What is somatic therapy? A Body-Based approach to healing
If you’ve ever felt like you understand your patterns intellectually but still feel stuck, you’re not alone. Many people come to therapy saying, “I’ve talked about this before, I just don’t feel different.”
That’s where somatic therapy comes in.
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to healing that goes beyond talking. It gently invites your nervous system, your physical sensations, and your internal rhythms into the conversation. Healing doesn’t just happen in the mind. It needs to happen through the body, too.
What is Somatic Therapy?
The word “somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, meaning “the living body.” Somatic therapy is based on the understanding that our bodies store our experiences, especially the ones that were overwhelming, traumatic, or unresolved.
That tightness in your chest before a hard conversation?
The way your body braces when something reminds you of the past?
The numbness or shutdown that shows up when you’re overwhelmed?
These are your body’s intelligent responses to stress and threat. Somatic therapy helps you gently notice, explore, and shift those patterns without forcing, fixing, or retraumatizing.
How Does It Work?
In somatic therapy, we slow down. We get curious. You might learn to track subtle body sensations, use grounding or movement, or simply build more awareness of what’s happening inside. Sometimes we use breath, imagery, sound, or touch (when appropriate and consensual). Sometimes we just sit together and notice what arises.
This work honors your body’s pace. It’s especially supportive for:
Trauma survivors
LGBTQIA+ folks seeking body-affirming healing
People with anxiety, chronic stress, or dissociation
Anyone who feels disconnected from themselves or their body
It’s about helping you feel more understanding of yourself, more connected, more self-compassionate, and more resourced. Usually when we feel more connected to and understanding of ourseleves, we can feel, relate, and respond from a place of inner safety.
Why I Practice Somatic Therapy
As a therapist, I believe the body is not a problem to be solved, it’s a partner and ally in your healing. I’ve seen again and again how somatic therapy can open new doorways for people who’ve felt stuck, especially those who’ve had to disconnect from their bodies to survive.
My approach to somatic therapy is warm, collaborative, and trauma-informed. I hold space for complexity, for resistance, for the tender parts of you that learned to protect and survive. Together, we build toward greater safety, capacity, and connection in your body and your life.
Curious About Somatic Therapy?
Whether you’re navigating trauma, exploring identity, healing after burnout, or simply wanting to feel more at home in yourself, somatic therapy can be a powerful path.
I offer LGBTQIA+ affirming, body-centered therapy both virtually and in-person.
Located in Los Angeles, and serving clients across California.
Learn more about working together or schedule a free consultation here.