Somatic Therapy in Calgary
You might know where your anxiety comes from, understand your patterns, or be able to talk through what happened. But knowing something intellectually doesn’t always mean your body has caught up.
Somatic therapy is one way of exploring this mind-body connection. It brings attention to what is happening in your body alongside your thoughts, emotions, and experiences.
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to therapy that looks at the connection between your mind, body, emotions, and nervous system. Rather than only focusing on thoughts and talking through experiences, somatic therapy also pays attention to what you are experiencing physically, such as sensations, breathing, tension, movement, or other physical responses.
You may hear somatic therapy described as a “bottom-up” approach. While traditional talk therapy often starts with thoughts and works toward emotions and behaviours, somatic approaches can start with what you are experiencing in your body and work from there.
Somatic therapy is also an umbrella term for different body-based approaches, including Somatic Experiencing, Hakomi, and other somatic-informed practices. Your therapist may use one of these approaches on its own or integrate somatic work into other forms of therapy.
Somatic therapy may be a good fit if you…
tend to overthink or intellectualize your emotions
understand your patterns but still have a hard time changing them
feel disconnected or numb from your body
notice strong physical reactions to stress or emotions
often feel anxious, overwhelmed, shut down, or on edge
have tried traditional talk therapy and want to explore another approach
want to better understand your nervous system
find it difficult to slow down and notice what you are feeling
want to work on emotional regulation and feeling more present in your body
You don't need to know exactly what you are looking for before starting. Your therapist can help you figure out whether somatic work makes sense for you and how it might fit into your therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions:
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Somatic Therapy incorporates talk therapy throughout the process. However, rather than focusing primarily on verbal processing of thoughts and feelings, somatic therapy integrates body awareness and physical sensations. It works on a deeper level by addressing how trauma and emotions are physically experienced in the body.
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The number of sessions needed can vary depending on the individual and the complexity of the issues being addressed.
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Touch is not a mandatory component of somatic therapy. There may be few interventions that suggest limited gentle touch, but this is always optional and done with prior discussion and consent.
What can Somatic Therapy help with?
Somatic approaches can be incorporated into therapy for a range of concerns. Depending on your goals and the specific approach your therapist uses, somatic therapy may be helpful for:
Trauma and PTSD: exploring how traumatic experiences can continue to affect your body, emotions, nervous system, and sense of safety. This can include both “Big T trauma”, such as abuse or serious accidents, and “little t trauma,” such as emotional neglect, chronic criticism, or repeated rejection.
Anxiety and depression: noticing and working with physical signs of anxiety, such as tension, restlessness, or a racing heart. Supporting awareness of physical and emotional experiences that can come with depression
Emotional regulation: recognizing early signs of emotional activation and building skills to respond differently
Burnout: noticing patterns of chronic stress, exhaustion, and disconnection from your needs
Grief and loss: making space for the physical and emotional experiences that can come with grief
Dissociation and feeling disconnected: gently building awareness of your body and present-moment experience
Relationship and attachment concerns: exploring how relational experiences and patterns may show up in your body
Body image and self-esteem: developing a different relationship with your body and increasing body awareness
Somatic therapy isn't limited to one diagnosis or concern. Your therapist can help determine whether somatic work may be useful for what you're experiencing and how it can fit alongside other approaches.
Our Somatic Therapists in Calgary
More FAQ:
What happens in a Somatic Therapy session?
Somatic therapy can look different depending on the therapist, the approach they use, and what you are working on. A session may still look and feel a lot like a typical therapy session. You will talk with your therapist about what is going on, while also being invited to slow down and notice what is happening in your body.
Your therapist might ask questions like, “Where do you notice that in your body?” or “What happens when you stay with that feeling for a moment?” You may also work with breathing, movement, grounding, body awareness, or other strategies.
Somatic therapy does not require physical touch. You remain in control of what you are comfortable with, and your therapist will always talk with you about an intervention before using it.
Can Somatic Therapy be done virtually?
Yes. Somatic therapy can be adapted for virtual sessions. Many somatic practices involve noticing sensations, breathing, movement, grounding, and other forms of body awareness that can be done from your own space.
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That's completely okay. You don't have to already feel connected to your body or know how to identify sensations. Learning to notice what is happening in your body can be part of the therapy process.
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Yes. Somatic approaches can be integrated with many different forms of therapy. Your therapist can help you determine which approaches may be helpful based on what you are working through.
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Starting therapy can feel like a lot when you're already trying to figure out what kind of support you need. We've made the process simple.
Find your therapist: Start with our Therapist Matching Tool. You'll answer a few questions about what you're looking for and we'll help you find a therapist who may be a good fit.
Book a free consultation: Once you've found someone you're interested in, you can book a free consultation with them. This gives you a chance to meet your therapist, ask questions, and get a sense of whether they feel like the right fit.
Start therapy: If it feels like a good match, you can book your first session and get started.
We also offer direct billing with many major insurance providers, so you can use your benefits when eligible.