Somatic Therapy for Trauma.. Coming Soon | Open2TalkCounselling
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Somatic Therapeutic Counselling For Trauma ...
Somatic Therapy Starts January 2024 ...Add your name to the Waiting List ...click the button below
 

Somatic therapy, also known as somatic experiencing therapy, is a therapy that aims to treat PTSD and other mental and emotional health issues through the connection of mind and body. This body-centric approach works by helping to release stress, tension, and trauma from the body.

Unlike standard mental health therapy, such as CBT which focuses prominently on the mind, somatic therapy incorporates body-oriented modalities such as dance, breathwork, and meditation to support mental healing. In addition, somatic experiencing therapy sessions include talk therapy and mind-body exercises.

If you would like to join the waiting list for Somatic Therapeutic Counselling for Trauma complete the contact form and I will email you to arrange an appointment or use the booking facility on this website.

You will be offered a free 30 minute appointment where you can talk about your situation, what you would like help with and discuss how we may be able to help. You can then make a decision about ongoing sessions.

Types of Somatic Therapy

The most common and straightforward form of somatic therapy is known as such or as somatic experiencing therapy. In this therapy, patients discuss their problems as in other forms of mental wellness therapies. Rather than just talk about them, somatic therapists guide patients to focus on their underlying physical sensations. From there, the mind-body exercises may include breath work, meditation, visualization, massage, grounding, dance, and/or sensation awareness work.

Beyond the standard somatic therapy, numerous subgroups use its framework in specific ways. These include:

  • Sensorimotor psychotherapy1

    Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. Home page.

    : A comprehensive therapy that uses the body as both a source of information and intervention targets.

  • The Hakomi Method2: Psychotherapy that integrates scientific, psychological, and spiritual sources, focusing on four core concepts: gentleness, nonviolence, compassion, and mindfulness.

  • Bioenergetic analysis3: Body-psychotherapy that combines bodily, analytic, and relational work based on understanding energy.

  • Biodynamic psychotherapy4: A combination of allopathic (medical) and holistic therapy modalities that include physical massage by the practitioner

  • Brain spotting: In addition to mind and bodywork, this therapy incorporates eye positioning to retrain emotional reactions.

Techniques


Somatic therapy operates off the idea that what happens to you in your life is stored not only in your mind but also in your body. By focusing on both the physical sensations in your body and the discussion of your problems, it is a comprehensive approach to therapy. Somatic therapy techniques include:

Developing more awareness of your body and its sensations
Calling upon emotional resources
Grounding
Encouraging detailed descriptions
Movement, including acting out of physical feelings
Learning tools to calm oneself
Alternating focus between something stressful and something not stressful to help release tension
Replaying past situations with new physical tools
Emotional release
Strengthening boundaries

What Somatic Therapy Can Help With

Anyone can try somatic therapy as an alternative to conventional talk therapy. It is used for a variety of mental and physical health issues.

Mental health issues that somatic therapy is used for include:

  • PTSD

  • Anxiety

  • Addiction

  • Grief

  • Depression

  • Stress

Physically, somatic therapy may assist with:

  • Chronic pain

  • Digestive disorders

  • Sexual dysfunction

Because of its focuses on grounding and mindfulness, this therapy can be an effective option for anyone looking to get more in touch with themselves and their experiences in life.

Effectiveness
Somatic therapy has been shown to be an effective form of therapy for numerous psychiatric and physical issues.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Treatment for PTSD with somatic experiencing has been proven to be an effective method to speed up the time needed to heal from a traumatic event.

Initial studies of somatic therapy have found it to be an effective treatment for PTSD, noting, "mixed model linear regression analysis showed significant intervention effects for posttraumatic symptoms severity (Cohen's d = 0.94 to 1.26) and depression (Cohen's d = 0.7 to 1.08) both pre‐post and pre‐follow‐up."

In other words, somatic therapy may be an effective therapy method for PTSD, although further research is needed to understand what specific patients will benefit most from this type of treatment.

When victims of a tsunami were studied, the results stated, "90% of participants reported significant improvement or being completely free of symptoms of intrusion, arousal, and avoidance. The results support the effectiveness and reliability of this modified version of Somatic Experiencing Therapy in working with trauma reactions."

Chronic Pain
It might seem surprising to some people that a form of psychotherapy can help with physical pain, but it has shown to be the case. In one study, Somatic therapy was proven effective as a treatment for cervical myofascial pain, and the effectiveness was not increased when acupuncture was added.

The Connection Between Mental Health and Physical Health
Things to Consider
As with any form of therapy, it's essential to be in an emotional and mental place where you have the time and energy to process complex feelings. If you're doing somatic therapy in person, touch is often involved. Because of that, it's wise to ensure you don't mind being touched by another person.

Boundaries and consent play vital roles in touch, and you will never be touched without consent.

Somatic therapy is not considered to have any risks that are specific or unique to its format.

How to Get Started
If you're interested in trying somatic therapy, the follow these tips may help you to get started.

Choosing the modality of Somatic Therapy
Whether you want to have your Somatic Therapy delivered virtually, or by telehealth or whether you're looking for an in-person experience so that you also receive the benefits of touch-oriented treatments, I have the options available for Zoom, MS Teams Google Meet or WhatsApp, I have suitable rooms available in Bolton Town Centre, Walkden, Little Hulton, Farnworth, Horwich Heaton and around Greater Manchester to choose from so you won't need to travel far.

Somatic therapy is effective  both virtually delivered and in-person, I have many positive reviews and clients have benefitted well.

It's important to note that as a somatic therapists I do not work directly with health insurance companies because somatic therapy is considered an alternative form of therapy. I am able to provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance company yourself for reimbursement once payment is made.

How to Prepare for Your First Appointment
Before your first appointment, think through your emotional and physical goals and what you want to accomplish through the therapy. As with any therapy, be aware that you may bring up old and painful memories. These are good to have distilled to tell me as your therapist about.

If you are working with me in person, prepare yourself for potential healing work conducted via touch. Whether virtual or in-person, as your somatic therapist I will ask you questions about your history and therapy goals during your first session. The two of us will work collaboratively together to discuss what the therapy will look like and how you will proceed. What matters most is that you are comfortable with the therapy and with myself your therapist.

As with all therapies, somatic therapy may be emotionally difficult and take a long journey, though many people find a deeper level of healing than they could achieve through other therapies.

Joining the waiting list
You can add your details to the waiting list for Somatic Therapy by completing the online contact form, simply write Somatic in the description and I will contact you to arrange a free telephone consultation where you may ask any questions you may have.
Click the button below to complete the contact form
 

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