What is Somatic Therapy? 5 Important Things to Know

What is Somatic Therapy?

Most people who find their way to somatic therapy have already done a fair amount of inner work.

If you're here, you're probably self-aware, thoughtful, maybe even the person others turn to for advice or emotional support.

But sometimes, insight isn’t enough.

You already know why you feel the way you do, but that logical awareness isn't enough. You’re still feeling stuck. Still feeling overwhelmed. Still carrying something you can’t quite name.

That’s where somatic therapy comes in.

Somatic therapy is a guided awareness practice... and in order to understand what it's all about, here's 5 important things to know:

🐚 Somatic therapy invites you to turn inward—to listen to the subtle language of your body.
The tightness in your chest, the clench in your jaw, the way your shoulders rise without you noticing—these are all messages.

If you live with chronic pain, have a history of trauma, or have experienced systemic oppression (violence, sexism, ableism, racism, homophobia, transphobia), it makes sense if your body hasn’t always felt like a safe place.

We honour that.

Together, we start exactly where you are. Before we approach any trauma work, we focus on building a foundation of safety and connection in your system—gently, at your pace.

🐚 Your body has been with you through every moment of your life.
It carries your stories, memories, beliefs, and survival strategies—whether you consciously remember them or not.

It also holds the imprint of the world around you: daily stressors and moments of joy, as well as the cultural, familial, and generational systems you’ve moved through.

All of this shapes your nervous system.

🐚 We’re here for more than talking.
Somatic therapy is different from traditional talk therapy. While words can bring insight, many of our experiences live beneath them—in sensation, tension, movement, breath, and energy.

Through guided self-inquiry and body-based practices, we follow these threads gently, allowing what’s been stuck to begin to loosen and shift.

🐚 We’re tapping into your inner wisdom.
As we work together, you begin to access your body’s innate intelligence. This often feels intuitive—sometimes even dream-like.

This work isn’t about fixing yourself. It’s about forming a new kind of relationship with yourself—one that’s curious, compassionate, and deeply attuned.

At times, your body might lead us in a direction your mind didn’t expect—and we trust that. The body often knows how to guide us beneath the surface, to places the mind can’t access on its own.

We follow your impulses and the ways your body wants to move, speak, or express—honouring what emerges, moment by moment.

🐚 We’re making space for something new.
As you release held tension, emotion, and unprocessed experience, your system begins to soften. This creates the conditions for new possibilities to emerge.

More ease. More groundedness. More capacity to be with life as it unfolds.

Together, we also focus on what feels good—what brings you pleasure, what you’re longing for, and what it might feel like to truly welcome those experiences into your life.

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So you're probably thinking...

"Okay Andree, that’s all great—but how do we actually do this in a session?"

Every session is different, but here's an idea of what it can look like:

• We start by talking about what’s on your mind.
  

• Then we slow down and focus on what you're experiencing in the present moment.
  

• We help you tune into the sensations in your body.
  

• We navigate big feelings and bodily responses together.
  

• We talk about nervous system science and how your body holds emotion.
  

• We explore practical tools you can use at home for self-regulation.
  

• We might even get up and move—helping energy shift or complete survival responses.
  

• Most importantly, we collaborate to find an approach that works for you.

  
  

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Somatic therapy isn’t always easy—it asks you to show up, to be present, and to listen deeply.

You can book a free consult here to explore more about how we can work together.

With love,

Andree