somatic (mind-body) psychotherapy
What is Somatic Psychotherapy?
Somatic psychotherapy is an approach to therapy that recognizes the connection between the mind and the body.
Somatic therapies are often referred to as “bottom-up” approaches. Rather than focusing only on thoughts and cognition, they engage deeper brain and nervous system processes where emotional imprints and trauma are stored.
While traditional talk therapies are valuable and insight-oriented, they can be limited in accessing these deeper layers. Somatic work supports healing through the body by working with sensation, emotional memory, and the nervous system.
Why the Body Matters
The nervous system plays a central role in how we respond to stress and trauma. Even when we intellectually understand an experience, the body can remain activated. When overwhelmed, the body may move into patterns of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
Somatic therapy works directly with these physiological and nervous system responses to support improved emotional regulation. It can help reduce anxiety and hyperarousal (fight-or-flight states), increase presence during hypoarousal or shutdown states, and strengthen your overall sense of safety in the body.
What is bRAINSPOTTING?
Brainspotting was discovered in 2003 by Dr. David Grand during a therapy session with a competitive figure skater. While working within an EMDR framework, he noticed that when her gaze rested in a specific eye position, deeper emotional material began to process. After holding that eye position and allowing the processing to unfold, she reported significant shifts. The following day, she successfully landed a jump she had been struggling with. This observation became the foundation of Brainspotting.
Brainspotting is a somatic, mind-body therapy that uses specific eye positions to access subcortical regions of the brain where trauma, emotional imprints, and sensory memories are stored. By holding a steady gaze in these positions, deeper processing can occur, supporting the nervous system in integrating experiences that words alone may not reach.