WHAT IS A SOMATIC APPROACH TO HEALING?
A PARADIGM SHIFT IN HEALING
WHAT IS A SOMATIC APPROACH TO HEALING?
Somatic psychotherapy involves bridging sensation with emotion and thought. A somatic therapy approach acknowledges the narrative of our attachment journey. It guides a client into the wisdom of their body to restore the innate capacity to bond, form healthy and adaptive boundaries, and flourish in all aspects of relationships.
SOMA
Soma is a Greek word for 'the living body known from within'. This 'knowing' connects us to our wholeness. Somatic therapy is an experiential approach towards mind/body integration. It repairs where there has been ruptures that leave a sense of fragmentation. The pain, overwhelm, and coping responses manifested by sudden or complex trauma take us away from feeling at home in our body, at home with other people, or at home within the world. Somatic therapies brings us back. When we know where home is, and come to love the home of sensation and movement, we venture into the world with greater authenticity and increased vitality.
WHO MAY BENEFIT FROM SOMATIC THERAPIES?
Are you feeling stuck and incomplete with talk therapy alone? Are the hours you spend reflecting and piecing your story together barely scratching the surface of the emptiness, aloneness, helplessness, or numbness you feel inside? Perhaps access to what is stored in the deep layers of your tissues could allow a deeper movement toward profound healing. Just as the energy of the body is deeply rooted on a cellular level, produced intracellularly in the mitochondria, so too our moods, attitudes and habitual behaviors are stored in patterns of tension and habitual ways we armor ourselves. Somatic therapy offers a softening of the armor, an entrance into the safety we can only find on the inside and naturally the layers of protection can finally be released, on every level of mind and body.
THERAPEUTIC TOUCH MODALITIES
HEALING TOUCH MODALITIES
Healing Touch is remarkably helpful to regulate the nervous system and bring safety back to the body and benefits many of the following conditions.
ANXIETY AND STRESS
DEPRESSION
MOOD INSTABILITY
SLEEP ISSUES
CONFIDENCE AND SELF-ESTEEM
FINDING OR MAINTAINING RELATIONSHIPS
ADDICTIVE BEHAVIORS
HEALTH AND WELLBEING
A DESIRE TO FEEL HAPPIER AND MORE FULFILLED
A DESIRE FOR MORE FROM LIFE
TEB: TRANSFORMING THE EXPERIENCE – BASED BRAIN
Healing the Effects of Developmental Trauma
HAVENING TOUCH TECHNIQUES
A Psychosensory Approach to Healing Trauma and Other Mental Health Challenges
Co-regulation through touch is part of what occurs in healthy human development. Methods that use touch as a way to support co-regulation are part of the body/mind practices that focus on presence and connection to address the ways in which both physical and emotional pain are held in our physiology. Co-regulating touch does not describe a specific method but rather names a particular approach to working with trauma. Therapeutic touch techniques, such as TEB and Havening, are particularly beneficial at reaching the effects of pre-verbal, early childhood attachment wounds. Our earliest language is that of felt sensation as we meet the outside world through the five senses as well as internally via our shifting nervous system states. One of the greatest results of co-regulating therapeutic touch is the experience of “somatic trust.” Through this sometimes never-experienced-before nervous system state, a person can access a felt sense of safety that becomes a reference point for deepening self-trust and comfort in relationships with others and the world.
ABOUT TEB
Transforming the Experience Based Brain is a biophysiological approach to healing, developed by Stephen J. Terrell, PsyD, SEP a world leading authority on Developmental Trauma. The term Developmental Trauma stems from the work of Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score. TEB is a Somatic Therapy to support healing from the impact of adverse childhood experiences on a biophysiological level. Adverse childhood experiences can change the wiring of our bodies and brain when we get locked into 'survival physiology'. In survival physiology it can be difficult to feel safe, see opportunities, move towards connection or make healthy choices. We may feel powerless around persistent behaviors, beliefs, actions or states which negatively impact our life. These may indicate ways we have adapted to manage an underlying survival physiology. Defensive accommodations often underpin many of the things that regularly drive people to seek out therapy.
HEALING THOUGH MOVEMENT GROUPS
SIYT: SOMATIC IMMERSION YOGA THERAPEUTICS
Yoga is a practice of inhabiting the body. It is a “bottom-up” approach that awakens sensation and awareness of feelings. It opens the door to feeling what you feel and through that, knowing what you know. Yoga is a movement inward where the attention shifts from the external to the internal landscape. It is a process of opening up to what the body is storing inside, creating space for parts of ourselves that may be closed or shut down. In its physical aspect, Yoga is the action of holding oppositional forces, moving through poses, and engaging muscle groups to invite energy flow to all parts of the body. It is a practice of yoking mind and body which offers both a physical and emotional experience of integration and embodiment.
The style of yoga offered through SIYT is called vinyasa. This is a method of yoga which links breath with movement and establishes a continuous flow from one pose to the next. A flowing sequence in coordination with breath allows the practice to become a meditative dance that supports deep somatic immersion. Each session is designed to encourage supportive reflection, mindful presence, and the safety to listen inwardly. Through creative sequencing, attention to detail in the pose, generous use of props and relatable theming, the participant leaves fully nourished physically and deeply attuned with tools that translate off the mat.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO SOMATICALLY IMMERSE?
It’s sort of like being enveloped by body sensation. It’s a sinking into the ground or filling out the container of the body - an absorption and blending of non-physical consciousness and sensation of the soma. It’s like rain that moistens the earth. The felt experience may be that of being held or contained by the physical qualities of one’s experience. Through awareness and activation of sensation within movement, we identify more with our own physicality. We feel ourselves more. This immersion in soma – tissues, organs, blood flow and energy channels – are felt experiences that lead to a sense of embodied presence.
SIYT's approach uses simple, accessible techniques that empower clients and restore a sense of agency. While medications and talk therapy certainly have their place, yoga therapy offers something unique. It offers the space, time and tools to address every layer of a person's being, leading to deep healing and sustainable change.
DANCE THERAPY
Dance therapy is another form of somatic therapy that combines rhythm and movement to promote emotional healing. It also uses a group approach to improve socialization in a safe space of authentic and spontaneous expression. It helps individuals improve their overall well-being by addressing a range of physical, mental, and social issues. Dance therapy can be a powerful tool for self-expression, emotional regulation, and building self-esteem.
Dance therapists use various techniques to enable clients to better understand their own and others’ feelings and take part more fully in human relationships. Some of these techniques include mirroring, attunement, developmental phases, and “attachment” dance. The process can help the client progress through mental roadblocks, regressions, and delays in their development and personal relationships. Many of these exercises are helpful in treatment because they build trust and connection between individuals and within the group.
CAN DRUMMING HELP YOU HEAL?
In mental health therapy, the role of drum circles has been identified as a way of reducing stress, improving communication, and bringing people together. Drumming is a form of music therapy and is rhythmic in nature which makes it easier for participants to engage in creative activities while enjoying the safety of a group session. It can be especially helpful for people with anxiety disorder, depression, and PTSD since drumming brings the mind to focus.
Drumming also has an effect on the body since it is a physical activity that triggers the brain to produce endorphins, the body's natural chemicals that help one feel good and even elicit a feeling of euphoria. Furthermore, a drum circle is also a collective activity that erases loneliness since participants are connected with others, and this can be incredibly important for people with mental health disorders.
Healing rhythms drumming therapy uses the power of rhythm and drumming to promote physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. It's an evidence-based therapeutic activity that can help with trauma, addiction, grief, and stress, and is used in various settings, including mental health therapy, rehabilitation, and even with veterans. Drum circles, a common format for drumming therapy, provide a safe space for self-expression, stress reduction, and connection.
DRUMMING CIRCLES