Somatic Therapy Services
in Atlanta Georgia
In-Person and Online Somatic Therapy
Reconnect with your body. Reclaim your peace.
If life feels overwhelming or your emotions seem out of sync with your body, you’re not alone—and you’re not broken.
Life stress and traumatic experiences can disrupt the connection between our mind and body and leave us feeling uncomfortable in our own skin. Fortunately, the mind-body connection can be restored and feeling safe and grounded in your body is possible.
Our trauma-informed therapists work with both adolescents (12+) and adults to release stored stress and restore a sense of inner safety. Whether you’re meeting with us in one of our Atlanta offices or via online therapy from anywhere in Georgia, we’re here to walk alongside you with compassion and clinical expertise.
What is somatic therapy?
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
Somatic therapy is a gentle, body-based approach to healing that supports emotional well-being by helping you reconnect with your body and regulate your nervous system.
This trauma-informed approach to psychotherapy is designed to go beyond the scope of traditional talk therapy to address the physical and biological impact of stress, anxiety, or trauma. By helping you tune in to physical sensations and regulate your nervous system, somatic therapy works to restore balance between body and mind.
One specific modality we offer is Somatic Experiencing, a polyvagal-informed therapy developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It works by gently guiding you to notice, process, and release tension and trauma stored in your nervous system—helping your body return to a state of safety and calm.
How does somatic therapy work?
Unresolved stress, trauma, and emotional pain can live in our bodies — long after a triggering event has passed. In order to cope, we may dissociate – meaning, we may mentally and emotionally withdraw from our physical sensations as a defense mechanism or survival technique. If the dissociation is long-term or chronic (happening repeatedly), then the dissociation can evolve into a disconnect between our brain and body.
The goal of somatic therapy is to restore the severed connection through experiential interventions that help you ‘return home’ to your body. Through gentle, emotionally regulating movements combined with talk therapy, our somatically trained therapists will help your body ease out of survival mode and achieve an emotionally regulated state of being.
What techniques are used in somatic therapy?
Some of the body-focused interventions our somatic therapists use include:
- Psychoeducation with breathwork and grounding exercises
- Incorporation of tactile tools such as weighted blankets, sensory objects, etc.
- Guided movement such as gentle pushing or stretching
- Interoception exercises (noticing internal sensations in response to dialogue and/or thoughts)
- Mindful body scans and nervous system tracking
- Polyvagal-informed modalities
Of course, our therapists always tailor these techniques for every client to ensure your unique needs and preferences are accommodated. And while certain hands-on techniques such as touch work or body-based tools are only offered in-person, most core somatic techniques can be offered virtually via online counseling.
What to expect in a somatic therapy session
During a somatic therapy session, you may explore breathwork, grounding, and other body-based exercises—but nothing is ever forced. Your trauma-informed therapist will help you tune in and notice your patterns of activation or shutdown in your nervous system at a pace that works for you.
If somatic therapy is new to you, please rest assured. Somatic experiencing and other polyvagal-based modalities offer a gentle yet effective way to help you process and release stored tension and trauma. This holistic approach supports you in reestablishing a sense of safety and connection between your body and mind – all while keeping you grounded and calm.
Somatic therapy is designed to help you stay regulated and present throughout the healing process so you don’t dissociate or feel re-traumatized. Our somatic practitioners are highly experienced at working with intense emotions, sensations, and memories in small, controlled stages so your nervous system doesn’t get overwhelmed.
How somatic therapy can help
Somatic therapy is especially effective for supporting situations where emotional and physical symptoms are intertwined, such as with trauma and PTSD. Specifically, somatic therapy is an evidence-based modality for helping individuals heal from…
- Childhood trauma
- Developmental trauma
- Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
- Sexual assault or abuse
- Car accidents or medical trauma
- Combat or disaster-related trauma
- Work-related or situational stress
Who is somatic therapy for?
Somatic therapy offers support for those navigating disconnection, emotional overwhelm, or the lingering effects of trauma and anxiety. It’s particularly well-suited for adolescents and adults interested in a body-based approach to healing, including…
- Individuals experiencing chronic stress or severe burnout
- People living with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) or panic attacks
- Individuals with depression or intense grief
- Those who feel numb, shut down, or “stuck” emotionally
- People who haven’t found relief through traditional talk therapy
How long does somatic therapy take?
Our goal is to help you start feeling better as soon as possible and equip you with emotionally grounding tools from your first session. After the first 2-3 sessions, your therapist will work with you to create a personalized treatment program. This plan simply acts as a guide to help focus our collaborative efforts. You are in full control of your healing experience the entire time, and we can adjust the plan as we go and as you wish.
The duration of your treatment program will vary depending on how much healing you want to accomplish. For some clients, a handful of sessions is enough to help them feel some relief from their symptoms. Others prefer to go deeper beyond symptom management to explore the root cause of their disconnect. We are willing to walk as deep into your story with you as you are ready to go.
Is somatic therapy right for me?
Somatic therapy is a gentle, empowering path to healing that honors your body’s own wisdom. If you’ve tried traditional talk therapy and still feel disconnected, overwhelmed, or emotionally stuck, somatic therapy may offer the deeper healing you’re looking for. Somatic therapy may be an especially good option for you if:
- You feel controlled by emotional or physical triggers.
- You feel detached or separated from your body.
- You may feel ‘stuck inside’ your body.
- You sometimes feel like your body doesn’t belong to you.
- You struggle to calm your body when experiencing stress.
- Your past trauma feels as if it’s living inside your body.
- You want to learn how to self-regulate your body so you can feel safe again.
"The body remembers what the mind forgets; it is through somatic experiencing that we can access and release stored traumatic memories"
-Dr. Peter Levine