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Somatic Therapies
The Mind + Body Connection
The Mind and Body in Counseling
Somatic counseling is a mind-body-centered therapeutic approach examining the connection between the mind and body. Several well-known somatic therapies exist, such as Somatic Experiencing, the Hakomi Method, Sensorimotor Therapy, EMDR, and Yogic Traditions. Somatic Counseling incorporates somatic (body-based) approaches to counseling to explore how emotions, identity, and relationships are formed in individuals that shape their embodied experiences.
Somatic practices appear in ancient and contemporary cultures to gain knowledge of the mind and body connection in healing. Many consider Yoga to be the first somatic practice.
In counseling, practices cover diverse techniques and methods for self-awareness, self-knowledge, and releasing trauma within the brain and body union throughout the therapeutic process.
How Mind-Body Therapies Work
Mind-Body Connection
Increased Distress Tolerance:
The capacity to observe, experience, and tolerate discomfort leads to reductions in emotional reactivity and decreases in symptoms of anxiety, panic, chronic pain, and depression.
Physiological Changes:
Find a resolution of the stress of traumatic activation through movement, breath, and body awareness. Proprioceptive body awareness and sensory integration.
Changes in how we sense, feel, move, and breathe into the body are linked to improvements in Vagal Tone, Vagal Efficiency, and Heart Rate Variability.
Improved Mental Outlook:
Increased self-awareness, compassion, and ability to view another person’s perspective