About Somatics

As part of the therapeutic process, Somatic (soma-body) Therapy incorporates the body's sensations, emotions, and perceptions as they relate to our feelings, thoughts, and mental images.

How it Works

One way to become connected to our bodily sensations is through the breath. Using the breath is straightforward because the breath is always with us and can be voluntarily/safely directed to helping us access a sense of connection with our body, thereby, promoting a sense of calm; in this way, we can explore relevant emotions and events without becoming overwhelmed. In my case, I utilize the 36 breaths of Jin Shin Jyutsu, an energy healing modality based on the principles of Chinese Medicine.

As such,  the breath effectively complements traditional psychotherapy and facilitates the exploration of trauma. It also promotes our awareness of bodily sensations, feelings, and thoughts associated with our experience. For example, if we have difficulty expressing thoughts and feelings or talking about our problem because we get too upset, using a directed breathing practice can help us slow down and calm our emotions. 

Body Awareness

The breathing practice also facilitates our ability to access the felt sense, which refers to that sense of knowing and our internal bodily awareness. In this manner, the felt sense helps us connect with the body’s wisdom, promotes development of insight, and allows us to access information from within the body. Via this process, we learn to identify bodily sensations associated with difficult emotions, thus helping us to gain control of our reactions and in general become more in tune with ourselves! 

The Breath In The

Treatment Of Trauma

The breath acts as a ‘buffer’ between the complex material discussed in therapy and our ability to tolerate feelings that may emerge during the session. In this regard, because the breath activates the relaxation (parasympathetic) response, it increases our capacity to tolerate difficult emotions, thus promoting engagement in the therapeutic process; this is particularly the case in the treatment of trauma (Brown, R., Gerbarg, P., & Muench, F., 2013).

In Summary

Because the breath increases our ability to tolerate distress, it is an excellent complement to traditional psychotherapy