somatic therapy within the therapeutic paradigm shift

Did you know? Currently the world of therapy is undergoing a paradigm shift. We are evolving from a mental model to a psycho-biological model. In this model, we recognize the interconnectedness of all parts of us: our mind, our emotions, our spirit and our body.

It seems that up to this point, the dominant therapeutic paradigm kinda left the body out. So, bringing back the awareness of the individual's inherent wholeness is significant while really being an ancient way of healing that's re-appearing in various ways on the planet right now!

Of course, our bodies have so much information to share with us, and we simply have to get into the practice of slowing down and listening in order to receive it. This slowing down is a major part of what we foster in somatic therapy.

It is said that the body actually goes 7 times slower than the mind!

So, we really have to slow ourselves down in order to pick up on the subtle cues of the body; cues which are there to show us or teach us something about ourselves and our system. In this process, there is a lot that can be identified to support the system in coming back into balance; yet importantly, in somatic therapy, we aren't trying to change what's hurting. We're actually just gathering information and sometimes moving in certain directions because of it... this allows for us to create a resourced container around the hurting part which supports it in naturally healing or releasing on it's own time. No forcing.

(Side note: this doesn't mean we always have to be going slow in a somatic session! Sometimes, we're in heightened states and that's just part of it! )

In supporting this process, we pay attention to the body's systems. Looking for signs of various nervous system states, and making note of them together to see how the body is responding to whatever is currently within the therapeutic container, whether it's an emotional story about last week, or the triumph experienced at work. These will elicit different states in the body, and show us more about what's going on. Gradually, the mind and body link up more and more, and the associations between somatic states and various responses to the life experience are clear as daylight.

In somatic therapy we also work with boundaries, the attachment system, the different lobes of the brain, and there's a whole toolkit for navigating complex challenges and trauma, too. We talk about resource states and resources - those things in life that support us in feeling good. We build those up so we can lean on them in times of need.

We dance with the physiology and for in-person sessions especially, we co-regulate our systems in order to help various stuck energies or states to find completion if they're ready. Most ultimately, we create a safe and reliable relational field in which the client can come and know all parts of them are authentically welcome. This isn't something all of us know very well, and sometimes at all, which can cause a lot of relational wounding. Relational wounding, because it happened in relationship, requires relationship to heal it. So, in somatic therapy we create a field for that, too.

All of this is made possible by slowing down, listening and responding to what's alive in the moment. Somatic therapy creates a space where this is possible, and I think it's a true blessing that we as humans haven't forgotten.

With love,

~ Alexandra