How Somatic Therapy Goes Beyond Talking
For New Yorkers especially, the speed of life seems to be accelerating with no sign of slowing down any time soon.
3 min read
Our stress levels are maxed, our commitments are growing, and technology continues to advance at warpspeed, pushing our capacities into overwhelm. It’s not surprising that many find themselves grappling with a swarm of mental health challenges right now. As our modern lives evolve, so does the science and practice of therapy. While traditional talk therapy has been the foundation of mental health treatment, new innovations in the practice of therapy are helping to address the complex interplay between mind and body in this age of rapid information.
Lights up on somatic therapy – an updated therapy approach that explores the profound connection between our physical sensations and emotional experiences. Grounded in neuroscience and trauma research, somatic therapy offers a deeper understanding of how unresolved trauma and stress can manifest in the body, leading to chronic pain, emotional distress, and even negative relationship patterns.
Studies have shown that adverse life experiences can gum up the body's natural ability to regulate stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, leading to dysregulation of the nervous system. All of this often happens just outside of our consciousness so that all we’re really aware of is that we’re upset, burned out, or stuck. Somatic therapy seeks to restore balance to the nervous system by addressing these subconscious imbalances through targeted interventions, such as breathwork, body mindfulness, and nervous system reprocessing.
“There has been a fresh wave of mainstream acknowledgement that trauma is stored in the body, now this is the second wave: moving it out.”
One of the key points of somatic therapy is the understanding that trauma is not just stored in the brain but also in the body. There has been a fresh wave of mainstream acknowledgment that trauma is stored in the body, now this is the second wave: moving it out. Through techniques such as Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, individuals can learn to safely explore and process traumatic memories and emotions stored in the body's tissues, leading to profound healing and a deep sense of resolution.
What a lot of folks are starting to learn is that somatic therapy has been shown to be particularly effective in treating complex trauma and attachment-related issues. Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) incorporates elements of attachment theory and interpersonal neurobiology and is used by somatic therapists to help clients develop greater self-awareness and resilience, leading to healthier relationships and more adaptive coping strategies.
Standard talk therapy uses cognitive insight as a path toward change. These therapy models are known as “top-down” approaches. They start from logic and rationale at the top and seek to bring understanding down to our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Somatic therapies are considered “bottom-up” approaches in that they harness the body’s intelligence as a path into healing that integrates our automatic and reactive elements such as the fight or flight response and learned defenses. Taking a “bottom-up” route means using a detour around “figuring it all out” and usually bypassing over-intellectualizing.
“I often have new patients tell me they already understand their issues intellectually… They’re looking for deeper change.”
Wes Curtis, an advanced AEDP somatic practitioner based in NYC, shares, “I often have new patients tell me they already understand their issues intellectually. They’ve talked and talked and don’t feel like anything is moving or changing. They’re looking for deeper change in the ways that they react and relate to others and to themselves. Synchronizing the analytical information with somatic tools completes the puzzle for a lot of folks.”
As the field of somatic therapy continues to evolve, researchers and clinicians are recognizing its potential to transform the landscape of mental health treatment. Downtown Somatic Therapy, a group therapy practice in NYC, specializes in this transformational work. From reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression to improving emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships, the benefits of somatic therapy are backed by a growing body of scientific evidence and clinical research.
In conclusion, if you're seeking a holistic approach to healing that honors the interconnectedness of mind and body, somatic therapy may offer a path forward. With its roots in neuroscience, trauma research, and embodied practices, this approach demonstrates great promise as a powerful tool for restoring balance, resilience, and well-being in the face of life's challenges.