Embodied healing for anxiety, emotional eating, and relationships.
Introduction to Somatic Therapy
Welcome to this short episode where I’ll be introducing you to what Somatic Therapy is. This is the Stress and Anxiety Recovery podcast. And I’m Shelley Treacher, a psychotherapist in Bristol. Somatic Therapy is an approach that brings the body into the room as part of therapy. In this mini episode, I’ll explain what that is, why it matters, and how it might help you and guide you through a simple practice that you can try out for yourself.
This also lays the groundwork for the Somatic Mastery Series that I mentioned last time, where we’ll go deeper into how the nervous system safety and self-regulation support recovery. If you would prefer to watch the video version, you can find this on my YouTube channel at Shelley Treacher or on my website, www.bristolcounselling.co.uk.
What Makes Somatic Therapy Different?
Somatic therapy is at its core, the same as any other therapy. Transformation happens through empathy and compassion.
But what makes this therapy different is we bring the body into the room as well. Our bodies react to everything we experience in life.
It’s where our nervous systems operate, telling us when to be cautious and when to be relaxed. It is where we experience both danger and safety, and that sense of safety is really what therapy is trying to help us restore.
We can see this in the way that we breathe, in the tension that we carry, or in the numbness that cuts us off from feeling the body is also the realm of the unconscious and the right brain.
How Early Experiences Shape the Body
Our early life experiences shape how we feel about others, how we expect to be treated, and how safe we feel in relationships. And these patterns show up in our bodies.
True healing happens when our thoughts and our feelings work together. When our left and our right brain integrate. Healing begins when we can bring what was hidden into awareness and choose how to respond.
Beyond Talking Therapy
That’s why somatic therapy isn’t only about talking. It gives us ways to express ourselves without words.
For example, if you’ve been hurt in relationship, you might expect everybody to treat you in exactly the same way. What you need is a reparative experience of relationship. The compassion and attention of therapy can provide that, and even more so if you begin to give that to yourself. Somatic therapy also offers right to right brain co-regulation, which is simply a mirror of safety.
Guided Somatic Practice: Notice, Name, and Soften
I would like to pause here and guide you through a short practice so you can experience this rather than just hearing about it.
Take a moment to get comfortable. You can do this lying down, sitting up, or standing. Just be comfortable.
Close your eyes if you’re willing, and take a moment just to tune into your body.
Notice your breathing, your shoulders, your jaw. Your belly.
Is there any tension there?
Is there any numbness?
What feels good or more alive?
Now, see if you can give words to what you are noticing, like tight chest, heavy stomach, or buzzing in the arms.
Don’t overthink this. Just name whatever you’re feeling.
And now bring your attention to just one of those places. And if you’d like, just place your hand gently in that area and breathe into it, offering it space and kindness.
You don’t have to change anything here, just soften around it and be gentle with it.
Allow it to be exactly what it is with compassion.
And then just take a couple of breaths and when you’re ready, open your eyes and come back into the room.
And of course, you can pause here if you need more time.
This is a tiny example of how somatic therapy works: noticing your body, giving language to that experience, and then meeting it with empathy.
(More guided exercises for nervous system regulation here)
The Benefits of Somatic Psychotherapy
Over time, this builds your capacity to tolerate distress, to soften defences, and to feel more at home in yourself.
Somatic work uses different tools like breathing exercises or movement, or just paying attention to your body. I also include exploring your belief systems, connecting with different parts of yourself and inner child conversations. These approaches fit beautifully with body-centred work.
Neuroscience also supports this work when what was unconscious becomes conscious. We’re able to pause, reflect, and choose differently instead of automatically responding or reacting.
The therapist is also part of this process. A somatic therapist pays attention to their own body as well. I’m listening to my body at the same time as helping you to explore yours and when it’s useful or helpful, I bring that into the work.
At its best, somatic psychotherapy offers something profound, a space where healing starts from the inside out, from how you feel within yourself, rather than from what you think others expect of you.
Key Takeaways on Somatic Therapy
In this episode, I’ve talked about, firstly, what somatic therapy is. I talked about why the body and the nervous system are central to healing. I also talked about how unconscious patterns show up physiologically. And I spoke about why integration of thoughts and feelings matters.
I spoke about the role of empathy, compassion, and co-regulation in therapy, and then I gave you a short practice notice name and soften. I also mentioned that the tools used in somatic psychotherapy include breathing, movement, inner child work amongst many others.
Some of these exercises can feel like unlocking a secret superpower, though I can’t actually guarantee X-ray vision or flying just yet!
And then I finished by talking about how healing starts from the inside out.
How to Continue Exploring Somatic Therapy
Thank you so much for listening to this podcast about somatic therapy. I hope the practice gave you a taste of how being aware of your body can help you heal and be kind to yourself. If you are someone who likes homework, as I know so many of my clients do, as you go about your day, pay attention to how your body feels, And notice what changes if you bring kindness to those feelings.
To view the full video, please visit my YouTube channel, Shelley Treacher, or my website, www.bristolcounselling.co.uk.
If this helped you to understand somatic therapy and perhaps to give it more credit than you previously did, please share it or leave a review. This will absolutely help others who need to find the support, find it. This information is fairly new in our culture.
Next Episode Preview
In the next episode, I’ll talk about your nervous system, why we so often feel stressed, and how understanding safety can help you feel calmer and stronger.
If this episode spoke to you…
You’re very welcome to explore somatic therapy with me. I offer counselling in Bristol and online, where we can gently work with what your body holds, and find ways to feel calmer, safer, and stronger.
Learn more about working with Shelley Treacher
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