Somatic Therapy

“Somatic Therapy in San Jose, SF Bay Area, and throughout California”

Somatic therapy can look different for each therapist, which is why I’d like to take a moment to talk about how I offer this. This is a space to take moments to reflect on how you’re feeling physically. Each session will have dedicated time to reflect on how the following were for you the previous week:

How restful was your sleep?
Did you wake up at all in the middle of the night? How often?
Was it easy or difficult to fall asleep?
How was your appetite?
Did you eat in a way that felt good, energizing for your body?
Did you notice any shifts in how you felt after eating? Change of focus or attention, patience, or something else?
Did you drink enough water?

While the questions are almost painfully “simple”, having some time to think about and feel how you’re feeling can do a lot of good for body restoration and healing. We’ll also spend time figuring out some form of movement practice outside of therapy, whether it be weightlifting, going for a walk, running, yoga, stretching, dance, pilates, etc. Having a movement practice greatly contributes to processing the heightened level of stress that comes from depression, anxiety, grief, and trauma.

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Somatic therapy can help you:

Release built up physical tension
Process and lower heightened cortisol levels in your body
Improve or stabilize your immune system
Increase your connection to and confidence within your body
Lower the volume of emotional triggers

Frequently asked questions about Somatic Therapy

1How does somatic therapy work?

We’ll work together to basically rewire the connection between your body and brain through creating and reinforcing new, healthy habits that positively benefit both your body and brain. The same way our brain can be negatively impacted by trauma, we can also rework the neuropathways to benefit us–this is your time to reclaim your brain. Our brains are “elastic” which means we’re able to make changes to how we think and respond to things, so long as we’ve been actively working on developing the new habit. This can include sorting out what physical movement routine works for you, how to get good quality sleep, how to rest and reset in a way that’s actually restful, and how to listen and respond to your body.

2How do I know if I need somatic therapy?

- You physically feel tense, whether it be in your jaw, shoulders, neck, forehead, back, etc. - You have a hard time recognizing and listening to your body cues, like going to the bathroom at the last moment, eating only when your stomach is in knots, drinking water when you’re really thirsty - Listing how you’re feeling is easy, but can’t connect those feelings to a spot in your body - You’ve experienced a body based trauma - There are times you don’t feel connected to your body, almost like you’re a few inches away - Alcohol or substances help to feel something - Your sleep is off (not enough, too much, can’t fall asleep, shitty quality sleep)