How to Heal from Trauma Using Somatic Therapy

Trauma Isn't Just in Your Head, It's in Your Body

If you’ve been through something hard (loss, trauma, stress) you know it doesn’t just live in your mind.

It lives in your body.
In your breath.
In your chest.
In your muscles.
In your reactions.

Maybe your shoulders stay tight, no matter what.
Maybe loud sounds still make you jump.
Maybe you shut down when emotions feel too big.

You’re not broken.
You’re not too sensitive.
You’re not overreacting.

You’re stuck in a survival loop your body never got to finish.

And this is where somatic therapy can help.
It works with your body to gently release what’s been stored.
So you can feel safe.
So you can breathe again.
So you can come home to yourself.

Quick Answer: How Does Somatic Therapy Help Heal Trauma?

Somatic therapy helps people heal from trauma by reconnecting with the body and calming the nervous system. Through body awareness, movement, breathwork, and grounding, somatic therapy supports the release of stored trauma and helps rebuild a sense of safety, presence, and regulation.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy is a body-centred approach to mental health that goes beyond talking. It works directly with the nervous system to release stored trauma and help your body learn that it’s safe again.

Instead of asking, “What happened?” somatic therapy asks:

“What is your body still holding onto?”

It’s grounded in neuroscience and based on the idea that trauma can get “stuck” in the body, leading to anxiety, chronic stress, dissociation, hypervigilance, or emotional numbness.

At Think Feel Talk Therapy in Plymouth, MI, we use somatic therapy every day to help clients gently reconnect with their bodies, process trauma, and return to a sense of calm and wholeness.

How Does Trauma Get Stored in the Body?

When you go through something traumatic, your body reacts automatically.
It goes into fight, flight, or freeze mode to protect you.

But you know what the problem is? If your body doesn’t get the chance to complete that response like running, yelling, crying, or shaking, it gets stuck.
That survival energy stays trapped inside.
And your nervous system stays on high alert, even long after the threat is gone.

“Trauma is not the event itself. Trauma is the residual energy that stays trapped in the body.”
— Dr. Peter Levine, creator of Somatic Experiencing (Levine, 2010)

This can lead to symptoms like:

• Chronic anxiety or panic

• Difficulty sleeping

• Feeling “checked out” or dissociated

• Trouble relaxing or letting your guard down

• Emotional flashbacks or body memories

• Chronic pain or tension

Somatic therapy helps complete the stress cycle your body never finished—so it can finally let go.

5 Somatic Therapy Techniques to Help Heal Trauma

These are body-based techniques used in somatic therapy sessions to help clients release trauma safely and reconnect with their body’s inner wisdom.

1. Grounding with the Senses

Trauma often pulls us out of our bodies. Grounding brings us back into the here and now.

Try this:

• Sit comfortably and feel your feet on the ground.

• Look around and name 5 things you can see, 4 you can touch, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, and 1 you can taste.

• Breathe slowly and notice your body.

This activates the prefrontal cortex and shifts you out of survival mode (Schäfer & Schächinger, 2018).

2. Orienting to Safety

Trauma teaches your nervous system that danger is everywhere. Orienting reminds your body: “I’m safe now.”

Try this:

• Slowly turn your head side to side.

• Let your eyes land on calming or neutral objects.

• Pause and really take them in.

• Feel your breath deepen.

This simple movement engages your vagus nerve. It is the nerve responsible for calming your body (Gerritsen & Band, 2018).

3. Somatic Tracking (Interoception)

Somatic tracking means noticing what’s happening inside, without trying to change it. This builds trust with your body.

Try this:

• Close your eyes.

• Scan your body from head to toe.

• Notice any tightness, warmth, numbness, or movement.

• Stay with one area and gently say, “This is allowed to be here.”

This strengthens interoception, the internal sense of the body, which trauma often disrupts (Farb et al., 2013).

4. Pendulation

Pendulation means gently moving between a difficult sensation and a safe or neutral one. It teaches your nervous system how to regulate and return to balance.

In session, this might look like:

• Feeling a tight chest, then bringing awareness to your feet on the floor.

• Noticing a flash of fear, then placing a hand on your heart.

• Going back and forth slowly, never forcing anything.

This creates a window of tolerance where healing can safely happen.

5. Self-Touch and Tapping

Touch is powerful.

Even when it comes from your own hands, it can calm your nervous system.

It helps your body feel held, grounded, and safe.

Try this:

• Place one hand over your heart and one on your belly.

• Or cross your arms and tap gently left-right-left (“Butterfly hug”).

• Breathe and feel the rhythm.

This kind of self-touch releases oxytocin, the “safety and connection” hormone, helping reduce trauma-related stress (Dana, 2018).

Why Somatic Therapy Works (When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough)

Talk therapy is powerful and often life-changing.
But here’s the truth: trauma goes deeper than words.

It lives in your body.
In your nervous system.
In the parts of your brain that don’t speak in sentences, like the limbic system and body memory.

Have you ever thought:

“I know what happened, but I still feel stuck.”
“I keep reacting like I’m in danger, even when I’m not.”
“I’ve talked about it for years, but it hasn’t really shifted.”

If that sounds familiar, somatic therapy might be the missing piece.
It doesn’t just help you understand your trauma. It helps your body feel safe again.

Because true healing isn’t just about insight.
It’s about regulation, safety, and coming back home to yourself.

What Should I Expect in a Somatic Therapy Session?

At Think Feel Talk Therapy in Plymouth, MI, your somatic therapy session might include:

• Talking, but also pausing to check in with your body

• Guided body awareness exercises

• Breathwork, grounding, or light movement

• Tracking sensations without judgment

• Practicing regulation tools you can use outside of therapy

Everything is gentle, trauma-informed, and led by your pace. You’re always in control.

FAQs About Somatic Therapy for Trauma

Q: Can somatic therapy help with childhood trauma or PTSD?

A: Yes. Somatic therapy is especially effective for complex trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, and PTSD. It helps release long-held patterns in the body and rebuild a sense of inner safety.

Q: How is it different from regular therapy?

A: Somatic therapy includes body awareness, not just talk. You’ll work with breath, posture, touch, and sensation, not just thoughts and emotions.

Q: Is it safe if I’ve been dissociating or feel disconnected from my body?

A: Absolutely. A trained somatic therapist will move at your pace and focus first on resourcing and safety before exploring deeper sensations.

How to Start Somatic Therapy for Trauma in Plymouth, MI

If you're tired of feeling stuck in your trauma and ready to try something deeper, we're here for you.

At Think Feel Talk Therapy, our therapists are trained in somatic trauma healing, and we specialise in helping you:

• Feel grounded in your body again

• Reconnect with yourself

• Release what no longer serves you

• Live from a place of calm, not constant survival

Located in Plymouth, MI
Book your somatic therapy consultation today