Introduction to Somatic Therapy: Understanding How Trauma and Emotions Become “Stuck” in the Body
By Molly Moloney, Psy.D.
Somatic therapy is increasingly recognized as a powerful approach to mental health that bridges the mind and body to address the lingering effects of trauma, chronic stress, and emotional pain. Unlike traditional talk therapies, somatic therapy operates on the understanding that trauma and difficult emotions are not merely psychological experiences; they are also physically embedded within the body. When exposed to any stimulus that overwhelms the autonomic nervous system’s ability to remain regulated, the body will unconsciously brace against the aversive experience. When the body learns to brace in this way, it can lead to chronic muscle tension, restricted breathing, and altered posture —manifestations that somatic therapy can help release and resolve (van der Kolk, 2015). Rooted in both ancient practices and modern research, somatic therapy focuses on bringing awareness to these physical “holding patterns” and facilitating their release, promoting a sense of healing and wholeness. Additionally, somatic therapy helps clients repair their relationship with their own body and emotions, working to decrease avoidance and judgment to cultivate presence and self-compassion within oneself.
Indigenous Roots of Somatic Therapy
Indigenous healing practices have long acknowledged the physical dimension of trauma and the body’s role in emotional healing. Many Indigenous traditions around the world include movement, chanting, touch, dance, and other body-centered practices as essential parts of the healing process (Duran, 2006). For example, some cultures use dance, breathwork, and sweat lodges to process trauma physically and emotionally, while other traditions often incorporate rhythmic movements and drumming to release pent-up emotions. These cultural practices laid the foundation for modern somatic therapies, with the understanding that mental, emotional, and physical well-being are inextricably linked.
The Mind-Body Connection and How Trauma Becomes “Stuck”
At the core of somatic therapy is the concept of the mind-body connection. When we experience trauma or intense stress, our body responds automatically, triggering an autonomic nervous system shift wherein we resort to survival mechanisms like fight, flight, fawn, or freeze responses. These are not merely psychological reactions; they are deeply physical. When the excess energy that comes with survival responses cannot be fully processed and released—perhaps due to overwhelming circumstances or inadequate emotional support—the body may become “stuck” in a heightened state of arousal, leading to persistent tension, hypervigilance, irritability, anxiety, anger, dissociation, chronic pain, or other physical symptoms (Levine, 2010).
Trauma that remains unprocessed can create “holding patterns” within the body. For instance, people who endure prolonged stress often develop tension in their shoulders, neck, or jaw, as the body instinctively braces against perceived threats. Similarly, individuals who have experienced emotional or physical abuse might develop shallow, restricted breathing as an unconscious way of “holding in” pain or preventing vulnerability. Over time, these patterns become ingrained, causing a disconnection from the body and amplifying mental health symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and even dissociation (Ogden, Minton, & Pain, 2006).
How Emotions Are Held in the Body: The Role of Holding Patterns
Holding patterns are physical manifestations of unresolved trauma or emotional pain. They develop as the body’s way of adapting to repeated stress or trauma. These patterns are not simply muscle tension but complex, layered reactions in the nervous system that may include altered posture, restricted movement, and changes in breathing. Some common holding patterns linked to emotional distress include:
Tight Shoulders and Neck: Chronic stress or unresolved fear often manifests as tension in the shoulders and neck. This pattern may reflect the body’s instinctive attempt to “protect” itself, pulling inward and bracing against potential danger.
Clenched Jaw: Individuals who experience high levels of stress, anger, or frustration often clench their jaw or grind their teeth. This holding pattern can signify repressed anger or frustration that the individual has been unable to express openly.
Restricted Breathing: Shallow breathing, often seen in individuals with anxiety or trauma histories, may indicate an attempt to reduce physical sensations and “numb out” distressing emotions. It can also reflect the body’s freeze response to overwhelming situations.
Postural Changes: People who have experienced long-term trauma may exhibit postural changes, such as hunched shoulders or slouched postures, signaling self-protection, target, shame, or a sense of powerlessness. These postures reflect the body’s efforts to make itself a smaller target, protect the vulnerable parts, or simply manage the weight of unresolved emotions.
Over time, these holding patterns can limit mobility, increase physical discomfort, and perpetuate the psychological impacts of trauma. The body experiences a feedback loop – psychological stress leads to holding patterns, which send a signal of stress to the mind, and it continues back and forth. Somatic therapy helps individuals become aware of these patterns and slowly release them, allowing for a more profound healing process that encompasses both the body and mind.
Types of Somatic Therapy
Various somatic therapies have been developed to address these embodied forms of trauma and holding patterns. While they all work with the body-mind connection, each has its unique focus and techniques.
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Somatic Experiencing (SE), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a somatic approach specifically designed to help individuals release trauma stored in the body. SE works by allowing clients to observe and track physical sensations associated with trauma, facilitating the completion of previously interrupted fight, flight, or freeze responses. Through techniques like titration (working with sensations in small, manageable amounts) and pendulation (shifting awareness between areas of constriction and fear to areas of expansion and safety), SE gradually reduces trauma’s hold on the body, promoting resilience and healing (Levine, 2010).
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP)
Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP) blends emotional processing with somatic awareness, emphasizing the body’s role in experiencing and expressing emotions. In AEDP, therapists work to uncover underlying emotions by guiding clients through their bodily sensations and emotional responses. The process helps clients release emotional pain stored in the body, fostering a sense of safety and a capacity to process even painful emotions without retraumatization (Fosha, 2000). By integrating the body’s responses with emotional expression, AEDP helps clients reframe past experiences and connect with more adaptive emotional responses.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, pioneered by Pat Ogden, focuses on the physical sensations and postural tendencies that stem from unresolved trauma. This approach incorporates movement, posture awareness, and physical expression to help clients recognize how their bodies respond to traumatic memories. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy acknowledges that trauma often impacts the nervous system and motor functions, and it seeks to help clients become aware of and eventually change their bodily responses. This therapy is particularly helpful for individuals with dissociative tendencies or those who struggle to feel connected to their bodies (Ogden, Minton, & Pain, 2006).
The Hakomi Method
The Hakomi Method is a mindful, body-centered approach to psychotherapy developed by Ron Kurtz. It combines elements of mindfulness and body awareness, encouraging clients to become aware of how unconscious beliefs are held in their bodies. Through gentle touch, mindful observation, and compassionate inquiry, Hakomi therapists help clients explore bodily sensations and emotional responses, uncovering patterns that reflect deep-seated beliefs or unresolved emotions. This method is effective for clients who benefit from a gentle, reflective approach, enabling them to connect with their bodies in a safe and nurturing environment (Kurtz, 2007).
The Process of Integrating Mind and Body in Therapy
In somatic therapy, the therapist facilitates a process where clients gradually become more aware of their physical sensations, exploring how these are connected to past experiences, emotional responses, and self-protective patterns. Unlike talk-based therapies that focus on discussing experiences, somatic therapy emphasizes observing bodily sensations the specific relationship one has with their own body sensations to access the emotional undercurrents associated with them.
Through exercises to increase interoceptive awareness such as mindfulness, guided breathing, gentle movements, and body scanning, clients are encouraged to stay present with physical sensations. The therapist may guide clients to notice specific areas of tension, temperature changes, or shifts in breathing, guiding them to explore how these sensations relate to emotions or memories. This integration process allows clients to understand and prepare to release physical holding patterns associated with emotional pain, often leading to significant psychological relief.
Techniques and Practices in Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy sessions can involve a wide array of techniques to help clients connect with their bodily experiences. Some commonly used practices include:
Embodied Mindfulness: A foundational tool in somatic therapy, mindfulness helps clients stay present and attentive to their physical sensations. It allows them to observe bodily reactions without judgment, promoting a sense of safety and grounding.
Resourcing: Resourcing teaches clients’ nervous systems to access a felt sense of safety, identifying the cues of autonomy and strength in a client’s history, environment, or through guided imagery. Resourcing is typically done in the first few sessions of therapy, supporting the client in feeling safe while they proceed to topics or memories that are more emotionally salient or previously avoided.
SIBAM Model: Developed by Peter Levine, this model is used to prepare clients to reprocess traumatic memories by observing Sensations, Images, Behaviors, Affects, and Meanings associated with an experience, creating a structured way to process trauma (Levine, 2010).
Titration and Pendulation: Titration and pendulation help clients process traumatic experiences in small amounts. These techniques minimize overwhelm by encouraging clients to explore trauma responses gradually, balancing moments of distress with those of felt safety.
Body Awareness and Movement Exercises: Somatic therapists may incorporate movement exercises to encourage physical expression and release of stored tension. Techniques like bilateral stimulation, shaking, intuitive movement, dance, yoga, or stretching support clients in reconnecting with their bodies in ways that feel safe and empowering.
Deep Breathing and Relaxation Exercises: Deep breathing, progressive relaxation, and other breathing techniques promote the ability of the autonomic nervous system to access a felt sense of safety, helping clients manage anxiety and stay present in their bodies.
The Benefits of Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy provides numerous benefits by targeting both the mind and body, enabling a holistic approach to healing. Clients often experience:
Physical Relief: Many clients report reduced muscle tension, increased flexibility, and improved posture after somatic therapy. Releasing holding patterns can alleviate chronic pain and improve overall physical comfort.
Emotional Resilience: By engaging with bodily sensations and addressing unresolved emotions, somatic therapy helps clients develop better emotional regulation and resilience.
Trauma Recovery: Somatic therapy provides a pathway to healing trauma that traditional therapies might not fully address. Techniques like Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy allow clients to process trauma stored in the body, alleviating symptoms like hypervigilance, avoidance, and dissociation (Payne, Levine, & Crane-Godreau, 2015).
Improved Self-Awareness: Engaging with bodily sensations fosters a deeper connection to oneself, enabling clients to recognize and respond to their body’s needs.
Somatic therapy provides a unique, body-centered pathway to healing, particularly for those grappling with trauma and chronic stress. By addressing how trauma and emotions become “stuck” in the body, somatic therapy helps clients release physical holding patterns and repair their relationship with themselves in profound ways. Through techniques like mindfulness, body awareness, and gentle movement, somatic therapy not only alleviates physical and emotional pain but also fosters long-term mental well-being, providing a path to holistic healing for those willing to explore this mind-body connection.
Interested in somatic therapy tools? Check out our nervous system regulation and coping planning worksheet!
Curious where your nervous system is at any moment and what you can do to regulate/feel better? Identify whether you’re in a Ventral Vagal (Safe and Social; “Calm, cool, collected & connected”), Sympathetic (Fight-or-flight; Mobilization), or Dorsal Vagal (Freeze, Fawn, or Shut Down; Immobilization). And then develop a nervous system informed coping plan that considers each state!
References
Fosha, D. (2000). The transforming power of affect: A model for accelerated change. Basic Books.
Kurtz, R. (2007). The Hakomi method: Defining the practice. Hakomi Educational Materials.
Levine, P. A. (2010). In an unspoken voice: How the body releases trauma and restores goodness. North Atlantic Books.
Ogden, P., Minton, K., & Pain, C. (2006). Trauma and the body: A sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy_. W.W. Norton.
Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. _Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93.
van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. Viking Press.
