Somo means “body”. But the practice of somatic healing is about more than our flesh and bones. 

To start, somatics is the idea that our bodies hold onto our emotions, lived experiences, and trauma. What’s more, our bodies are trying to communicate with us all the time. 

Think about the racing heart you feel when you get scared. Or when you tap your foot and bounce your leg when you’re nervous. Or when you feel a sudden urge to leave somewhere after someone offends you. 

These are our bodies’ natural responses to the nervous system and the signals it sends to our brains. 

To be clear, our nervous system sends positive signals to us through the body as well. Think about the first time you saw your crush and how you felt butterflies in your stomach or a flushed face.

That’s the somatic body at work. It's a direct line of connection between our thoughts, emotions, beliefs, and our body.

When it comes to somatic coaching, in particular, we’re focused on the negative sensations that have gotten stuck and need to be released.

Back when we were more primitive creatures, our brains and nervous systems were constantly on the lookout for danger. The lion entering our cave. The rival community pillaging our town. The smell of smoke and fire filling up our shelter.

The nervous system is designed to protect us. Not only does it watch for danger, it primes our body for action. If you’ve ever heard the terms “Fight”, “Flight”, “Freeze”, or “Fawn”, that’s how the nervous system response manifests. Or at least it wants to. 

The problem is, we live in modern times. And unless you’re out roaming the Kalahari, there’s very little chance you’re going to be attacked by a lion. Nevertheless, our nervous systems still detect “threats” all the time.

• The nagging boss. 

• The crappy driver on the road. 

• The narcissistic parent or partner. 

• The nasty comment someone left on your Instagram post. 

• The utter loneliness of life.

These experiences often stick with us. Why? It’s not because we didn’t talk it out enough in therapy or get the right depression or anxiety medication from the doctor. 

It’s because they’ve literally gotten stuck in our bodies. 

Often, many of us ignore what our bodies are trying to tell us. That or we push the sensations aside to some undetermined date when we have time to deal with them (if that day ever comes). And for some of us, we just don’t know how to mentally process the somatic info.

But the further we push our physical sensations and emotions away, the worse they get. And no amount of doctor visits or therapy will help if you don’t figure out how to release them from the somatic body. 

That’s what we aim to do in somatic healing.

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In our private one-on-one sessions, we work with the somatic body (your skin, organs, muscles, and anywhere else where you experience sensation). We leverage the body in order to talk directly to your nervous system and tell it:

“You are safe now. It’s time to move out of Flight-Flight-or-Freeze and into Rest-and-Digest mode.”

Ultimately, we need to complete the Flight-or-Flight cycle. It might not be acceptable to run away screaming whenever your terrible boss enters the room. However, there are other ways to calm the nervous system down and release the cortisol and other hormones that are firing off.

As a somatic coach, my recommended healing plan will differ from person to person. For starters, let’s say you’re experiencing immense amounts of stress. You feel anxious at work, you couch-rot when you’re at home, and you can’t sleep at night. 

So, our sessions may include practices like: 

• Progressive relaxation

• Body mapping

• Box breathing

• Protective boundary meditation

• Restorative yoga for bedtime

For some people, the goal of the sessions will be to give you practices that neutralize the sensations and related emotions you experience.

For others, the goal may be to identify why you’re experiencing certain sensations in your body (like a tight hip that won’t go away despite doctors saying “it’s fine”).

And for some of you, it could be to help you feel something — anything — again. 

Somatic work is a deeply personal experience. So each session will be especially tailored to you, your needs, and your goals. The work won’t always be easy, but it will help you move the needle towards feeling better. What’s more, it will give you lifelong tools to help you manage overwhelming emotions and bodily sensations that are screaming out for your attention.

I’m currently looking to take on 3 clients — for free. We’ll meet once a week for 4 weeks. Here’s what your somatic coaching package includes: 

• Personalized 4-week plan

• 4 in-person, one-on-one sessions with me (60 minutes each)

• Homework and tools to do in between our sessions

• 4 check-in sessions by phone or video call (15 minutes each)

• Recommendations: tools, practices, upkeep, etc.

If you want to continue working with me after that time, great! If not, you’ll have plenty of resources and exercises you can use on your own going forward. 

My goal as a somatic coach isn’t to keep you as a lifelong client. I want to empower you so you feel more in control of what’s happening in your body. By strengthening the mind-body connection, you’ll gain better emotional regulation, learn to break negative patterns, and live more mindfully.