Your body still remembers the things your mind tries to forget. Long after a traumatic event is over, you may continue to notice your shoulders tense up when you hear a certain sound, or your stomach drop when you enter a familiar situation. These physical sensations are not random. They’re your body’s way of holding onto past experiences that overwhelmed your nervous system.
Traditional talk therapy can help process thoughts and emotions, but somatic therapy takes an alternative course, working directly with the physical sensations where trauma lives.
Why Your Body Holds Onto Trauma
When you experience trauma, your nervous system responds by entering survival mode. You’re instantly flooded with stress hormones that prepare your fight or flight response. The problem is that when all the extra energy created for survival isn’t used, it remains trapped in your system, and your body remains in a state of high alert even after the danger has passed.
This stored activation shows up as chronic muscle tension, digestive issues, unexplained pain, or feeling constantly on edge. The body stores trauma in several ways:
Muscle memory holds defensive or protective postures you assumed during the traumatic event
Your nervous system gets stuck in a hypervigilant state, leaving you constantly scanning for potential threats
Breathing patterns change, becoming more shallow or restricted
Fascia and connective tissues tighten around areas that need protection
Implicit memory keeps physical sensations linked to the trauma alive without conscious awareness
How Somatic Therapy Differs From Other Approaches
Somatic therapy recognizes that you can’t fix trauma that’s stored in the body through mental work. Rather than focusing solely on the narrative, somatic approaches help you learn how to shift the physical sensations connected to those traumatic experiences.
A somatic therapist provides guidance on how to track what’s happening in your body each moment. Things you have ignored in the past, or that have become such a part of you that you don’t even notice them, like tense areas, points of numbness, or sensations that want to move, suddenly make sense. Gaining this increased awareness alone will initiate a shift in stuck patterns.
An approach like this works with your body’s natural healing abilities. When you start to slow down and appreciate the sensations within your body without becoming overwhelmed, you are sending the message to your nervous system that it can finally close the interrupted survival response loop. Your clenched jaw can relax. Tense shoulders are finally able to soften and drop.
What to Expect in Somatic Trauma Work
Somatic therapy doesn’t force you to go from your starting point to “all better” all at once. Healing from trauma happens at a comfortable pace that your system can handle. Your therapist will help you build the proper resources first, creating a sense of safety and stability before moving into harder material.
Sessions may include gentle movement, breathwork, or simply noticing subtle body sensations. You’ll focus on moving between activation and calm, gradually increasing your tolerance over time. As you progress, your body learns that the trauma you experienced is over and you no longer need to brace for impact.
Healing varies from person to person. You may notice a shift within mere weeks, while more complex situations may take months to unwind. The key to this approach is that healing is a collective balance between your mind and body.
Ready to Find Release?
Are your physical symptoms making you feel trapped? Is traditional therapy not producing the response you have been searching for? Somatic therapy is worth exploring. Our therapists combine expertise in trauma treatment with body-centered techniques that can help you reclaim a sense of safety. Let’s explore how a therapist specialized in somatic trauma therapy can help your body let go of what’s no longer serving you. Contact us for a free consultation to get started.
