Somatic Therapy for Anxiety: What to Expect

If you've been looking for therapy for anxiety, you may have come across the term somatic therapy.

Maybe you've heard that somatic therapy works with the body or nervous system, but you're not exactly sure what that means.

What actually happens in a somatic therapy session?

Do you have to talk about your trauma?

Does the therapist touch you?

Do you have to do breathing exercises or move your body?

And how is somatic therapy different from traditional talk therapy?

These are all really common questions.

Somatic therapy can look a little different depending on the therapist and the specific approach they use. For me, my work is rooted in Somatic Experiencing® (SE), a body-based approach that helps us pay attention to how anxiety, stress, and past experiences are showing up in the nervous system and body.

The goal isn't to ignore your thoughts or emotions. We still talk and process. We simply add another layer by paying attention to what is happening in your body, too.

What Is Somatic Therapy for Anxiety?

Somatic therapy is a form of therapy that incorporates awareness of the body and nervous system into the therapeutic process.

Traditional talk therapy often focuses primarily on thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences through conversation.

Somatic therapy can include all of those things while also exploring questions like:

What are you noticing in your body right now?

Where do you feel that anxiety?

What happens when you talk about that experience?

Do you notice tension, pressure, tightness, warmth, tingling, or an impulse to move?

What changes when you slow down and pay attention?

For someone experiencing anxiety, this can be particularly helpful because anxiety isn't only something we experience in our thoughts.

It can show up throughout the body.

You might notice a racing heart, tight chest, shallow breathing, a knot in your stomach, muscle tension, restlessness, difficulty relaxing, or a feeling that something bad is about to happen.

Somatic therapy gives us an opportunity to become curious about those experiences rather than immediately trying to push them away.

What Is Somatic Experiencing®?

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is one specific form of somatic therapy.

SE was developed by Peter Levine and is based on the idea that overwhelming or stressful experiences can affect the nervous system and continue to influence how we respond to stress and perceived threat.

In Somatic Experiencing, we pay attention to the body's responses and work with those responses gradually rather than overwhelming the nervous system by diving into everything at once.

This is especially important when working with anxiety and trauma.

The goal isn't to force yourself to relive difficult experiences.

Instead, the work is often slow, gentle, and paced according to what your nervous system can comfortably tolerate.

What Happens During a Somatic Therapy Session?

You might be surprised to learn that somatic therapy sessions can look pretty similar to other therapy sessions.

We're still talking.

We're still getting to know each other.

We're still exploring relationships, emotions, thoughts, patterns, and what's happening in your life.

The difference is that we pause and pay attention to what's happening in your body as we talk.

For example, you might be telling me about a stressful interaction with your boss.

As you describe what happened, you notice that your shoulders have become tense and you're holding your breath.

Rather than continuing to talk through the entire story, we might slow down and become curious about that physical response.

What do you notice?

Does the tension hold an emtoion, word, or image?

Does the tension remind you of anything or feel famailiar?

Is there an impulse to move or do something?

The body can give us information that we may not have access to through conversation alone.

Do You Have to Talk About Your Trauma?

No.

You do not have to go into every detail of everything that has ever happened to you in order for us to begin working together.

We can start with what's happening right now.

Sometimes talking about a past experience is helpful.

Sometimes it isn't.

And sometimes you may know exactly what you're anxious about, while other times your anxiety may seem to come completely out of nowhere.

We can work with what your nervous system is communicating in the present moment rather than assuming we need to uncover every detail of your past.

Does Somatic Therapy Involve Touch?

No. Our Somatic sessions do not involve hands-on bodywork or physical touch.

Somatic therapy is not massage therapy, and I don't physically manipulate your body or apply pressure to areas where you feel tension.

Instead, we use awareness, conversation, and your own observations of what's happening inside your body.

You remain in control of your body and your experience throughout the session.

What If I Don't Notice Anything in My Body?

That's completely okay.

You don't need to be naturally "in tune" with your body to benefit from somatic therapy.

Some people are very aware of physical sensations.

Others have spent years disconnecting from or ignoring their bodies, especially if they have experienced chronic stress or trauma.

There is no right way to experience your body.

Part of the work can simply be learning to notice.

Maybe you notice that your shoulders are tense.

Maybe you notice nothing at all.

Maybe you feel restless.

Maybe you notice that you suddenly want to change the subject.

All of that can be useful information.

We aren't looking for a specific response or trying to make something happen.

We're becoming curious about what is already there.

What Does Somatic Therapy Feel Like?

This is different for everyone.

Some people experience a sense of relief or settling.

Others may notice emotions, physical sensations, movement, warmth, tingling, shaking, or changes in breathing.

Sometimes there may be very subtle shifts that you barely notice at first.

The work isn't about forcing your body to release something or trying to produce a particular experience.

Instead, we're creating space for your nervous system to respond differently over time.

In Somatic Experiencing, we often work with titration, which means approaching difficult experiences in small, manageable pieces rather than becoming overwhelmed by them.

We may also move between activation and experiences of safety, comfort, or settling. This is known as pendulation.

The pace matters.

You don't have to push yourself through something just because you think you "should" be ready.

Can Somatic Therapy Help With Anxiety?

Somatic therapy can be helpful for people who feel like they understand their anxiety intellectually but still struggle to feel differently in their bodies.

You might know:

"I don't actually need to worry about this."

"I'm safe."

"Everything is okay."

And yet your body still feels tense, activated, or on edge.

This can be incredibly frustrating.

Somatic therapy gives us another way to work with anxiety by paying attention to the nervous system and the physical experiences that accompany it.

Over time, the goal is not necessarily to never feel anxious again.

Anxiety is a normal human experience.

Instead, we can work toward having more capacity to experience anxiety without it completely taking over.

You may begin to recognize what activation feels like earlier.

You may become more aware of what your body needs.

You may feel more choice in how you respond.

And you may develop more trust in your ability to move through difficult emotions and physical sensations.

Is Somatic Therapy Right for You?

Somatic therapy may be worth exploring if you feel like traditional talk therapy hasn't quite gotten to the deeper layers of what you're experiencing.

Maybe you understand why you feel anxious but still can't seem to calm your body.

Maybe you spend a lot of time in your head and have difficulty knowing what you actually feel or need.

Maybe you notice patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, hypervigilance, or difficulty setting boundaries.

Or maybe you've done a lot of talking about your past and are ready to explore a different way of working.

Related Reading:

Signs Your Nervous System Is Stuck in Survival Mode

People Pleasing: Healing the Body-Mind Connection

How Trauma Gets Stored in the Body

Anxiety Isn't Just in Your Head: Why Your Body Won't Let You "Just Relax"

3 Holistic Ways to Slow Down Your Mind

About Rooted Healing
At Rooted Healing, we specialize in trauma-informed care that goes beyond traditionl talk therapy. We utilize holistic approaches such as EMDR and Somatic Experiencing. If you’re looking to heal from past trauma, anxiety, PTSD, or other emotional challenges, we’re here to help you on your journey. Contact us today by clicking here to learn more about how these modalities can help you reclaim your life.