Body-based psychotherapy, also known as somatic therapy, is a gentle and holistic approach to mental health that recognises the deep connection between your mind, body, and nervous system. While traditional talk therapy focuses primarily on thoughts and emotions, body-based psychotherapy understands that our life experiences—especially stress, trauma, and overwhelm—are also stored in the body. Healing, therefore, happens not only through insight but through creating a sense of safety and ease within the body itself.

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​How It Works

​In this approach, a therapist gently invites awareness to physical sensations, movement, breath, and posture. You may be guided to notice subtle cues such as tension, relaxation, warmth, or numbness, and explore how these sensations relate to your emotional experience. This process helps build a deeper connection to yourself, allowing you to better understand your needs, boundaries, and internal signals.

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​The Nervous System Focus

A key element of body-based psychotherapy is regulation of the autonomic nervous system. Many approaches draw from neuroscience and polyvagal theory, helping clients move out of chronic fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown states and into greater resilience, flexibility, and calm.

 

Sessions are paced slowly and thoughtfully, always guided by what feels safe and supportive for you. You are never pushed to revisit painful memories or relive traumatic experiences. Instead, body-based psychotherapy focuses on helping your nervous system regulate, finding moments of grounding and stability, and gradually increasing your capacity to stay present with your emotions and sensations.

 

Whom It Can Help

Body-based psychotherapy can be especially helpful if you experience anxiety, chronic stress, trauma, emotional numbness, or feel “stuck” despite understanding your patterns intellectually.

 

Many people notice that their emotions show up physically, through tension, fatigue, pain, or restlessness—and this approach offers a compassionate way to work with those experiences rather than against them.

At its core, body-based psychotherapy honours the body as a source of wisdom and healing. By learning to listen to and trust your body’s signals, therapy becomes a collaborative and empowering process. Over time, clients often experience greater emotional regulation, increased resilience, and a stronger sense of connection to themselves and others—supporting healing that feels grounded, lasting, and deeply personal.