Explore the difference between Somatic Therapy and Talk Therapy through a trauma-informed, nervous system-informed lens. In this post we look at why some people can understand their experiences logically yet still feel stuck in patterns of stress, burnout or overwhelm, and how body-based approaches can support regulation, resilience and healing. If you're curious about Somatic Therapy, nervous system regulation, CPTSD, or neuro-affirming support, this is for you.
As a holistic and somatic therapist, my practice focuses on supporting individuals in their journey towards well-being by integrating mind, body, and spirit approaches. My work is led by the understanding that our experiences, emotions, and past traumas are often felt in the body, not just remembered by the mind, and by gently engaging with somatic awareness, we can facilitate recovery.
For this month’s blog post I decided to focus on a question I commonly get asked which is:
What makes somatic therapy different from traditional talking therapy, and why do some people still feel stuck even after years of talking therapy?
It’s a very good question! I’m going to answer it with this longer-form piece. As always my writing is shaped by my trauma-informed training, my professional experience, and by my own lived experience of complex trauma recovery, chronic illness, and neurodivergence. I also have a neuro-affirming, queer-affirming and inclusive practice that prioritises accessibility. So, let’s explore this topic in a bit more detail!
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based, trauma-informed approach that gently reconnects you with the wisdom of your nervous system.
Many of us have learned to live mostly in our minds; analysing our experiences and trying to “think” our way through stress or trauma. This makes a lot of sense and can be a survival mechanism. But our bodies also hold the imprint of what we’ve lived through, so it also makes sense to work with the body when processing the experiences that have shaped us. When experiences feel overwhelming or unsafe, the nervous system can continue to cycle through survival responses long after the moment has passed.
Somatic therapy works with the body as an entry point for healing. In sessions, we slow down and gently bring awareness to sensations, breath, movement, and the signals of your nervous system. This creates space for the body to begin processing and releasing stress responses that may have been ‘switched on’ for a long time.
The practice is led by curiosity, compassion, and pacing that feels right for the individual - which will be different for everyone. Over time, their nervous system can begin to rediscover a sense of regulation, resilience, and connection as opposed to shutdown, hyper-vigilance or/and an overactive stress response.
Somatic Therapy vs Traditional Talk Therapy
Some people find talking therapy extremely helpful, beneficial and supportive. And others find Somatic Therapy to be better suited to them. It can also vary depending where people are at in their healing journey. Maybe talking therapy feels most supportive at one stage, and Somatic Therapy at another.
Talking therapy is a form of mental health support that focuses on exploring thoughts, emotions, and experiences through conversation with a trained therapist.
Somatic therapy is a body-based and trauma-informed approach that recognises how past experiences can be re-experienced in the body, not just the mind.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses mainly on mental processing, somatic work gently supports your body in releasing held tension and bringing balance back into the whole system.
Rather than talking about painful memories, in Somatic Therapy we don’t need to discuss the details of what has happened to you. We work slowly, gently, and with great care, allowing your system to unwind at its own pace. This approach honours your body’s innate wisdom and helps build a sense of trust, presence, and resilience from within.
It doesn’t require you to disclose anything or talk about your trauma in any detail. This can sometimes feel safer for some people than disclosing their trauma history.
A Somatic Therapist’s job is to be there to witness you, and help guide you back into your body. The main focus is on how dysregulation has impacted the body and nervous system, and how to restore flexibility in the nervous system.
Why Do Some People Still Feel Stuck After Years of Therapy?
For some people, discussing their experiences logically can make them feel more ‘in the mind’ and less aware of anxiety, shutdown, hypervigilance, burnout or overwhelm showing up in the body. This can make their experience feel fragmented.
Somatic Therapy is about supporting clients in safely experiencing and processing emotions through body-centered awareness, rather than cognitive analysis. Somatic Therapy offers practical, body-based techniques to reduce stress, build resilience, and develop a greater sense of overall well-being.
Sometimes people living with CPTSD or developmental trauma can find repeatedly revisiting painful memories in talk therapy to be less impactful than building gradual nervous system support with practices like Somatic Therapy.
Nervous System Regulation and Trauma Recovery
Somatic Therapy supports people to develop greater capacity for self-regulation, reducing symptoms of chronic stress, anxiety, and overwhelm, and cultivating a sense of safety and calm within the body.
In the first few Somatic Therapy sessions, we focus on building a sense of internal steadiness, creating simple resources you can return to if things feel overwhelming. From there, we gradually support your nervous system to process sensations and emotions at a pace that feels okay for you.
We’ll then gently expand your capacity to stay with and process difficult sensations or emotions, using techniques drawn from Somatic Experiencing® such as pendulation, titration, and other resourcing practices.
So, we’ve covered some of the differences between traditional talking therapy and Somatic Therapy. I thought I’d now introduce what makes my Somatic Therapy different in terms of my approach to this work.
A Neuro-Affirming, Queer-Affirming and Accessible Approach to Somatic Therapy
My online, and in person, somatic therapy sessions are gentle, trauma-informed spaces designed to be accessible, neuroinclusive, and supportive of the many different ways bodies and minds experience the world.
Working online can be especially supportive for those navigating chronic illness, burnout, or neurodivergence. I understand that with pacing needs, leaving the house can cost a lot of extra spoons/ pace points / capacity, so I offer online therapy to help you conserve time and energy.
As a queer, neurodivergent and disabled business owner, accessibility is embedded into the heart of my practice.
In my Somatic Therapy sessions I will always check in regularly with you to ensure you feel the sessions are accessible to your needs.
Somatic Therapy with me can support you If:
- You’re feeling overwhelmed, burnt out, or disconnected
- You’re navigating trauma, chronic illness, or stress
- You’re neurodivergent and want a neuro-affirming approach
- You value support that adapts to you, and meets you where you’re at
I support people who feel overwhelmed or disconnected to come home to their body, so they can remember how to rest, honour their capacity, and move forward with more trust in themselves.
My online somatic therapy sessions are gentle, trauma-informed spaces designed to be accessible, neuroinclusive, and supportive of different access needs.
We start with a minimum of six sessions, allowing time to build trust, regulation and lasting support.
If this sounds like it could be supportive for you then book a free call with me here to get a feel for how I work and if I’d be a good fit for you! There is no obligation to book with me after the free call, it’s just so you can get to know me and ask any questions you may have to assess if you want to move forward with Somatic Therapy at this time.
Thanks so much for reading! Astrid
