The purpose of somatic bodywork is to address the impact of trauma using the added element of therapeutic physical touch. The appointment proceeds in a similar style as a "non-touch" Somatic Experiencing® session except for two main differences. First, the client is comfortably dressed while lying on the massage table as opposed to being seated in a chair. Second, the therapist uses still (non-moving) touch with light pressure to facilitate the trauma healing process.

Using touch in this way can be helpful for three main reasons.

1) It brings mindful awareness to areas of the body impacted by trauma. These may be places that carry a surplus of energy (i.e., chronic tension, lack of mobility, constriction, pain, etc.). There may also be a notable lack of energy experienced as diminished mind-body connection, sluggishness, decreased physical sensation, a "stuckness", impaired mechanical function, etc.

2) It can provide the client with an added sense of safety and connection. Touch allows the practitioner to feel what's going on in the client's nervous system. This information shows up through the tactile experience of vibration, temperature and texture. It also provides another way of connecting to the client's breathing rhythm, heart rate, muscle tension and other indicators of nervous system activity.

3) Using therapeutic touch does not necessarily make the session more effective than Somatic Experiencing® alone. It just makes it more customized to the preferences and needs of a client who responds to touch with an increased experienced of safety.

Somatic bodywork is different than trauma-informed massage therapy because it expressly seeks to address the underlying dysfunction in the nervous system. Trauma-informed massage, on the other hand, specifically addresses the physical symptoms of muscle tension and pain caused by dysregulation in the nervous system but not the dysregulation itself. For more information, see "Trauma-Informed Massage Therapy" in the section below.

Somatic Bodywork is not psychotherapy. If you have any questions as to whether or not somatic bodywork may be right for you, scheduling a consultation may be a good place to start.

Jenny received her master’s degree in somatic psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in Santa Barbara, CA in 2014. In 2016 she completed a three-year training from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (SETI) to become a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) in order to provide trauma-informed bodywork at advanced levels. In addition, she has received specialized training from Kathy Kain through SETI in using touch-based methods to work with the physiological effects of complex trauma. Jenny is not a licensed mental health care professional