Somatic Therapy

“The body remembers what the mind forgets; it is through somatic experiencing that we can access, and release stored traumatic memories”.

Peter Levine

Somatic therapy, also referred to as somatic experiencing therapy, is a type of therapy that is centred around the connection between the mind and body. Somatic therapy explores how the body expresses deeply painful experiences. In the 1970s, Dr. Peter Levine developed somatic experiencing, which partly came from Jungian therapy. The idea was that when humans experience trauma, they can get stuck in the “freeze” mode of the fight, flight, or freeze response. Remaining “frozen” causes the negative energy to stay in the body, which can lead to physical and psychological problems. Applying mind-body healing to help with trauma recovery, somatic therapies suggest that our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions. Traumatic events or unresolved emotional issues can become ‘trapped’ inside.” Somatic therapy uses both psychotherapy and physical therapies.

In addition to talk therapy, somatic therapists use mind-body exercises, self-regulation and boundary development to help release tension that negatively affects physical and emotional wellbeing. Somatic Therapy is particularly good for dealing with PTSD, stress, grief, anxiety and ADHD.

https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/types/somatic-psychotherapy