Why Somatic Therapy is Particularly Effective for Anxiety
If you’re living with chronic anxiety, it’s likely that you have also tried therapy before. You’ve invested the time, energy and money into developing insight and high levels of self-awareness, so you know “the why” behind your anxiety.
And…..there was a point in therapy where you plateaued. You explored, you learned and you understand why you’re feeling the way you’re feeling but you still can’t CHANGE the way you’re feeling. It’s SO frustrating!
Sound about right?
We are sharing this because this experience is all too common.
While it has its usefulness, traditional talk therapy can only take you so far. Since traditional talk therapy relies on thought-based methods (CBT, DBT, psychoanalysis, talking, reading, podcasts, journaling, etc.) it can really only help you process on an intellectual level.
As humans we do need to build insight and intellectually understand our experiences, but that is not the only level we need to process on. We also need to process things on a body and soul level for deep healing and lasting change to occur.
To truly heal from chronic anxiety your body MUST be involved because your body is the vessel through which you experience life and the experiences you have literally leave imprints inside your body. These “imprints” are why you have chronic muscle tension, feel keyed-up or on-edge and experience repetitive, racing thoughts (aka overthinking) way more often than not.
Anxiety is an over-activated energetic state in the nervous system i.e. a flight response. Our nervous systems OVER-activate when a real or perceived threat to our safety has been detected by the amygdala in the brain and as humans, we have many layers of safety (physical safety, emotional safety, social safety, etc.).
As you know, it’s possible to understand why you’re feeling anxious but not actually feel any different, so it’s crucial to…
Learn how to detect and interpret the sensations from your body
Learn, practice and integrate regulation tools that that speak directly to your nervous system (body)
Use somatic regulation tools to stay present long enough to complete unfinished stress responses that have been living inside your body and feel all the way through your emotions so they release from your body
This is how you make that leap from knowing something in your thoughts to actually FEELING better.
As embodiment therapists we use the wisdom of the body and energetic power of the nervous system to create LASTING healing and change. We can help you get out of your head and into your body so you can first feel and release all the old pain and patterns which then creates the internal space for you to step fully into your power. When you live your life rooted in your power you’ll feel calm, clear and confident!
So, if you've tried talk therapy before and felt like something was missing. WE GOT YOU! Just click the “Contact” tab in the upper right hand corner of our website, submit a contact form (5 minutes or less!) and we will reach out to ASAP to schedule a FREE 45 minute consultation.
Ready to try somatic therapy to kick your anxiety? Connect with us for a consultation at info@bravecounseling.com or 720-923-3033.