What is somatic therapy?
Simply put, somatic therapy is an evidence-based approach that works with the whole human being to create change and cultivate well-being. Where other psychotherapeutic approaches see the mind and body as separate, with the mind being the “leader” of the body, somatic therapy sees both parts as equals.
Beyond talk therapy
It all begins with a French man named René Descartes who famously said, "cogito ergo sum" or, "I think therefore I am." Descartes was a philosopher who lived from 1596-1650 and had an outsized influence on the Western world. His philosophical theories and ideas became the basis for modern philosophy and for the most popular therapy modality, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Another time, I'll write a blog post digging more deeply into Descartes and his unfortunate influence on our world, but for the purposes of this blog post suffice it to say that where Descartes and traditional talk therapy believe that humans are simply the product of their thoughts, somatic therapy would argue that humans are a process influenced as much by cognitions as experience and sensation. "I feel, therefore I am."
Many people come to somatic therapy wondering if this modality includes any talking or if it includes touch. The answer is most of the time yes, and most of the time no, accordingly. There are sessions that include a lot of silence, where we follow sensation for the entire time. There are sessions where we talk through something that happened in the recent or distant past. Mostly there are sessions with a mix of talking – sharing narrative, exploring thought patterns, communication strategies – and movement – feeling a feeling, practicing breathwork, releasing a tension through action or sound. Very infrequently do these sessions include physical contact, and then only with consent. Somatic therapy is not massage therapy.
Somatic therapy often utilizes some of the same techniques as talk therapy, but rather than believing that simply changing your thought patterns can change your experience, or that everything you've experienced is simply logged in the files of your mind, somatic therapy holds that your body knows as much as your mind, and has as much memory as your mind too. In somatic therapy, we work with aches and pains, spots of tension and soreness, and we see them as data, as information that can guide us on the path to healing. Somatics sees the body and mind as one being, inseparable. If we pay attention to one part, and work towards reconciliation, we can experience healing in both.
Who is somatic therapy for?
Somatic therapy is particularly effective for trauma, anxiety, burnout, chronic stress, and people who feel stuck in traditional talk therapy.
If you've ever felt like you've talked about something a hundred times but it still lives in your body
If you’re trapped in a burnout cycle that gets deeper and darker every time
If you can’t turn off your hypervigilance, you’re always on guard, scanning for threats, anxious even though nothing is wrong
If chronic tension, fatigue, stress or migraines plague you
If flashbacks keep you from the life you crave
If nothing else you’ve tried has worked
Somatic therapy might be for you.
My approach to somatic therapy in Portland, ME
My journey into somatic therapy was a natural evolution. It started with mindfulness, which I have studied for 15 years. Then I started practicing yoga, eventually becoming a yin yoga teacher. I’ve always loved dancing, and considered it a therapeutic practice. Right out of high school I immersed myself in social justice work, and relied heavily on my movement and meditation practices to root me and take care of me as I organized around the criminal legal system. You can learn more about that on my about page. By the time I was reaching my limit of direct organizing work, somatic therapy was hitting the mainstream and I was instantly interested. I read all the books, took all the free training I found, and decided to enroll in a Masters in Counseling program that had a somatics specialization.
If you google “Somatic Therapy” you are likely to get at least one link to something called “Somatic Experiencing” which is only one school of somatic training, though it is the most well-known. I haven’t participated in that school formally but I have read the creator’s books and taken some training. My main teacher in this field is Linda Thai, but I also have studied Pat Ogden, Stephen Porges, Babette Rothschild, and Janina Fisher. My approach is informed by Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Polyvagal Theory (a blog on why that theory is still relevant today, despite its critiques is forthcoming), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Attachment Theory and Polarity Therapy.
I am not interested much in pathology – your diagnosis is relevant but it does not define you, or our work together. I believe pharmaceuticals have a place, but they are a tool to be utilized to support healing, they are not healing itself. I want to know about what you experience on a day to day, what your context is, what your context was, what it feels like to be you. And I want to know what you want your context to be, how you want to feel, what you want it to be like to be you.
Along the way we will pay attention to your thoughts, feelings, sensations, stories, images, and where they live in your body. You can expect me to be present, attuned, to slow you down, to reflect back what I’m noticing, to invite you to practice somethings that may or may not be comfortable. I will invite you to stretch and imagine and create small, daily promises you can keep for yourself.
Somatic therapy FAQ’s
What is the difference between somatic therapy and somatic experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a specific, trademarked school of somatic practice developed by Peter Levine, focused primarily on trauma resolution through body awareness. It is one approach within the broader field of somatic therapy. I wrote more about this above if you're interested.
Can somatic therapy be done online / via telehealth?
Absolutely, I work with clients 1-1 exclusively online via telehealth. Every quarter, I do an in-person immersion which I call a “micro-retreat” where we can dig into practices like yin yoga and co-regulation practices, but otherwise, the work is done online with great success. In-person is a cherry on top, but it isn’t necessary for impact.
How is somatic therapy different from massage or bodywork?
It makes sense that somatic therapy would get confused with massage therapy, but the two fields are completely distinct. Massage therapy uses manual manipulation of muscles and fascia to release tension without talking, where somatic therapy employs talking and techniques that clients use on themselves to create emotional and mental release and transformation.
What training or credentials should a somatic therapist have?
Some somatic therapists are coaches and others are licensed clinicians. You want to look for a therapist that has the credentials that matter most to you, although truth be told an excellent somatic therapist is not guaranteed no matter the presence or absence of their credentials. You won’t know until you speak to them and get a feel for their vibe if they are the kind of clinician that can help you. Take advantage of free consultation calls to ask therapists all your questions (book one with me here). You’ll get a feel for whether they're your type or not by their answers.
How long does somatic therapy take to work?
It varies person to person and goal to goal. Change can be small and subtle or substantial and swift. But people typically leave each session feeling better – even the first one.
Somatic therapy in Portland, ME serving all of Maine from Kittery to Fort Kent
I’m not your average therapist. My goal is not to change you to fit into social norms or expectations. I don’t have any goal other than to support you in cultivating the life you crave. Somatic therapy is the modality that best accomplishes that goal, in my opinion. And it’s the most gentle yet powerful modality I know. If you’re ready to try something new, or you’ve been on the hunt for a somatic therapist in Portland, ME, reach out. I offer free consultations and I look forward to meeting you.
** A note on AI and search engine optimization: I wrote this post myself, I write all my content myself. Due to the nature of being a business owner in 2026, I need to optimize all my content to be discoverable by search engines and AI so that people like you can find me when you’re looking. That may sometimes make the writing clunky – like putting “Portland, ME” on everything even though I see clients from all over Maine. It may read as odd, so I figured I’d write a note explaining it to you.