When most people think of therapy, they picture talking about challenges like relationship issues, constant anxiety, or feeling overwhelmed. But healing is more than just talking. Sometimes, what gets overlooked is how our bodies are involved in these experiences.
Experts like Bessel Van Der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, have shown that our bodies hold tension, memories, emotions, and trauma.
Including the body’s experience in therapy can be very powerful.
Somatic therapy helps us understand ourselves by bringing together the body and mind. As a Gestalt Psychotherapist, I help clients notice their body sensations, pay attention to what they feel right now, and become aware of the thoughts that accompany those feelings.
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy focuses on the body and recognises that emotions are stored there, not just in the mind. This is known as a ‘bottom-up’ approach, where you start with body sensations and then use your mind to make sense of what you feel.
It helps to bring awareness to;
Breathing styles
Tension or tightness in the stomach or throat
Racing heart, restlessness, or agitation
Shutdown or numbness
Instead of studying every sensation, somatic therapy encourages interest in what you feel. This curiosity can provide helpful information.
How Gestalt Therapy Uses a Somatic Approach
Gestalt Therapy naturally pays attention to what you feel in your body right now. Focusing on the present helps you notice more, which can make things clearer. Sometimes, this process brings up old feelings and lets you express deeper emotions.
Enquiry questions might be;
‘What are you noticing right now as you talk about this?’
‘How do you experience fear right now, here with me?’
This approach keeps your attention on the present, helping you notice body sensations, emotions, behaviors, relationships, and thought patterns.
How the Somatic Works in Gestalt Therapy
Scenario: Anxiety and Tightness in the Chest
A client might reference.
“I always feel anxious all the time, and I don’t know why.”
There is knowledge in the story; however, let’s get deeper:
- Where do you feel that anxiety in your body?
- What happens to the sensation as we talk about it?
- What do you notice in your breathing?
This helps clients shift from feeling overwhelmed in their minds to becoming more aware of their bodies and better able to manage their feelings.
Scenario: Relationship Differences and People-Pleasing
A client might reference.
“I feel guilty when I say no.”
Body sensations might be:
- clenched jaw holding tension
- tightness in the belly
- collapse in posture
- shallow breath
These physical responses are reactions to pain felt. The emotion might be fear, a perceived threat of feeling unsafe if I disagree.
Becoming aware of these patterns helps you make more purposeful choices rather than just react automatically.
Why Somatic Therapy Helps
Many people have spent years overriding their feelings.
They’ve learned to:
- push through
- stay productive
- ignore intuition
- minimise emotional discomfort
- disconnect from themselves
Somatic therapy helps people reconnect with their awareness. With this awareness, you can make different choices.
This often leads to:
- better emotional management
- stronger boundaries
- clearer decision-making
- integration of body and mind
- trust in self-confidence
Healing incorporates words and the body’s wisdom of experiences. When body sensations are included, such as tightness in the chest, rapid breathing, or pressure in the belly, this is the body’s way of saying notice me and an entry point toward more information.
These small moments of awareness are often where real change begins.
Gestalt Therapy gives you a chance to slow down, listen to yourself, and reconnect with both your body and your thoughts.
Often, your body senses things before your mind understands them.