Feel It to Heal It: 5 Powerful Types of Somatic Therapies in Richmond Hill
Ever feel like stress and old emotions are stuck in your body no matter how much you try to “think” your way out of them? That’s because trauma and tension don’t just live in your mind—they get stored in your muscles, breath, and nervous system, shaping how you feel, move, and react to the world around you.
Somatic therapy works with your body instead of against it, helping you release stored trauma, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with a sense of safety and ease. Whether you’re seeking PTSD treatment, anxiety therapy, or psychotherapy in Richmond Hill (Ontario), these powerful Polyvagal Theory approaches offer new ways to heal beyond traditional talk therapy.
Here, we’ll explore five transformative somatic therapies and techniques that can help you finally break free from old patterns and step into a greater sense of well-being. Let’s dive in!
#1 Somatic Experiencing: Releasing Trauma, One Sensation at a Time
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is like hitting the “reset” button on your nervous system. Trauma often gets “stuck,” leaving your body on high alert—trapped in fight, flight, or freeze mode. SE helps you gently reconnect with your body’s natural rhythms so you can discharge built-up survival energy and return to a state of balance. Imagine someone who survived a car accident and now feels panic every time they drive. Instead of just talking about it, SE might guide them to notice the tightness in their chest or the tension in their hands gripping the wheel, helping their body slowly unwind these responses. Here’s 3 examples of somatic experiencing techniques:
Pendulation: Moving Between Tension and Calm
When we go through something traumatic, our body can get stuck in a state of tension or fear. Pendulation is a gentle way of shifting between discomfort and a sense of safety. Imagine feeling a tight knot in your stomach when thinking about a painful memory. Instead of staying stuck in that sensation, we would guide you to notice another part of your body that feels more neutral or at ease—maybe your hands resting on your lap or the steady rhythm of your breath. This back-and-forth movement helps your body learn that it’s safe to relax, little by little.
Titration: Healing in Small, Manageable Steps
Sometimes, facing trauma all at once can feel overwhelming. Titration helps you process small pieces of your experience, so you don’t feel flooded by emotions. Think of it like dipping your toes into the water instead of jumping straight in. For example, if a past event brings up strong feelings, we might start by noticing a slight flutter in your chest rather than diving into the full memory. This slow, controlled approach helps your body release stress in a way that feels safe and manageable.
Grounding and Resourcing: Finding Stability in the Present
Trauma can make us feel disconnected or unsafe in our own bodies. Grounding brings you back to the present moment, where safety exists. One way to do this is through resourcing—finding something that makes you feel stable and supported. This could be the feeling of your feet pressing into the floor, the warmth of a cozy blanket, or even imagining a place where you feel completely at peace. These simple practices help your nervous system settle, so you can feel more at home in your body again.
#2 Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Changing Trauma Patterns in the Body
Have you ever noticed how stress lives in your posture, breath, or the way you move? Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) helps you recognize and change these deeply ingrained patterns, allowing your body to break free from trauma’s grip. For example, imagine someone who survived childhood neglect and now finds it hard to set boundaries. Through SP, they might notice how their body tenses or their breath becomes shallow when they try to say “no”, then gently explore movements that bring more confidence, like standing taller or pressing their feet into the ground. Here are three Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) techniques:
Tracking Sensations
Instead of just talking about emotions and events, SP helps you notice what’s happening in your body as you share something that happened to you. Tracking sensations means paying attention to small shifts—like warmth in your chest, tension in your jaw, or a flutter in your stomach—without judging or trying to change them. For example, if you feel anxious, we might explore where that anxiety shows up in your body. This helps you develop awareness and gently shift out of automatic system’s trauma responses.
Mindful Movement
Trauma often leaves the body feeling stuck—whether in collapse, tension, or fear. Mindful movement helps reconnect with your natural strength and confidence. If you tend to shrink or hunch when feeling unsafe, we might practice small physical adjustments, like standing taller or pressing your feet into the ground, to bring a sense of stability. This isn’t about forcing anything; it’s about exploring movements that help you feel more present and empowered.
Gesture and Action Completion
When something overwhelming happens, our body often prepares to act—like pushing away, running, or defending—but if we’re unable to complete these protective and survival movement, that energy stays trapped. Our clients often share that “it feel like they are stuck in flight mode but can never get away”. Gesture and action completion allow your body to finish what it once couldn’t. For example, if a past experience left you feeling helpless, your body might still hold that response. We might explore a small pushing motion with your hands or a firm stance to help your body feel stronger and reclaim a sense of safety.
#3 Deep Brain Reorienting: Unlocking the Brain-Body Connection for Deep Healing
Some trauma reactions happen instinctively before we even have words for them—like a gut-wrenching sense of dread or a freeze response when conflict arises. Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) works with the brain’s oldest survival circuits to process and release preverbal trauma at its core. Instead of just talking about trauma, DBR guides you to notice the very first physical sensations connected to the experience, such as a subtle pulling in your chest or tension in your gut. For example, someone who flinches or freezes when they sense conflict might gently track that sensation with guidance, allowing their body to slowly process the original shock in a safe, supported way. Here are three Deep Brain Reorienting techniques:
Tracking the First Impulse of Awareness
Trauma is often stored in the deep brain structures before we even have words for what happened. DBR helps access the very first reaction your body had to an overwhelming event. This could be a slight pulling in your chest, a sinking feeling in your stomach, or a sense of bracing before impact. We call this the shock response that triggers the body to initiate survival mechanisms such as fight or flight. By gently tracking this initial sensation, rather than jumping into thoughts or emotions, your nervous system can begin to process the original shock at its core, leading to deeper healing.
Orienting to Safety and Stability
Since trauma often leaves us feeling stuck in hypervigilance or numbness, DBR helps reorient your brain to a sense of safety and stability. This might involve noticing the space around you, feeling the support of the chair beneath you, or tracking subtle sensations of comfort in your body. By reinforcing these signals of safety, your brain learns that it no longer needs to stay in a survival state, allowing deeper layers of healing to unfold.
Releasing Deep-Seated Tension and Holding Patterns
When trauma is unresolved, the body holds onto protective patterns like clenching, freezing, or pulling inward. DBR gently helps you notice these physical reactions and allow them to unwind at their own pace. For example, if someone feels a tightness in their throat when recalling a painful memory, DBR would guide them to stay with that sensation in a supported way, allowing their body to complete and release the tension that was once locked in. Over time, this can bring a profound sense of relief and ease.
#4 BodyLENS & Sensorimotor Sequencing: Rewiring the Nervous System with Tech-Support
BodyLENS is an approach that integrates the gentle, nervous system-focused effects of LENS Brain Training Technology (Low Energy Neurofeedback System) with deep, body-based awareness of how trauma, stress, and emotions are held and processed. Since trauma can disrupt the brain’s ability to regulate itself, LENS helps restore balance by gently shifting stuck neural patterns, allowing for greater flexibility and resilience. During a BodyLENS session, small sensors are placed on specific points of the body, picking up subtle somatic and brainwave activity while the nervous system receives gentle feedback. This feedback boosts the body's natural ability to regulate and reorganize. Next, a somatic tracking technique called Sensorimotor Sequencing is used to guide the non-verbal trauma out of the body.
For example, if someone experienced a car accident, their body may still hold onto the initial freeze response, followed by the urge to brace, then the impulse to run or push away. Instead of forcing emotions or memories to surface, through BodyLENS and Sensorimotor Sequencing, they are guided to help track freeze-related sensations, giving the body a chance to release pent up energy, restore a sense of completion, and integrate sense of safety in the here and ow. By combining neuroscience-based healing with body awareness, BodyLENS helps you move toward a state of wholeness where your mind and body work together, rather than against each other.
#5 Breathwork: Your Body’s Built-In Reset Button
Your breath is one of the most powerful tools for calming anxiety, shifting emotions, and bringing your body back into balance. When we experience trauma or prolonged stress, our breath often becomes shallow, tight, or restricted, reinforcing feelings of anxiety or overwhelm. Breathwork helps shift this pattern by using intentional breathing techniques to signal safety to the brain and body. For example, someone who often feels stuck in a state of panic might practice slow, deep belly breathing—inhaling through the nose for four counts, holding briefly, and exhaling slowly through the mouth. As they continue, they may notice their heart rate slowing, their muscles softening, and a sense of calm returning. Over time, breathwork teaches the body how to move from survival mode into a place of greater balance, presence, and resilience. Here are three ways breathwork can support healing and well-being:
Calming Anxiety and Overwhelm
When anxiety takes over, the body shifts into fight-or-flight mode, causing shallow, rapid breathing that makes everything feel more intense. Breathwork helps reset the nervous system by slowing the breath, signaling to the brain that it’s safe to relax. For example, practicing 4-7-8 breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 7, exhale for 8) can quickly ease racing thoughts, slow the heart rate, and bring a sense of groundedness in moments of stress.
Releasing Stored Tension and Trauma
Our bodies hold onto past experiences, sometimes in the form of tightness, heaviness, or numbness. Deeper, intentional breathing can help loosen these patterns and create space for release. For instance, someone who feels emotionally “stuck” may benefit from conscious connected breathing, where steady, rhythmic breaths allow built-up emotions to surface and process in a safe, supported way. A few examples of this type of breathwork include Wim Hoff method, Holotropic Breathwork, and Conscious Connected Breathwork or Circular Breathwork.
Increasing Energy and Mental Clarity
Just as breathwork can calm and regulate, it can also boost energy and focus when feeling fatigued or disconnected. Techniques like box breathing (inhale for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, hold for 4) help sharpen concentration, while more active practices—such as breath of fire, which involves short, fast breaths—can clear mental fog and reinvigorate the body.
Somatic Therapy in Richmond Hill: Your Next Step Toward Healing
If you’re ready to feel real shifts in your body and nervous system, somatic therapy could be the missing piece. Whether you’re seeking PTSD treatment, anxiety therapy, or psychotherapy in Richmond Hill, these approaches can help you feel safer, stronger, and more connected to yourself.
Curious to try one of these techniques? Reach out to explore how somatic therapy can support your healing journey!
