What Is Somatic Therapy and How It Helps Trauma
Trauma is not only something we remember with our minds. It is also something the body remembers. Many people who have experienced trauma notice ongoing symptoms such as anxiety, chronic tension, emotional numbness, panic, or a constant sense of being on edge, even when life feels relatively safe. This is where somatic therapy can be especially helpful.
Somatic therapy is a trauma-informed approach that works with both the mind and the body, recognising that the nervous system plays a central role in how trauma is stored and healed.
Understanding Trauma in the Body
Trauma affects the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for our fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown responses. When an overwhelming experience cannot be fully processed at the time it occurs, the body may remain stuck in a state of survival.
This can show up as:
Persistent anxiety or hypervigilance
Difficulty relaxing or feeling safe
Emotional overwhelm or emotional disconnection
Physical symptoms such as tightness, fatigue, or digestive issues
Traditional talk therapy can be very helpful, but for many people it does not fully address these body-based responses. Somatic therapy offers another pathway to healing by working directly with bodily sensations and nervous system regulation.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-oriented form of psychotherapy that gently brings awareness to physical sensations, movement, posture, breath, and emotional experience. Rather than focusing only on the story of what happened, somatic therapy helps clients notice how trauma lives in the body right now.
In somatic therapy, the pace is slow and intentional. Clients are never asked to relive traumatic events. Instead, the focus is on building safety, increasing body awareness, and supporting the nervous system to return to a more regulated state.
This approach is especially effective for trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress.
How Somatic Therapy Helps Trauma
Somatic therapy helps trauma healing in several key ways:
1. Regulating the Nervous System
By learning to track sensations and signals from the body, clients begin to recognise when their nervous system is becoming overwhelmed. With gentle support, the body can gradually move out of survival mode and into a state of greater calm and stability.
2. Releasing Stored Survival Energy
Trauma often leaves the body with unfinished fight, flight, or freeze responses. Somatic therapy allows these responses to complete naturally and safely, reducing symptoms such as anxiety, tension, or emotional flooding.
3. Increasing a Sense of Safety
Rather than forcing change, somatic therapy prioritises safety and choice. Over time, clients often report feeling more grounded, present, and connected to themselves.
4. Integrating Mind and Body
Somatic therapy does not replace talk therapy. Instead, it integrates emotional insight with bodily awareness, supporting deeper and more sustainable change.
Somatic Therapy for Anxiety
Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek somatic therapy. From a somatic perspective, anxiety is often understood as a nervous system that is stuck in a state of high alert.
Through somatic therapy, clients learn to:
Notice early signs of anxiety in the body
Develop tools to settle and regulate the nervous system
Build resilience and emotional capacity
Respond to stress rather than react automatically
This can be especially helpful for people who feel they “understand” their anxiety but still experience strong physical symptoms.
Trauma-Informed Somatic Therapy in Ireland
In Ireland, there is growing recognition of the importance of trauma-informed and body-based approaches to mental health. Somatic therapy is increasingly sought by individuals who want a gentler, more holistic way to work with trauma and anxiety.
Somatic therapy can be helpful for:
Developmental trauma
Relational trauma
Anxiety and panic
Emotional overwhelm and burnout
People who feel disconnected from their bodies
Sessions can take place in person or online, depending on location and needs.
A Gentle and Respectful Approach
Somatic therapy is not about pushing through or “fixing” yourself. It is about listening carefully to the body, respecting its wisdom, and allowing change to happen at a safe and sustainable pace.
If you are looking for somatic therapy in Ireland, or are curious about a trauma-informed approach that honours both emotional and bodily experience, somatic therapy may be a supportive next step.