Does somatic therapy work?
The short answer is, yes!
If you're considering somatic therapy, you may be wondering whether it actually works or if it's simply another wellness trend. Fortunately, a growing body of research suggests that body-based approaches can be highly effective for addressing trauma, anxiety, PTSD, chronic stress, and many other mental health concerns.
In this post, we'll review the scientific research demonstrating the effectiveness of somatic therapies, as well as hear from leading experts in mental health, and finally, from some of our former clients.
If you're curious about whether a body-centered approach might be right for you, you can learn more about our approach to somatic therapy in Brooklyn.
What the research is saying…
The therapeutic value of body-centered psychotherapies have been illustrated in a variety of empirical studies.
1. Somatic therapy provides safe and effect help for clients:
In a review of studies about the effectiveness of somatic therapies, Bloch-Atefi and Smith Melbourne (2015) found that “body-oriented psychotherapy interventions provide safe and effective help for clients with physical, mental, sexual, quality of life-related psychological and existential problems as well as suicide prevention” (Allmer et al., 2009 as cited in Bloch-Atefi & Smith Melbourne, 2015).
2. Somatic therapy offers promising psychotherapeutic tools in areas where talk therapy falls short:
Somatic therapies “appear to offer promising additional psychotherapeutic tools in areas where traditional talking psychotherapies seem to fail, such as somatoform disorders, medically unexplained syndromes, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), anorexia nervosa and chronic schizophrenia ”(Röhricht, 2009 as cited in Bloch-Atefi & Smith Melbourne, 2015).
3. Somatic therapy is effective in addressing PTSD symptoms, psychological distress factors, and resiliency:
Somatic Experiencing, Trauma Resiliency therapy, and psychoeducation were provided for social workers to treat the secondary trauma effects obtained from helping those impacted by Hurricane Katrina. It was found that these therapies had a significant effect on PTSD symptoms, psychological distress factors and resiliency as compared to a group that did not receive the somatic treatments. (Leitch, Vanslyke & Allen, 2009)
Brom et al. (2017) found Somatic Experiencing to be an effective treatment for PTSD and a variety of civilian traumas that had been experienced for several years prior to treatment.
4. Body awareness group therapy is shown to be more effective than psychodynamic group therapy alone:
A study that compared the effects of psychodynamic group therapy (aka talk therapy) and body awareness group therapy for women diagnosed with personality disorders found a significantly greater change in the group that received body awareness group therapy. Furthermore the results of the group that received body awareness therapy continued and “remained stable” more than 2 years later. (Leirvåg, Pedersen & Karterud, 2010 as cited in Bloch-Atefi & Smith Melbourne, 2015)
If you've been feeling stuck despite years of traditional talk therapy, you're not alone. Many clients seek out somatic therapy because they're looking for an approach that helps them feel change, not just understand it. Learn more about our trauma-informed therapy services.
What the experts are saying…
At Brooklyn Somatic Therapy, we offer a range of services integrating a variety of cutting edge somatic therapies. At the heart of our practice is the Hakomi Method of Mindful Somatic Psychotherapy. Our founders Rebecca and Ben are certified Hakomi teachers, and our entire staff gets intensive training and supervision in this transformational approach to therapy. Take a look at what some of the leading voices in the field have to say about the Hakomi Method:
Dr. Daniel Siegel, one of the primary thought leaders in the fields of mindfulness, attachment, and interpersonal neurobiology, calls Hakomi “a visionary contribution in bringing mindfulness to our therapeutic community”
Daniel Goleman, whose groundbreaking work gave rise to the idea of emotional intelligence, writes “Hakomi is an excellent system for learning key emotional intelligence skills.”
The Association of Humanistic Psychology, the umbrella group representing some of the most central therapy approaches in use today states that “Hakomi presents some astounding methods for getting to core material. It is well grounded in theory and revolutionary in its results.”
Ready to experience somatic therapy for yourself?
Research can tell us that somatic therapy is effective, but your own healing journey is unique. Whether you're navigating trauma, anxiety, relationship challenges, or simply feeling disconnected from yourself, therapy can offer a space to reconnect with your body's innate capacity to heal.
If you're looking for somatic therapy in Brooklyn or NYC, we'd love to help you explore whether our approach is the right fit for you.
Book a free consultation today.
References
Bloch-Atefi, A., & Smith Melbourne, J. (2015, July 27). The effectiveness of body-oriented
psychotherapy: A review of the literature. Psychotherapy and Counselling Journal of
Australia. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from
https://pacja.org.au/2015/07/the-effectiveness-of-body-oriented-psychotherapy-a-review
Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017, June).
Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled
outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5518443/
Leitch, M. L., Vanslyke, J., & Allen, M. (n.d.). Somatic experiencing treatment with social service
workers following Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Retrieved February 10, 2022, from
http://traumahealing.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/nasw-journal-somatic-experiencin
-treatment-with-social-service-workers-following-hurricanes-katrina-and-rita-2009.pdf