Somatic comes from the greek word soma which means body. Our bodies are communicating with us constantly, learning how to listen and respond in a beneficial way is the essence of the somatic tools Livvy uses.
Somatic techniques are useful for emotional healing and growth because of the profound connection between our mind and body. Emotions and traumatic experiences are not solely mental but are also held in the body. Somatic techniques allow us to pay attention to bodily sensations, movements, and postures, reconnecting with ourselves on a deeper level, fostering emotional regulation, resilience, and personal growth. Somatic techniques are an incredibly gentle, yet powerful tool that helps processing negative emotions and trauma. If you would like to know more please then read on.
Research Supporting Somatic Therapy
Somatic therapy has been shown to effectively improve emotional well-being and resilience. Studies have shown Somatics can:
- Reduce Symptoms of Stress and Anxiety: linked to decreased stress levels, anxiety reduction, and improved emotional regulation.
- Heal from Trauma: beneficial in the treatment of trauma, helping individuals process traumatic memories and release associated tension.
- Enhance Body Awareness: improve body awareness, allowing individuals to recognise and address physical symptoms of emotional distress.
- Promote Mind-Body Integration: promote the integration of mind and body leading to a more holistic sense of well-being.
How we use Somatics at the Brain Hug Clinic:
Livvy integrates somatic experiencing principals into each session. These may be used to help you feel as comfortable as possible, reconnect with your body, learn to identify signs that you are reaching your stress threshold, and learning practical techniques to avoiding and recovering from sensory overwhelm.
Livvy also used somatics as a valubale tool in monitoring clients nervous systems during a session. She wants you to leave with a list of somatic tools that you know work for you; so you can use them at any time in your daily life, these may involve:
- Connecting with your Body: Exploring bodily sensations and movements to access and release emotional tension.
- Breathwork: Utilising breath as a powerful tool for relaxation, emotional regulation, and healing.
- Developing your Somatic Vocabulary: Developing your somatic vocabulary means learning to recognise, name, and understand the sensations, feelings, and subtle signals your body uses to communicate your emotional and physical needs.
- Calm your Nervous System: through manually toning your vagal nerve, relaxation exercises, movement and visualisation exercises.
Those with Highly sensitive People (HSP’s) may find somatic techniques particularly valuable and easy to adopt. And feel like somatic techniques are key to maintaining their emotional balance.
Livvy’s goal is to help individuals reconnect with themselves, foster emotional resilience, and promote overall well-being. Whether you’re struggling with stress, trauma, or seeking personal growth, somatic therapy tools can be truly life changing.
History of Somatic Therapy
Children use somatic techniques to help regulate our systems when we engage our sensory processing system in play, movement and touch. Our physical bodies are an incredible source of wisdom and have been designed to heal. The field of somatics has evolved over the years, incorporating insights from neuroscience, psychology, and mindfulness
Somatic practices have been used in most cultures for centuries to help people and communities to deal with pain, loss, grief and everyday life.
Modern Somatic work has its roots in the 1940s explorations of the mind body connection, particularly the idea that emotional experiences are not held only in the mind but also in physical patterns of tension, posture, and movement. Influential figures such as Wilhelm Reich in the 1940s and 1950s began linking chronic muscular tension with suppressed emotions, suggesting that the body reflects psychological history.
Later, practitioners like Alexander Lowen in the 1950s and 1960s expanded this understanding by observing how emotional trauma shapes breathing, movement, and bodily expression.
By the 1970s and 1980s, trauma researchers such as Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk strengthened the scientific foundation of somatic approaches, showing that trauma often remains stored in the nervous system and can be released through mindful attention to bodily sensations rather than cognitive processing alone.
Today, somatic therapy is recognised as a gentle yet powerful way to support emotional healing by helping individuals tune into their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and complete unresolved stress responses that talking therapies alone may not address.
Ready to Feel More Grounded?
Somatic work can help you feel calmer, more present, and more in control of your emotional world. Livvy integrates gentle somatic experiencing techniques into each session to support you in reconnecting with your body, recognising when you are nearing your stress threshold, and building practical tools you can use anytime.
Together you will explore simple ways to settle your nervous system, understand your body’s signals, and develop a personalised set of techniques that truly work for you. These approaches are especially supportive for highly sensitive people who benefit from mindful, body-based regulation.
If you are ready to reconnect and feel more balanced, Livvy is here to guide you.