Somatic Wounds Need Somatic Healing with Somatic Therapy: Why Talk Therapy Alone Isn’t Enough
- Prerna Menon
- Apr 7
- 4 min read
You may have heard the phrase “the body keeps the score.” Coined by renowned trauma expert Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (2014), this concept speaks to how trauma isn’t just something we think about — it’s something we feel and store in our bodies. From chronic tension to gut issues, fatigue to restlessness, many of our emotional wounds live in our nervous systems and tissues. And if trauma lives in the body, shouldn’t healing involve the body too?
At Boundless, we believe in going beyond traditional talk therapy. While processing emotions through a psychodynamic and talk therapy lens is effective, many clients find that emotional insight alone doesn’t fully release the distress they carry. That’s where somatic healing comes in.
Trauma Lives in the Body
Physician and trauma expert Dr. Gabor Maté emphasizes that trauma isn’t what happens to us — it’s what happens inside us as a result of overwhelming experiences we couldn’t process or escape. This internalization of stress, Maté argues, gets embedded in the nervous system and shows up in chronic pain, autoimmune conditions, and anxiety that persists even when life is “fine” on the surface (Maté, 2022).
When the body goes into fight, flight, or freeze, it creates patterns of physiological arousal and shutdown. These patterns don’t just disappear with insight. In fact, excessive focus on thoughts (a top-down approach) can leave us feeling even more disconnected from what our bodies are trying to say.
Bottom-Up Healing: Why the Body Needs a Voice
Psychological healing typically happens through two pathways:
• Top-down approaches involve cognitive and verbal processing, like traditional talk therapy.
• Bottom-up approaches target the nervous system directly — through breath, somatic therapy, movement, sensation, and awareness.
Both approaches are valid and important. But for many trauma survivors, healing won’t happen through words alone. Somatic therapy activates the body’s innate wisdom, allowing us to safely process stored tension and complete unfinished stress responses.
Signs You May Be Experiencing Somatic Distress and May Benefit From Somatic Therapy
Unresolved trauma often shows up in subtle (and not-so-subtle) physical ways. Some signs of somatic distress include:
• Chronic pain or muscle tension
• Digestive issues or appetite changes
• Sleep disturbances
• Sudden energy crashes or numbness
• Restlessness or panic without a clear trigger
• Startle responses or body “shutdown” during emotional conversations
If you notice these symptoms, your body may be asking for more than words.
Simple Somatic Practices to Try
You don’t have to overhaul your routine to begin integrating somatic practices. Here are a few gentle entry points:
• Grounding: Place your feet on the floor and press down. Notice the contact with the earth. This simple practice can bring you back into your body and the present moment. Learn more here.
• Body scanning: Spend a few minutes scanning your body from head to toe. Notice sensations without judgment. Are you holding tension anywhere?
• Polyvagal exercises: These include humming, gargling, or turning your head slowly side to side. These practices help tone the vagus nerve, which regulates your body’s stress response (Porges, 2017).
• Shaking or movement: Animals shake after stressful events — and we can, too. Try bouncing or shaking out your arms and legs. Even dancing for a few minutes can help discharge built-up tension.
Integrating Somatic Healing with Therapy
You don’t have to choose between somatic practices and therapy — in fact, the two are most powerful together. A skilled therapist can help you understand your patterns while also guiding you toward tools to soothe your nervous system.
Many therapists today are trained in approaches like Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, or EMDR — modalities that incorporate body awareness into healing. At Boundless, we collaborate with clients to find the rhythm that feels right: one that respects both the body’s pace and the mind’s curiosity.
Befriending the Body Is Part of Emotional Healing
Emotional pain doesn’t just live in our heads. It’s etched into our breath, our muscles, our gut. When we ignore the body, we may find ourselves stuck in cycles of insight without relief. But when we gently include the body in our healing journey, transformation becomes possible.
Somatic healing isn’t about “fixing” the body — it’s about learning to listen. To soften. To befriend. And that, too, is a radical act of self-love.
References:
Maté, G. (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Avery.
Porges, S. W. (2017). The Pocket Guide to the Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe. Norton & Company.
Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books.
Want to explore somatic therapy with a trained professional? Reach out to our team at Boundless to learn more.
Summarizing Somatic Wounds Need Somatic Healing with Somatic Therapy: Why Talk Therapy Alone Isn’t Enough
Part 1
Trauma Lives in the Body
Trauma isn’t just a mental experience — it’s a bodily one. As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk and Dr. Gabor Maté explain, unprocessed trauma can manifest as chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, or digestive issues. Even when our minds “understand,” our bodies may still hold the wound.
Part 2
Part 3
Authors
LCSW | CCTP Specialties: Abuse, Sexual Abuse, Trauma, Complex Trauma, Race, Gender &, Sexuality-related Conflicts, Anxiety, Depression & Lack of Fulfillment, Generational Trauma & Family Systems Issues and LGTBQIA+ Relationship Concerns
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