Somatic Therapies
Somatic Therapies address mental and physical problems by focusing on discharging tension from stressful experiences that's stored in the body. This holistic category of therapies is often used for trauma release and stress reduction. While it can involve elements of exposure therapy, it prioritizes creating a sense of safety, in order for the nervous system to enter its relaxed, most productive state.
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Sub types of Somatic Therapies
Click the subtype you find most appealing to read more details about this technique and comparisons with other subtypes.
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Somatic Experiencing
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing is a therapeutic approach designed to help individuals heal from trauma and stress-related disorders by focusing on bodily sensations. It makes use of bodily awareness and gradual exposure. The method operates on the premise that trauma can become "stuck" in the body, leading to ongoing physical and emotional distress. During sessions, clients are guided to gently explore and become aware of their bodily sensations, movements, and tensions. By gradually releasing the stored energy associated with traumatic experiences, Somatic Experiencing facilitates the restoration of the body's natural ability to regulate stress and build resilience. This approach is effective for treating PTSD, anxiety, depression, and other trauma-related conditions.
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy integrates somatic and attachment theories with traditional talk therapy to address the impact of trauma on the body and mind. Developed by Dr. Pat Ogden, this approach emphasizes the importance of bodily sensations and movements in the therapeutic process. Therapists work with clients to develop awareness of their physical responses and how these are connected to past traumatic experiences. Techniques may include grounding exercises, movement interventions, and mindfulness practices to help clients process and release trauma stored in the body. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy aims to enhance emotional regulation, improve interpersonal relationships, and promote overall psychological healing by addressing both the physical and emotional dimensions of trauma.
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Return to the therapies overview
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Critique from other categories
One effective way of understanding how a certain therapy type relates to other types, is by looking at it through the eyes of the other therapy types, as each has it's own idea about the mechanism to get from A to B. The critiques below will help you in comparing your options. Click the name to read more about this therapy.
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CBT-Based Therapies: Criticize Somatic Therapies for not addressing cognitive distortions in an early phase of the treatment, which echo on in the individual's perception and challenges in creating a sense of safety.
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Psychodynamic Therapies (Regression): Argue that Somatic Therapies overlook unconscious conflicts and past experiences influencing current behavior and only resolves what's currently available to one's consciousness.
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Humanistic and Existential Therapies: Claim Somatic Therapies are too focused on the body, neglecting deeper self-exploration and meaning-making.
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​NLP: Critiques Somatic Therapies for focusing on physical sensations and bodily awareness without addressing the cognitive and linguistic patterns that shape emotional and behavioral responses.
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Psychedelic-oriented Protocols: Argue that Somatic Therapies fail to facilitate deeper emotional trauma that the mind shields from consciousness and which psychedelics could help to get access to.​
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About Bukuru
The core philosophy of Bukuru is that each person should test their own beliefs. The project started as a quest to categorize self-development books in such a way that it would become easier to find books that match your beliefs. However, along the way we concluded that the essence of most books can be captured in a few sentences – if the idea is original at all. Instead of helping people buy books, we now help people not buying books.
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