Somatic work is a clinical and therapeutic approach that utilizes the body’s internal physical sensations, posture, and movements—the soma—as the primary, non-verbal pathway for psychological processing, emotional regulation, and nervous system recalibration. This practice fundamentally acknowledges the profound bidirectional communication between the body and the brain, integrating heightened physiological awareness with psychological insight. It is a powerful tool for addressing chronic stress and trauma that are often physiologically encoded and severely impact the neuroendocrine stress axis.
Origin
The term is derived from the ancient Greek word sōma, meaning the living, felt body as distinct from the objective, physical body. This therapeutic modality gained significant clinical prominence through various body-oriented psychotherapies that recognized and worked with the physical manifestation and retention of psychological and emotional states.
Mechanism
The core therapeutic mechanism involves intentionally directing focused attention to subtle bodily sensations to interrupt habitual, often stress-induced, autonomic nervous system patterns, such as chronic sympathetic hyperarousal. By facilitating the completion of truncated defensive responses or fostering a deep sense of internal safety through movement and interoceptive awareness, somatic work promotes a sustained shift toward parasympathetic dominance. This intentional, internal regulation of the autonomic nervous system is critical for stabilizing the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and restoring hormonal equilibrium.
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