Ask somebody where they feel anxiety, and they rarely point only to their head.
They point to their chest.
Their stomach.
Their throat.
Their shoulders.
Their jaw.
They might say, “Even though I know there is no reason to be worried, my body doesn’t accept that.”
That sentence contains something important.
Anxiety is not merely something that we think.
We also experience it in our bodies.
Your body may react before your mind understands
Sometimes you walk into a room and suddenly feel uncomfortable.
Nothing obvious has happened.
Nobody has said anything.
But your stomach tightens, your breathing changes, your shoulders rise, or you suddenly want to leave.
Your mind wonders, “Why am I reacting like this?”
The body may already be responding to something the conscious mind has not understood yet.
This is one reason I pay attention to the body in my work.
What is meant by somatic therapy?
The word somatic relates to the body.
In therapy, this means we do not only talk about your thoughts and emotions. We also become curious about what your body is experiencing while we talk.
Where do you feel the anxiety?
Does it move?
Does it become stronger when you speak about a particular person or experience?
Do you hold your breath?
Does your chest tighten?
Do you suddenly feel tired, restless, numb or disconnected?
These reactions are information.
I do not look at the body as an enemy that needs to behave.
I look at it as another part of you that deserves to be heard.
Anxiety is not a malfunction.
This is why I often say:
Anxiety is not a malfunction. It is a message.
Sometimes the body carries that message before we have words for it.
Think about how often people say:
“I swallowed my feelings.”
“I have a knot in my stomach.”
“I feel a weight on my chest.”
“I am carrying too much.”
We use the language of the body every day because emotional life and physical experience are deeply connected.
What happens in a somatic session?
There is not one single formula.
I may ask you to notice what is happening in your body while we are discussing something.
We may slow down.
You will probably notice your breathing.
You may feel your feet touching the floor.
We may become curious about a sensation instead of immediately trying to remove it.
Sometimes we use gentle grounding or breathing practices.
Sometimes we simply notice.
That may sound small, but learning to stay present with your body without immediately becoming frightened by what you feel can be meaningful work.
You will always have control over the process.
There is no need to force anything.
The body is only one part of the story
I do not believe every problem can be solved only through breathing, body awareness, or nervous-system techniques.
For me, somatic awareness is one part of a much larger picture.
Your relationships matter.
Your history matters.
Your unconscious patterns matter.
What is happening in your life today matters.
Your body matters.
We pay attention to everything.
Sometimes the body shows us the doorway. Therapy helps us explore what may be on the other side.
Could somatic therapy help you?
You may find this approach worth exploring if anxiety feels very physical, if you understand your problems intellectually but still feel stuck, or if certain people and situations create strong bodily reactions that are difficult to explain.
It can also help people who have spent years living mostly “from the neck up,” thinking about everything but having difficulty feeling what is happening inside.
If you are looking for somatic therapy in Mississauga and would like to explore whether this approach feels right for you, you are welcome to contact me.
You can call me at (905) 781-8194 or fill in the contact form on the website.
This article is for general information and is not a substitute for professional or medical assessment. An appropriate medical professional should assess new or unexplained physical symptoms. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency department.
Written by : Atul
