what is somatic therapy

According to Dictionary.com, the word “somatic” is defined as of or relating to the body, especially as distinguished from the soul, mind, psyche, or the environment. In the field of psychology, somatic means a feeling. The study of somatic therapy focuses on the mind-body connection, specifically the relationship between our body structures and how it affects our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.  The mind-body connection phenomenon proves that when a person experiences stressors, the causes, development, and outcomes of physical and mental illness such as anxiety and depression are determined by the integration of biological, environmental, and social factors. These affect the following: 

• Your decision-making, behavior, and ability to manage feelings
• Self-awareness and self-esteem
• Your overall psychological well-being
• Relationships with others at work and home
• Ability to learn and develop positive coping skills

Someone’s overall health can be affected by good and bad stress due to life events such as marriage/divorce, breakups, promotion/lay-off, being in rush hour traffic, meeting deadlines, having unrealistic expectations, and interpersonal relationships.

What Is Somatic Therapy? 

When a person’s body responds to stress or experiences, it takes a serious toll on all aspects of their life. Somatic therapy is used to facilitate the resolution of both trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) responses. As a form of psychotherapy and intervention, this method aims to engage body awareness, and address the connections between the brain, the mind, and behavior.  Also, known as body psychotherapy or body-oriented psychotherapy, somatic psychotherapy is a modality highly focused on the mind-body connection and is the largest branch of its kind.

Essential to the therapeutic process, believers in somatic psychology see the mind and body as one entity.  It is said, that the right environment and social interactions result in a positive experience, and most importantly, will help a person heal and grow faster. When this process is conducted correctly in a safe manner, the mind-body connection becomes stronger and regulated as time goes on.