Somatic psychotherapy toolbox : 125 worksheets and exercises to treat trauma & stress. (2024)

FAQs

Do somatic exercises really release trauma? ›

Gentle, deliberate movements can facilitate emotional release and reduce physical tension. Somatic movement exercises, such as shaking or rocking, encourage the body to release held trauma, restoring the natural flow of energy.

Somatic therapy should be done with a therapist, but there are some somatic experiencing exercises you can do on your own. Doing things like breathing exercises, relaxation, and meditation can help a person find some relief throughout their everyday life, along with seeing a somatic therapist.

Not only can somatic exercise help you strengthen muscles correctly, but it can improve mobility, balance, and coordination. But no matter the reasoning, it never hurts to tune into your body for the sake of healing—whether that's physically or mentally.

While somatic therapy may not be the most well known modality out there, its benefits are well studied, and may prove helpful for a wide variety of people—especially when it comes to understanding how our emotions may effect the rest of our body.

Holistic Ways to Heal and Release Trapped Trauma

Body awareness practices like yoga, meditation, breathwork, and somatic movement. These bring non-judgmental attention to physical sensations and held tension.

This can happen anywhere in the body, and for trauma survivors, it is most commonly held in the core of the body, the stomach, abdomen, and low back, as well as the upper torso, chest, shoulders, and spine.

As you release trauma, you will feel like being more active. You will feel an increase in energy. This could make it easier to complete self-care and daily tasks as well as engage in social activities. You may feel like returning to work or seeing friends when you have been avoiding such activities.

Several studies show the positive effects of a type of somatic therapy called eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). In EMDR, the client recalls traumatic experiences while moving their eyes from left to right.

Risks of somatic therapy include misinterpretation of touch, re-traumatization, breaking down of defenses, abusive touch and inappropriate regression.

Does a somatic therapist touch you? ›

As with any form of therapy, it's essential to be in an emotional and mental place where you have the time and energy to process complex feelings. If you're doing somatic therapy in person, touch is often involved.

Somatic healing is similar to Reiki in that it can be used to help someone shift out of fight-or-flight mode, but they're two distinct types of energy work, notes Marcenelle. "Reiki and somatic energy healing are both considered holistic, spiritual, healing modalities," she explains.

Most typical sessions will last approximately the proverbial 50 minute - hour (50 minutes of one-to-one counselling and 10 minutes of administration time).

Trauma Release Exercises can benefit people living with conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, and borderline personality, says DeRosa. Among these mental health conditions, Trauma Release Exercises are commonly recommended for PTSD.

How can exercise help with unresolved trauma? Current research supports using physical activity for a range of mental health problems. By promoting a sense of embodiment, we can increase internal awareness and “get out of our heads” during exercise, which has been successfully used to improve symptoms of trauma.

You may take a deep sigh and notice an ability to breath easily, or you may feel like you've dropped a huge brick from your heart. Clients often express a lighter feeling after their body has properly sequenced through an event or emotional experience.