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Somatic

I work somatically because our bodies can be very helpful to us in therapy – almost like guides. Getting back in touch with our bodies can help us to get out of our heads, where frequently we are stuck with our worries, fears and anxieties. The body can help us to come into the present. It is also where our passion and juices are – not just sexual, but our passion for life. Our body is quite a resource that I have found very useful in my own therapy, and which I frequently use with clients.

Use of the body is the primary way for dealing with preverbal material – for there are no words then.

Touch is frequently involved, but only if the client wants touch. It is also my job as the therapist to watch for non-verbal signs indicating that touch is really not OK for the client, even though they may be saying it is OK. It is not unusual for this to be the case if there was severe abuse as a child. This, of course, becomes a point of exploration and a place for curiosity. For a client who was severely abused as a child, part of getting back to a healthy relationship to oneself and to be able to have full and fulfilling relationships with other is to get to work through fears related to the body, especially around touch with others. Of course, for a severely abused client, this would be an advanced stage of therapy, because the initial stages would be all about safety and stabilization.