Somatic Psychotherapy San Francisco, CA

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Do you ever notice that when you feel an emotion, there is a physical response associated with it? The feeling of anxiety can cause your palms to sweet, your heart to race, similar to the feeling of excitement. Or you may notice when you feel stressed, your shoulders tense and you hold your breath. These are the some of the ways we notice that our mind and our bodies are connected.

Somatic psychotherapy is a therapeutic approach that integrates the body and mind, recognizing the profound connection between physical sensations, emotional states, and psychology. Unlike traditional talk therapies that primarily focus on cognitive processes, somatic psychotherapy takes a holistic approach, acknowledging that emotions, stress, and unresolved experiences are not only processed mentally but are also processed through the body. By exploring this mind-body connection, somatic psychotherapy can help individuals access, understand, and release emotional and physical dynamics, promoting holistic healing.

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The Concept of Somatic Psychotherapy

Somatic psychotherapy is based on the understanding that our physical bodies hold a wealth of information about how we experience and process emotions. When we go through stressful or difficult experiences, emotional tension often becomes stored in the body. Somatic psychotherapy is designed to tap into this connection and help you understand the physical manifestations of your emotions and feelings.

How Somatic Psychotherapy Works

Somatic psychotherapy incorporates the mind-body connection into traditional talk therapy. This can help you bring awareness to your experience in a more holistic way.

Some examples of the ways Somatic Psychotherapy can be used in session:

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Tracking Bodily Sensations and Mindfulness

In somatic psychotherapy, one of the foundational techniques is tracking bodily sensations. Somatic counseling operates with a focus on the present moment, often referred to as the “here-and-now.” The therapist guides the client to become aware of what’s happening physically as they explore their emotions.

For example, while discussing a stressful event, you may begin to notice tightness in your chest or tension in your jaw. In session the therapist may ask, “Where in your body do you feel that emotion?” or “What happens in your body when you talk about this situation?” By tracking these sensations, you can become more aware of how your body responds to different emotional states creating a more connected and holistic understanding of your system processes information.

Somatic psychotherapy recognizes that the mind and body are interconnected. What we think and feel on an emotional level can manifests physically. By becoming aware of your physical sensations, you can uncover emotional insights.

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Breathwork and Grounding

Breathing techniques are used in somatic psychotherapy to help regulate the nervous system and return the body to a state of calm.

For example, breathing deeply into the diaphragm activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps relax the body.

Similarly, grounding techniques, such as feeling the weight of your body and how it connects to the ground can help with literal grounding. Noticing the contact between your feet and the floor, can help you stay connected to the present moment. Grounding practices can help you feel more anchored and resourced.

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Noticing Posture and Movement

Movement, position and posture can be helpful aspects of somatic psychotherapy. Emotions often have physical manifestations, such as tense muscles or a stiff posture.

To illustrate this, think of an energized emotion such as anger, fear, excitement, joy, and see if you notice what happens in your body when you feel that emotion.

Through gentle movement or postural awareness, you can become more attuned to how your body holds or expresses emotions.

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Potential Benefits of Somatic Psychotherapy

Somatic psychotherapy can offer a range of benefits for healing from emotional distress, anxiety, stress, or difficult life experiences. Some key benefits may include:

Enhanced Self Awareness: By cultivating body awareness and tracking physical sensations, somatic psychotherapy can help you understand how emotions manifest in your body.
Better Self-Regulation: Through techniques such as breath work and grounding, you can learn how to better understand and learn to support your nervous system to regulate.
Holistic Counseling: Somatic psychotherapy works with both the emotional and the awareness of physical aspects of distress, and can support in integrating the body, mind, and emotions.
Improved Coping Strategies: Somatic therapy can help you develop awareness and tools for managing emotional triggers and stress.

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Shohreh Schmuecker, LMFT, Somatic Psychotherapist

Shohreh (Sho-ray) Schmuecker, LMFT uses somatic psychotherapy to offer a holistic and integrative approach to help clients better understand their inner experience across multiple perspectives including mental, physical, emotional, and, if relevant to your process, spiritual.

Through the somatic process, she focus on the “here-and-now,” tracking your physical, emotional, and energetic experience as it unfolds in the present moment. This method allows you to gain deeper insight into how your body’s responses are connected to your feelings, thoughts, and behaviors.

Providing Somatic Psychotherapy to support anxiety, life transitions, trauma, and relationship issues. Shohreh is available to work with clients in San Francisco, the San Francisco Bay Area and throughout California.

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“Neuroscience research shows that the only way we can change the way we feel is by becoming aware of our inner experience and learning to befriend what is going inside ourselves.”

— -Bessel A. van der Kolk, M.D.

Please note: Somatic Psychotherapy is different than Body Work, massage or other physical/touch interventions. There may be practitioners that practice both, however I do not, as I am psychotherapist and my scope of practice is only psychotherapy. My work as a somatic psychotherapist is to help client’s understand their relationship to their somatic experience (mind-body connection) and to offer tools to help them regulate.