SZN. 3 Ep. 8/ Adding Somatic Methods To Therapy
Adding Somatic Methods To Traditional Therapy Can Boost Your Results: 6 Important Options
by: kRISTEN mARZOLF, LCsw, sep
So often in therapy, we uncover things we’d like to change, habits to start and emotions to manage. But if making these changes is proving to be more difficult than you thought, consider adding a Somatic Therapist to your team. The two modalities boost effectiveness and can get your therapy moving, using some important new technologies in our field.
What is a Somatic method? Somatic Therapists consider the nervous system and body reactions deeply in their work. We do that because the nervous system is the iOs of our body – it runs everything. Somatic clinicians are specially trained to know the body, know how to help you loosen that knot in your stomach or smooth those shaky hands. Part talk, part movement, part imagery, part meditation, Somatic Experiencing and other Somatic modes aim to change the nervous system more permanently, not to just manage it.
All Somatic methods depend on the proven idea that the body holds memory and tries to help the body release what is still held. We together observe how an upsetting thought or experience is held in the body then help guide your nervous system to discharge it. Once the experience is released physically, thoughts and emotions can shift, usually bringing more comfort in your own skin. We also are working to improve your nervous system’s resilience, to help you recover faster from a bump. An increase in motivation and life force is also a side effect. Below are listed some of the most popular Somatic methods to consider adding to boost your results:
1. Somatic Experiencing or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: These two methods are close cousins to one another but of all of the Body Psychotherapy methods, Somatic Experiencing (SE) surveys as the most popular worldwide. Somatic Experiencing trainings now are packed because it’s a very effective mode of working, especially if you’ve tried therapy before with limited results. SE therapists are helping you manageand alter your threat response, that goes off as a reflex (without conscious control). They also want to help you complete your fight, flight, freeze or fawn reactions. You’ll come to understand your own body reactions, connect them with life events, and support your body to let them go. Originally developed for treatment of trauma, its use has expanded to include most diagnoses. See traumahealth.org for a directory of practitioners.
2. Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP): In SSP, you’ll listen to music that has been engineered to improve your nervous system. Designed by Stephen Porges, PhD, one of the world’s strongest researchers of the effects of trauma on the nervous system, this specialized music is designed to shift the stuck nervous system – decrease a freeze state, calm anxiety, lift depression. This is a great method if you’d a bit tired of talking! Your SSP therapist will tailor the type and length of listening to your system. You’ll listen in sessions mainly, some at home later. This is good for folks who are not showing improvement with other methods.
3. Bodywork: The trauma field has developed impactful touch body support to help bring the body more quickly into a state of neurological regulation – both calm and aware. This is a really effective method for folks who are exhausted, desperate to feel better or their current therapy is not helping them enough. All touch is negotiated ahead of time, with careful planning and explanation. Try methods such as Transformative Touch and NeuroAffective Touch and BASE (Relational Bodywork and Somatic Education). See the directory at coregulatingtouch.com for a referral in your area or google for a practitioner. I know that touch isn’t for everyone but if you like a good massage, this is your method!
4. Therapeutic Yoga: This is a Somatic session in which yoga practices can help the body land in more regulation, more moments of immediate feeling better without meds. This is a nice gentle start to getting moving if you find yourself stuck or sedentary. Yoga can be activating at times so your Yoga- Informed Therapist will help you find what is just right for you to tolerate.
5. Eyework: Brainspotting or EMDR – Trauma enters through the eyes (we see horrible things) or ears (we hear an awful sound). The Safe and Sound Protocol (above) addresses our ears – Brainspotting or EMDR use the eyes as a portal for change. Our eyes can get “stuck” – wide open in shock or fluttering and moving uncontrollably for example. Or have odd pains or be overactive at bedtime. Your Somatic Therapist here will help guide your eyes to different positions as you are feeling or remembering to help process your body reactions. Heads up – these are stronger treatments than the previous four.
6. Acupuncture: Some chiropractors now are trained to do acupuncture now as a covered therapy on insurance. Acupuncture is very strong for chronic pain issues, pairs well with Somatic Experiencing to release tension and pain in the body, often also releasing emotion. The needles truly don’t hurt at all going in, they are so fine!
All of these can potentially be reimbursed by insurance but always check.
There’s no need to stay stuck or endure therapy that is flat or stuck. When you’re ready, consider adding one of these methods. We use them daily here at The Family Resilience Group to great success, are thrilled that Somatic methods are a bright spot of innovation for the field of psychotherapy.
