Why choose somatic healing work?

There are many reasons to give this type of work a go, especially if you haven’t had long lasting results with conventional mainstream approaches.

I will share two of them here:

1) The deepest memories can only be accessed somatically (through the body). Additionally, the most effective way to provide attachment repair/healing is via somatic approaches. Attachment styles are formed in the first couple of years of life. Those years are mostly non verbal, but the body is still storing all the memories and we can still access them, in the present moment, to integrate.

2) The reason cognitive approaches often fail to help is because “telling” your system what to do is not as effective as “showing” your system how regulation is supposed to feel.

For instance, when you are in a state of hyperarousal (fight/flight) your protective system is telling you there is danger, even in moments where logic knows you are safe. This happens because there is an implicit memory in your body that has triggered this response in the present moment. Thus in the moment you are completely safe. There is no danger, but the body “thinks” otherwise. When you are in this state, using positive affirmations and positive thinking may help you to a point, but it won’t resolve the underlying pattern. This pattern will invariably be triggered again.

Your system needs “showing”, not “telling”, how regulation feels like.

That’s why using your list of resources is so important. Remember to use your resources throughout the day, to invite more regulation into your system. You can use these resources even when your nervous system is not highly activated.
In fact, that’s the best time to practice, so that you can get used to them.

Check my ‘Resources’ category for more information on how to use resources.