Have you been in talk therapy for years? You might have incredible insight into your problems. You understand why you are anxious because of your childhood. You know rationally that you are safe now.
Yet, your body didn't get the memo. You still feel a tight knot in your stomach before meetings. Your shoulders are chronically up by your ears. You startle easily, or you feel chronically numb and disconnected from physical sensations.
This is very common. As renowned trauma expert Bessel van der Kolk wrote, "The Body Keeps the Score." Trauma lies in the nervous system, not just the thinking brain. That’s why Somatic (body-based) Therapy is changing the game for mental health treatment.
The Limitations of the "Thinking Brain"
Traditional therapy often works "top-down." It uses the prefrontal cortex (the logical, thinking part of your brain) to try and talk down the amygdala (the primal fear center).
But when you are triggered, your prefrontal cortex goes offline. You can't "logic" your way out of a panic attack or a trauma response because the logical part of your brain isn't in charge at that moment.
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy works "bottom-up." It focuses on physical sensations in the present moment to access and process trapped emotional energy.
At Clear Counseling AZ, a somatically-informed session doesn't mean we are doing yoga or massage. It means we are slowing down the conversation to check in with the body.
Your therapist might ask questions like:
- "As you talk about that difficult memory, what do you notice happening in your chest right now?"
- "Where do you feel that anger in your body? Does it have a shape or a color?"
- "Notice the urge in your legs to run away. What happens if we mindfully pay attention to that urge without acting on it?"
Completing the Stress Cycle
When animals in the wild survive a chase, they literally shake off the excess adrenaline and return to calm. Humans often don't. We stay frozen in a high-alert state long after the threat is gone.
Somatic therapy helps your nervous system complete these stuck "fight, flight, or freeze" responses, allowing your body to finally realize the danger is over and return to a state of genuine rest and safety.
Learn About Body-Based Therapy
