![An open garden pavilion beside a meadow, with a woven rug and a smooth stone beside the chair](https://viacara.com/img/content/approaches-somatic-therapy-feature-light.webp)

# Somatic Therapy

Learn how somatic therapy works with your body as well as your mind, including somatic experiencing, sensorimotor and biodynamic psychotherapy.

## What is somatic therapy?

Somatic means "of the body". Somatic therapy is a talking therapy that also pays close attention to what your body does as you talk. That means your breath, posture and tension, and any urge to move, freeze or pull away.

It is a family of approaches, not one method. Three of them have their own sections below.

## How it *works*

Somatic therapies start from the idea that trauma affects the body as well as the mind. In this view, the body can stay braced or on alert long after the danger has passed.

So instead of only talking about what happened, you notice what happens in your body as you talk. The work goes in small steps. You move between a sensation that feels hard and one that feels steadier.

The aim is for your body to settle, so that it becomes a safer place to be.

Noticing the *body* in therapy

- **Body** How you feel and move in your body can be part of the talk.
- **Thoughts** Your therapist asks about your thoughts too.
- **Feelings** Feelings are part of the same work.

These methods share an interest in the body. The work does not always use touch.

Sources: [SPI: trauma training](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-1), [SPI: about](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-5), [Chiron: body psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-8)

## What *sessions* look like

Most sessions look like any talking therapy. The difference is how often your therapist asks what you notice in your body. It might be your breath, your feet on the floor or a tightness in your chest.

You might be invited to try a small movement, such as pressing your feet into the floor. You can always say no. Some forms use touch, but only with your informed consent.

Source: [Chiron: body psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-8)

![The meadow seen from the chair, the grasses standing still after the breeze has passed](https://viacara.com/img/content/approaches-somatic-therapy-mid-light.webp)

Somatic therapy notices what your body does as you talk, and lets it settle at its own pace

## Somatic *experiencing*

Attention to *sensations*

- **Sensation** You and your therapist notice what you feel in your body.
- **Small amounts** The work goes in small steps, called titration.
- **Shifts** The focus shifts between different feelings in the body. This is called pendulation.

This shows how the method views its work. It does not prove how trauma works in the body.

Peter Levine developed it from the 1970s. It grew from his study of how animals deal with threat.

Your therapist helps you notice a sensation a little at a time, which it calls titration. You then move between discomfort and ease, which it calls pendulation. You do not have to share the details of what happened to you.

Training takes about three years, part time. Coaches and yoga teachers can train in it too, and the certificate is not a licence to practise therapy.

Sources: [Ergos: somatic experiencing](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-2), [SEI: professional training](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-3), [SEI: ethics](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-4)

## *Sensorimotor* psychotherapy

Three phases of *sensorimotor work*

1. **Safety and stabilisation** You and your therapist find ways to feel ready for the work.
2. **Processing** The work brings in what you feel, sense and think.
3. **Integration** You look at how the work fits into daily life.

These are phases in the model. They do not set a fixed pace or promise a result.

Pat Ogden began developing it in the 1970s, and founded her institute in 1981. It blends body awareness and movement with talk about thoughts and feelings.

You might notice how your posture shifts as you talk, then try a small change and see how it feels. The work moves through three phases: safety, processing and integration. It draws on attachment, so it looks at early relationships as well as at trauma.

Its trainings are only for people already allowed to practise psychotherapy.

Sources: [SPI: about](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-5), [SPI: curriculum](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-6)

## *Biodynamic* psychotherapy

Different forms of *body work*

- **Talking** You and your therapist talk.
- **Movement and awareness** Your therapist may ask about how you move and what you sense.
- **Agreed bodywork** Some sessions use touch or massage.

You must agree to any touch first. These are parts of the work, not a plan for every session.

Gerda Boyesen, a Norwegian psychologist and physiotherapist, developed it. It combines talk with movement, awareness and hands-on work, including a form of massage.

Any touch is something you agree to first, and you can say no at any point.

Sources: [LSBP: training and workshops](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-7), [Chiron: body psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-8)

## Who it may *suit*

Somatic therapy can be a good fit if you:

- Feel stress mostly in your body, as tension, a racing heart or a sense of shutting down
- Find that talking about what happened is not enough, or is too much
- Want to feel more at home in your own body
- Are curious about working with breath, posture and movement

## Somatic therapy and *PTSD*

NICE points first to other therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For adults whose symptoms have lasted more than a month, it says to offer trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy.

NICE also recommends eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing (EMDR). It says to offer it from three months after a trauma not related to combat. It looked at somatic experiencing, but found the evidence too small to recommend it.

Our [trauma and PTSD page](https://viacara.com/support/trauma/) starts with the routes NICE recommends. Both [trauma-focused CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/trauma-focused-cbt/) and [EMDR](https://viacara.com/approaches/emdr/) have pages of their own.

Sources: [NICE NG116](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-9), [NICE NG116: evidence review D](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-10)

## Not the same as somatic coaching

[Coaching](https://viacara.com/approaches/coaching/) has a body-based form too, called somatic coaching. It is coaching, focused on goals and action, rather than therapy for trauma.

## Finding a somatic therapist

Anyone in the UK can call themselves a psychotherapist or a counsellor. So check that your therapist is on a register accredited by the Professional Standards Authority.

Sources: [POST: regulation of professionals](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-16), [PSA: accredited registers](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-17)

## The *evidence*

Interest in somatic therapy has grown, and its trial base is thinner than for the therapies NICE recommends. A 2021 review called the early results promising, and asked for more unbiased trials.

A randomised trial of somatic experiencing included 63 adults with PTSD. Those who had it reported fewer symptoms than those on a waiting list. The trial did not compare it with another therapy.

A later trial added it to physical therapy for back pain with PTSD symptoms. It found no extra benefit.

Sensorimotor psychotherapy has one small pilot trial, of a group for women after childhood trauma. A 2009 review said body psychotherapy did not yet have the evidence to be offered widely by health services. We found no controlled trial of biodynamic psychotherapy itself.

Sources: [Kuhfuß et al. 2021](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-13), [Brom et al. 2017](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-11), [Andersen et al. 2020](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-12), [Classen et al. 2021](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-14), [Röhricht 2009](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#ref-15)

On this page

[What is somatic therapy?](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#what-is-somatic-therapy) [How it works](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#how-it-works) [What sessions look like](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#what-sessions-look-like) [Somatic experiencing](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#somatic-experiencing) [Sensorimotor psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#sensorimotor-psychotherapy) [Biodynamic psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#biodynamic-psychotherapy) [Who it may suit](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#who-it-may-suit) [Somatic therapy and PTSD](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#somatic-therapy-and-ptsd) [Not the same as somatic coaching](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#not-the-same-as-somatic-coaching) [Finding a somatic therapist](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#finding-a-somatic-therapist) [The evidence](https://viacara.com/approaches/somatic-therapy/#the-evidence)

Related

[Trauma and PTSD](https://viacara.com/support/trauma/) [Trauma-Focused CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/trauma-focused-cbt/) [EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)](https://viacara.com/approaches/emdr/) [Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/mindfulness-based-therapy/) [Coaching](https://viacara.com/approaches/coaching/) [Understanding Different Approaches](https://viacara.com/guides/understanding-approaches/) [Dance Movement Psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/dance-movement-psychotherapy/)

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## References

1. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2026). *Trauma training: Level I*. [sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org](https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/curriculum/trauma/)
2. Ergos Institute of Somatic Education (2026). *Somatic Experiencing*. [somaticexperiencing.com](https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/somatic-experiencing)
3. Somatic Experiencing International (2026). *Professional Training*. [traumahealing.org](https://traumahealing.org/professional-training/)
4. Somatic Experiencing International (2026). *Ethics*. [traumahealing.org](https://traumahealing.org/ethics/)
5. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2026). *About*. [sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org](https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/about/)
6. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute (2026). *Curriculum*. [sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org](https://sensorimotorpsychotherapy.org/curriculum/)
7. London School of Biodynamic Psychotherapy (2026). *Training and workshops*. [centreforbodypsychotherapy.com](https://centreforbodypsychotherapy.com/training-and-workshops)
8. Chiron Association for Body Psychotherapists, Cambridge Body Psychotherapy Centre and London School of Biodynamic Psychotherapy (2012). *Body Psychotherapy Competencies*. [eabp.org (PDF)](https://eabp.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/BodyPsychotherapyCompetencies.pdf)
9. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2018). *Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116)*. [nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116)
10. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (2018). *Post-traumatic stress disorder, evidence review D: psychological, psychosocial and other non-pharmacological interventions for the treatment of PTSD in adults*. [nice.org.uk](https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116/evidence/evidence-review-d-psychological-psychosocial-and-other-nonpharmacological-interventions-for-the-treatment-of-ptsd-in-adults-pdf-6602621008)
11. Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K. & Ross, G. (2017). *Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study*. Journal of Traumatic Stress. [doi:10.1002/jts.22189](https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189)
12. Andersen, T. E., Ellegaard, H., Schiøttz-Christensen, B., Mejldal, A. & Manniche, C. (2020). *Somatic Experiencing for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress symptoms: a randomised controlled trial*. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. [doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1797306](https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1797306)
13. Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A. & Baumann, N. (2021). *Somatic experiencing: effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review*. European Journal of Psychotraumatology. [doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023](https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023)
14. Classen, C. C., Hughes, L., Clark, C., Hill Mohammed, B., Woods, P. & Beckett, B. (2021). *A Pilot RCT of A Body-Oriented Group Therapy For Complex Trauma Survivors: An Adaptation of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy*. Journal of Trauma & Dissociation. [doi:10.1080/15299732.2020.1760173](https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2020.1760173)
15. Röhricht, F. (2009). *Body oriented psychotherapy. The state of the art in empirical research and evidence-based practice: A clinical perspective*. Body, Movement and Dance in Psychotherapy. [doi:10.1080/17432970902857263](https://doi.org/10.1080/17432970902857263)
16. Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology (2025). *Regulation of psychological professionals in mental health care*. [post.parliament.uk](https://post.parliament.uk/regulation-of-psychological-professionals/)
17. Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (2024). *Accredited Registers*. [professionalstandards.org.uk](https://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/accredited-registers)

## Related

### [Trauma and PTSD](https://viacara.com/support/trauma/)

Trauma can keep a frightening event alive long after it ended. PTSD is common and treatable. Find a professional who works with trauma.

### [Trauma-Focused CBT](https://viacara.com/approaches/trauma-focused-cbt/)

Learn how trauma-focused CBT works, what happens in sessions, how it differs from EMDR and what NICE says about it and its main forms.

### [EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)](https://viacara.com/approaches/emdr/)

Learn how EMDR works, what happens in sessions and why it is recommended for trauma and PTSD.

### [Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/mindfulness-based-therapy/)

Learn how mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) works, why NICE recommends it to stop depression returning and how it differs from MBSR.

### [Coaching](https://viacara.com/approaches/coaching/)

Learn how coaching works, what the main coaching styles are, how it differs from therapy and how to tell whether a coach is the right person for you.

### [Understanding Different Approaches](https://viacara.com/guides/understanding-approaches/)

A plain-English guide to the main therapeutic approaches including CBT, person-centred therapy, psychodynamic and integrative methods.

### [Dance Movement Psychotherapy](https://viacara.com/approaches/dance-movement-psychotherapy/)

How dance movement psychotherapy works through movement as well as talk, who keeps its UK register and what the research has and has not found.