Somatic Trauma Therapy: How the Body Holds and Heals Memory

Somatic trauma therapy is a healing approach that recognizes trauma isn’t only a story we tell — it’s something the body carries. When we experience overwhelming stress, our nervous systems may store that experience in ways that affect our emotions, relationships, and sense of safety. Somatic therapy helps release those stored patterns, restoring balance and resilience.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What somatic trauma therapy is

• How trauma lives in the body

• What to expect in a somatic session

• The benefits of somatic healing

• How it complements Reiki and other practices

• How somatic therapy is integrated into Sacred Space Sessions

What Is Somatic Trauma Therapy?

“Somatic” comes from the Greek word soma, meaning “body.” Somatic trauma therapy is a body-centered approach to healing that works with sensations, breath, movement, and awareness.

Instead of only talking about what happened, somatic therapy focuses on how trauma shows up in the body right now— tension, numbness, restlessness, holding patterns, or a constant state of alertness. By gently bringing awareness and regulation to these responses, the body can release what has been stuck, creating new pathways for safety and connection.

How Trauma Lives in the Body

When we go through overwhelming experiences, our nervous systems sometimes stay “stuck” in survival modes: fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. Even long after the event has passed, the body may hold on to:

• Tightness or chronic pain

• Digestive or sleep issues

• Difficulty relaxing or feeling safe

• Emotional triggers that feel bigger than the situation

• A sense of disconnection or numbness

Somatic trauma therapy helps us meet these responses with curiosity and care. By listening to the body’s cues and completing interrupted stress cycles, we can slowly restore balance.

What to Expect in a Somatic Session

A session doesn’t require you to retell your trauma history. Instead, the focus is on what you notice in the present moment.

You might be guided to:

• Notice sensations in different parts of your body

• Explore gentle movement, grounding, or breathwork

• Track shifts in energy, tension, or relaxation

• Experiment with orienting to safety (using your senses to notice the environment)

• Allow small, manageable releases of stored energy

Many people describe feeling calmer, more grounded, and more connected to themselves after somatic work. Sometimes the shifts are subtle at first; over time, they build into lasting change.

Benefits of Somatic Trauma Therapy

• Release tension and stored trauma from the body

• Improve emotional regulation and resilience

• Increase sense of safety and belonging

• Reduce anxiety, hypervigilance, and stress responses

• Restore natural rhythms of rest, sleep, and digestion

• Strengthen connection between body, mind, and spirit

Somatic Therapy and Reiki: Working Together

While somatic trauma therapy focuses on nervous system regulation and body-based awareness, Reiki works with the body’s subtle energy field. Together, they offer a powerful complement:

• Somatic therapy grounds healing in the body and nervous system.

• Reiki supports flow, relaxation, and energy balance.

Many clients find that combining these modalities allows for deeper release and integration.

Learn more about Reiki healing → [What Is Reiki?]

Somatic Therapy in Sacred Space Sessions

Somatic trauma therapy is one of the modalities included in my Sacred Space Sessions. Each session is personalized, and somatic practices may be woven together with Reiki, meditation, sound healing, and ritual, depending on your needs.

• Sessions are 90 minutes long (intro sessions are 120 minutes)

• Conducted online (with occasional in-person offerings)

• Always trauma-informed, client-led, and safe

Explore how somatic therapy is included in Sacred Space Sessions → [Sacred Space Sessions]

Frequently Asked Questions

Is somatic trauma therapy the same as talk therapy?
No. Talk therapy focuses on processing experiences with words. Somatic therapy focuses on sensations, movement, and nervous system regulation. They can complement each other.

Do I need to share my trauma story?
No. Somatic sessions focus on what you feel in your body now, not on retelling the past.

Can somatic therapy replace medical or psychological care?
No. Somatic therapy is supportive and complementary. It is not a substitute for medical or psychiatric treatment.

Who can benefit from somatic therapy?
Anyone who feels stuck in patterns of stress, anxiety, disconnection, or overwhelm.

Book a Session

If you’re ready to explore somatic trauma therapy as part of a Sacred Space Session, you can [book a session here].