Spirituality Within Somatic Therapy: Honoring the Mind, Body and Soul
Clinical somatic therapy is grounded within the understanding of how healing happens through the body. Sensation, movement, breath, and nervous system regulation form the foundation of this work. Yet for many clients and practitioners, the healing also carries a spiritual dimension. Spirituality, when approached with care and clinical integrity, can be an important aspect of therapy to deepen meaning and integration into daily life. Therapy can be a place where those experiences are welcomed, without pressure or interpretation.
Defining Spirituality in a Clinical Context
In somatic therapy, spirituality does not necessarily refer to a specific religion, belief system, or doctrine. Instead, it can emerge as a client’s sense of connection to self, to others, to nature, or to something larger than individual identity. Spirituality can be defined as the quiet sense of connection that is allowed to arise when we finally feel safe enough to listen inward. It might feel like warmth in the chest or a softening in the belly. It’s a feeling of being held by something larger or simply coming home to ourselves.
Somatic therapy invites clients to listen to the body’s language: subtle sensations, impulses, and rhythms existing beneath conscious thought. As clients develop this awareness, they may encounter moments of stillness, expansion, or interconnectedness that feel spiritual.
These experiences are not goals to be pursued, but natural byproducts of nervous system regulation and increased interoceptive awareness. When the body feels safe, it becomes possible for us to access deeper layers of our consciousness, sometimes described as intuition, essence, or presence.
Importantly, spirituality in clinical practice is led by the client. The therapist would not impose interpretations or metaphysical frameworks but rather remain curious about how the client understands their own experiences.
How to Incorporate Spirituality into Therapy
Somatic therapy can address a multitude of concerns, and spirituality can be a helpful tool to increase both physical and mental wellbeing. Below are some presenting concerns to which a sense of spirituality can be added within traditional talk or somatic therapy methods:
1. Anxiety
Spirituality can help calm anxiety by:
Creating a sense of meaning and safety when things feel uncertain
Practices like mindfulness, prayer, breathing, or meditation can calm the nervous system
Encouraging letting go of excessive control and fear of the future
Helping people feel less alone through a sense of connection (to God, nature, humanity, or something larger)
In therapy, this could look like grounding exercises tied to spiritual values or reflecting on trust, acceptance, and compassion.
2. Depression
Spirituality can support depression by:
Offering hope and purpose, especially when life feels empty or painful
Helping people reconnect with values, meaning, or identity
Encouraging self-compassion and forgiveness
Reducing isolation by fostering connection (internally or with a community)
Therapists may explore questions like: “What gives your life meaning?” or “What helps you keep going during hard times?”
3. Relationship Issues
Spirituality can help relationships by:
Promoting values like empathy, patience, humility, forgiveness, and respect
Helping people reflect on boundaries, intentions, and responsibility
Supporting healing from resentment or guilt
Encouraging healthier communication rooted in shared values
In therapy, this can involve reflecting on how beliefs influence expectations, conflict, or attachment patterns.
4. Past Trauma
Spirituality can be especially powerful, when used intentionally, with trauma:
Helps people rebuild meaning after painful experiences
Supports a sense of inner strength and resilience
Can offer comfort when words fail
Helps with identity repair after trauma has shaken self-worth or trust
A trauma-informed therapist would not use spirituality to minimize pain (e.g., “everything happens for a reason”). Instead, it’s used to support healing at an individual pace.
In conclusion, spirituality works best when it supports emotional and nervous system healing, not when it’s used to bypass difficult feelings. You don’t have to “think positively” or find meaning right away. Spirituality can gently introduce the idea of trust; trust in your body, in life unfolding, or in something that feels supportive beyond you.
When spirituality is grounded in the body and paired with therapy, it can become a steady companion rather than a pressure to feel better.