Somatic Therapy: A “Talk-Free” Way to Process Pain
A quick INtroduction to SOmatic PRocessing, and Body-based Therapies like Somatic Experiencing.
When I started meditating seriously, some odd things began happening. I became aware of sensations in my body, like flashes of heat; when I focused on those sensations, I would sometimes start crying or trembling. I was vaguely aware that these “body feelings” might be linked to difficult experiences from my past, but I couldn’t always pinpoint what they were. All I knew was that afterward, I felt lighter, calmer, more grounded, and positive.
That’s why, as a therapist, I am inspired and informed by approaches like Emotion-Focused Therapy and Somatic Experiencing that take bodily sensations seriously. Some healing can occur without saying a single word. At least, that has been my experience.
So, is “somatic processing” something you’ve heard about and want to better understand? Here’s the thinking behind one therapeutic modality, Somatic Experiencing, that has spearheaded the “body-first” approach.
A Quick Overview of Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a therapeutic modality developed by Peter Levine in the 1970s. At its core, SE is based on the idea that our bodies hold onto stress and trauma, often leading to what we call post-traumatic symptoms. Imagine our autonomic nervous system (ANS) as a finely tuned instrument, swinging between states of “rest and digest” and “fight or flight.” When we experience intense stress—whether in a single moment or over a prolonged period—our ANS can get stuck in a state of “fight or flight” (Levine, 1997). This might leave us feeling hyper-alert, emotionally volatile, or even disconnected from our bodies.
Essentially, in a post-traumatic state, you either feel way too much or not enough. This is what therapists mean when we use terms like “emotionally dysregulated.”
The idea with SE is to restore balance to the ANS by “discharging” trauma. As you do so, you can theoretically train your nervous system to cope better with stress in the future (Ogden & Minton, 2000). The classic example Peter Levine often gives is of a deer running from a predator; once that deer escapes the danger, it shakes hard for a few moments and then returns to grazing. Can we learn to be more like that deer and “shake off” the challenges we face rather than “store up” the stress in our bodies?
It’s important to note that Somatic Experiencing is markedly different from many other trauma-processing therapies, especially those that rely heavily on remembering and meaning-making. Rather than diving deeply into traumatic memories—something that can feel overwhelming—SE gently guides you to reconnect with your body. It’s a “bottom-up” approach (i.e., feeling it in the body) rather than a “top-down” approach (i.e., remembering it, thinking about it, talking about it).
Somatic Therapy in Practice
In practice, somatic therapy involves tuning into our bodily sensations, otherwise known as interoceptive awareness. By learning to notice and tolerate these sensations, you can theoretically complete the defensive responses that may have been interrupted during your traumatic experiences.
For example, what if you had a car accident but felt too ashamed to cry at the time, and now you feel terrified every time you drive? Maybe your body has been, in a sense, holding onto those tears. Letting them fall now might make driving a little less scary, as crying would allow you to “discharge” the fear you felt when you crashed.
One of the key advantages of somatic processing is its gentle nature. While it does bring up memories linked to past traumas, it does so in a way that’s manageable and supportive. Instead of getting lost in the details of what happened, you can focus on the body’s responses, helping you find a pathway to healing that feels safe and grounding.
A Quick Caveat
Somatic Experiencing— and somatic processing in general —is a newer approach, so it does not have as much evidence as other modalities to support its effectiveness (Kuhfuß et al., 2021). Additionally, some of its main tenets are based on personal stories and haven't been fully proven yet. For instance, we can't be completely sure that how animals in the wild deal with trauma is the same as how modern humans do. This idea is more of an assumption drawn from casual observations and anecdotes (Payne et al., 2015). However, my feeling—and that of many others in the clinical community—is that therapy exploring somatic approaches is well worth investigating.
