Somatic healing work is not the same as talk therapy

When you first start somatic sessions, such as Somatic Experiencing (SE), you might be expecting to speak about specific traumas, explaining your past or finding solutions for the stress you have been experiencing.

But you will be surprised to find that this is not necessary to feel better and more regulated.

To start with, the most important thing in this type of work is to “teach” your body to feel safe.

A body that feels unsafe won’t be able to resolve survival stress by talking through traumas and problems. In fact, this will activate your nervous system even more, which will invite stronger survival strategies to come to the surface.

Instead, with the help of co-regulation and some other gentle techniques, I invite your body to slow down.

This way we can:

🌿 Give your body a taste of safety.
🌿 Work “underneath” the survival strategies.
🌿 Avoid retraumatization.
🌿 Learn to befriend your sensations.
🌿 Allow your body to discharge/release survival stress organically.
🌿 Give space for your body to reorganise naturally.

And yes, in somatic sessions we can talk as well. We can share important insights, have somatic psychoeducation and make new meanings, but only when we have established a felt sense of safety.

Have you ever wondered what happens in a Somatic healing session? Drop your questions in and I will happily reply.