Somatic Therapy
Sometimes, your body holds onto trauma, even when you wish it would just let it go.
Unresolved Trauma
When an event or unresolved events from the past disrupt your feeling of security and well-being, the lasting physical and psychological impacts of trauma can persist. This is known as somatic memory.
Our bodies instinctively store stress and tension as a survival response in somatic memory. Somatic memory is simply the lingering pain and unease of past traumas stored in the body. Keeping these stressful memories allows quick reactions to threats and enhances the memory of stressful events.
While this response serves a purpose, it can, at times, result in distressing symptoms such as anxiety, panic attacks, and physical discomfort. But Growing Mindful Psychotherapy can help heal this stored trauma using somatic experiencing therapy.
What is Somatic Therapy
Somatic Therapy is a powerful modality specifically designed to address and alleviate distressing symptoms stemming from trauma. Somatic therapy, a type of psychotherapy, acknowledges that our bodies instinctively absorb and store stress and tension by activating a stress response system.
This response system uses somatic memory to increase alertness, redirect energy, and enhance memory during stressful events. This life-saving response can accumulate these stored feelings in our body tissues and nervous system over time. It may require healing therapy to process and release these accumulated stressors effectively.
What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session
In somatic therapy, you are not alone in your journey toward healing; a highly trained therapist supports you. Together, you begin a process that centers on recognizing and attuning to the sensations within your body. These sensations signal the unresolved stress and tension held within your somatic memory. Common physical indicators may include muscle tension, trembling, or other bodily reactions linked to the stress you’ve encountered.
How Does Somatic Therapy Work
The therapeutic process gently unfolds this stored stress in a controlled environment. It does not require you to confront your most distressing memories head-on. Instead, somatic therapists employ techniques to take you through the healing process at your own pace. Titration, a method that allows you to explore these memories gradually, involves exploring distressing memories or sensations slowly, ensuring you don’t become overwhelmed by emotions or reactions. It’s like taking small, manageable steps toward processing challenging memories.
A Somatic therapist may also use “pendulation” to assist your body in naturally transitioning between states of heightened activation (as experienced during anxiety) and states of calm. This technique aims to restore balance in your nervous system, easing intense feelings and returning to tranquility, ensuring a safe and manageable therapeutic experience.
The fundamental aim of somatic psychotherapy is simple: allow your body to complete its innate response to stress and trauma. It is the guided process of releasing the accumulated tension and unexpressed emotions holding you back. In doing so, you can let go of the trauma in your somatic memory and rediscover a sense of balance and ease.
A Tailored Healing Therapy with Somatic Therapy
Whether your traumatic experience was a single, isolated event or a prolonged series of challenges, Somatic Therapy offers a valuable tool for reintegrating your mind and body. It serves as a pathway to healing from the lingering effects of stress and trauma, enabling you to move forward with greater resilience and emotional health.
Somatic psychotherapy is a healing therapy particularly suited to those seeking an approach to healing that is gentle, body-focused, and guided by experienced professionals. Somatic experiencing provides the support and solace you need to unlock the physical and emotional baggage from past traumas. Remember, you need not shoulder this burden alone; our compassionate team is here to accompany you on your healing journey.
Get Ready to Let Go of Somatic Memory with Somatic Experiencing Therapy
If you are ready to explore how Somatic Experiencing can assist you in overcoming trauma, childhood issues, sexual abuse, performance anxiety, or any other emotional challenges, please know that our dedicated team of bilingual Spanish therapists is here to extend a helping hand. Contact us today to start your healing journey with Sensorimotor Psychotherapy.
