body to “release” or “discharge” trauma in a particular way.

How Somatic Therapy Works

Somatic therapy is adapted to your needs, history, goals and comfort level. It does not follow one identical sequence for every person.

The work may involve several elements.

Developing Body Awareness

You may practise noticing physical sensations and changes without immediately trying to alter them.

For example, you might recognize tension developing during a difficult conversation, a sense of heaviness when discussing loss or an urge to withdraw when you feel criticized.

Greater awareness can help you identify responses before they become overwhelming.

Orienting to the Present

Orienting involves gently noticing your current surroundings.

You may look around the room, identify objects, listen to sounds or notice the support of the chair and floor. This can help distinguish the present environment from an earlier feared or remembered experience.

Grounding

Grounding practices can support present-moment awareness when you feel overwhelmed or disconnected.

Depending on what feels helpful, grounding may include:

Feeling your feet against the floor
Noticing the support beneath your body
Holding an object and observing its texture
Looking around and naming what you see
Listening to sounds near you and farther away
Using comfortable movement or changes in posture

Not every grounding technique works for everyone. If a practice increases discomfort, we stop and try a different approach.

Tracking Activation and Settling

We may notice how activation changes during a session.

This can include recognizing:

When tension begins to increase
When you feel an urge to move or withdraw
When your attention becomes distant
What helps you remain present
Moments when your body feels more supported or settled

The objective is not to remain calm at all times. It is to increase your ability to recognize and respond to changes in your emotional and physical state.

Working Gradually

Somatic therapy often approaches difficult material in manageable amounts.

We may move between something mildly challenging and something more neutral or supportive. This can help you explore emotional experiences without intentionally overwhelming yourself.

The pace is collaborative and can be adjusted at any time.

Somatic Therapy Does Not Require Touch

Somatic therapy does not necessarily involve physical touch.

At Solution Therapy & Coaching, psychotherapy is provided virtually. Somatic work may involve guided awareness, observation, grounding, movement, mindfulness and conversation.

You remain in control of your participation. You can decline an exercise, request a change or pause the process at any time.

What Can Somatic Therapy Support?

Somatic therapy may be considered as part of treatment for adults experiencing:

Trauma-related distress
Anxiety or panic
Chronic stress
Burnout
Emotional overwhelm
Emotional numbness or disconnection
Difficulty recognizing emotions or physical needs
Persistent feelings of unsafety
Relationship and boundary difficulties
Grief and major life transitions
Physical tension associated with stress
Feeling stuck despite insight and self-awareness

Somatic therapy is not appropriate for every person or every concern. An initial assessment can help determine whether this approach may fit your needs.

Physical symptoms such as persistent pain, digestive changes, dizziness, breathing difficulties or significant fatigue should also be assessed by an appropriate healthcare professional. Psychotherapy does not replace medical evaluation or treatment.

Somatic Therapy Techniques

Somatic therapy may include a variety of practices depending on your needs and preferences.

Body Scanning

A body scan involves directing attention through different areas of the body and noticing what is present.

There is no requirement to relax or find a particular sensation. The practice is intended to build awareness.

Comfortable Breathing Awareness

You may be invited to notice your natural breathing or experiment with a slightly slower, comfortable breath.

Deep breathing is not helpful for everyone. If focusing on breathing increases anxiety, we use a different point of attention.

Mindful Movement

Small, intentional movements may help you notice physical impulses, boundaries and changes in tension.

This might include adjusting your posture, pressing your feet into the floor, stretching or experimenting with a movement that feels supportive.

Sensory Grounding

Attention may be directed toward sight, sound, touch or the support of the environment to strengthen present-moment awareness.

Imagery and Resourcing

You may identify memories, places, relationships or experiences associated with support, strength or steadiness.

The purpose is not to imagine distress away. It is to recognize resources that may help you remain present during challenging work.

What to Expect in a Somatic Therapy Session

A session usually includes conversation along with attention to present-moment emotional and physical experience.

We may:

Discuss what has been happening in your life
Identify a concern or pattern you want to understand
Notice thoughts, emotions and body sensations connected to it
Explore what happens as you talk about the experience
Practise grounding or regulation strategies
Pause when something feels too intense
Consider what the response may be protecting you from
Develop practical ways to respond outside therapy

Not every session includes a formal exercise. Somatic awareness may be integrated naturally into psychotherapy according to what feels relevant and manageable.

What Therapy With Me Looks Like

My approach is warm, collaborative and trauma-informed.

I integrate somatic therapy with Internal Family Systems-informed work, mindfulness, EMDR and other evidence-informed approaches when appropriate. The specific combination depends on your concerns, preferences and response to therapy.

We begin by developing an understanding of what you are experiencing and what you would like to change. We then determine which approaches may be most appropriate.

You will not be expected to relive difficult experiences, force an emotional release or move faster than feels manageable. You are encouraged to ask questions, communicate discomfort and participate actively in decisions about your care.

The goal is not to “fix” you. It is to support greater awareness, emotional flexibility, self-understanding and choice.