Somatic Regulation Therapy Techniques: Healing Trauma

Do you ever feel like your body is telling you something, but your mind is not able to get it? Or do you feel like you are stuck in a loop of anxiety with no end in sight? The answer to your troubles may be somatic regulation therapy.

Somatic regulation therapy or somatic therapy focuses on the connection between your mind and body. It is psychotherapy (talk therapy) and physical therapy, all at the same time. While most psychotherapies focus on your psyche or your mind, somatic therapy believes that your body experiences and expresses emotions just the way your mind does. This can be key to healing from unresolved emotional conflicts and trauma that become trapped within your mind and body.

The key techniques of somatic therapy are as follows:

Raising Physical Awareness:

You will use mindfulness to direct attention toward your bodily sensations. For instance, if you feel upset, you notice how your body reacts to you feeling upset.

Descriptive Language:

You use descriptive language to describe your body sensations, as it allows you to understand your emotions and even release pent-up tension effectively.

Grounding:

Grounding techniques allow you to connect your mind and body with the present while pulling your focus away from negative emotions and experiences.

Resourcing:

You use resourcing to find a sense of stability and security in the world, mainly by recalling the comforting things in your life, like your loved ones. It allows you to foster connectedness as well.

Somatic Breathwork:

You might be familiar with breathing in and breathing out. This goes beyond that; you practice conscious breathing techniques to allow your mind and body to get more oxygen.

Body Movement:

You use body movements to release negative emotions and trauma. For instance, you get your body to act defensively as you allow the tension to flow from your body. You learn to connect with others while also establishing boundaries.

Self-Regulation and Co-Regulation:

It is when you regulate your own emotions and to your mind and body by relying on your interpersonal relationships.

Modern Somatic Therapy Techniques

Somatic therapy has developed from a wide variety of techniques, and the modern somatic therapy can be provided in the following ways:

Somatic Experiencing:

Somatic experiencing therapy is when you become stuck in the “freeze” aspect of the fight, flight, and freeze response. These frozen parts will gather energy over time that you will need to release. The goal of somatic experiencing therapy is to redirect this pent-up energy to the productive aspects of your life.

Hakomi Method:

It is a powerful tool that uses somatic interventions and mindfulness to heal trauma, especially those that stem from developmental and attachment issues. The point of the Hakomi method is for you to focus on the “blueprints” of life that shape your present-day concerns.

Sensorimotor Therapy:

While sensorimotor therapy is based on the Hakomi method, it also combines the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy and neuroscience. It is a body-centered therapy that allows you to release those traumatic experiences that are buried deep within the body, especially those that traditional psychotherapy may fail to address.

Negative emotions and traumatic experiences can impact your body. Somatic therapy seeks to remove these emotions, relieving you of the pain and suffering.

You can benefit from somatic therapy in the case of the following:

• If you are struggling with behavioral and mental health challenges like PTSD, anxiety, depression, and even SUDs, somatic therapy enables you to overcome them.
• If you want to relieve the mind of unwanted stress, then somatic therapy can benefit you by releasing the pent-up tension while also allowing your body to relax.
• You learn tools and skills like mindfulness, which are easy to follow and practice even after you have completed your therapy.
• It also equips you with self-improvement tools like grounding and resourcing, which help in getting rid of any physical and mental blocks. You can also use them as self-soothing techniques.

Somatic therapy, especially somatic experiencing therapy, has been particularly useful in the treatment of stress, trauma, and PTSD. In fact, it has been touted as an alternative treatment for trauma-focused therapies. For instance, studies have indicated a significant improvement in trauma-related symptoms like intrusion, arousal, and avoidance.

However, you must remember that somatic therapy may not be effective for all cases of trauma or PTSD. So, you can choose from a diverse range of traditional and holistic therapies.

Somatic therapy is useful in the treatment of substance use disorders (SUDs). It focuses on developing self-regulation, which will then allow you to control your impulsive thoughts and actions, common to SUDs. You also experience a reduction in stress, anxiety, and restlessness. You foster interconnectedness and overcome feelings of isolation while also taking the journey toward self-discovery and lasting recovery.

If you think somatic regulation therapy can help you with your substance use and mental health concerns, finding a licensed and trained somatic regulation therapist is the first step toward recovery. This can be tricky, especially if it is your first time. At the NuView Treatment Center, our team will seek to understand your unique needs, challenges, strengths, and goals to connect you with a therapist who is aligned with your journey.

We prioritize a personalized approach, wherein we combine somatic regulation therapy with other treatment modalities to ensure you receive relevant, effective care toward lifelong health and recovery.