Somatic therapies are gentle, body-centered approaches to healing that honor the lived experiences, cultural identities, and resilience of all people. Multicultural communities, disabled folks and folks with different abilities, gender expansive families and individuals, and people of color can benefit from learning techniques which support the nervous system to move from sympathetic (activation) into parasympathetic (rest and digest).
State violence, lawlessness, and ongoing human rights abuses carried out or sanctioned by government systems do not only exist as political realities; they are experienced viscerally in the bodies of those most impacted. For immigrants, people of color, and gender-expansive people, chronic exposure to surveillance, threat, discrimination, and institutional betrayal can condition the nervous system to remain in states of heightened vigilance, shutdown, or exhaustion. When safety cannot be reliably found in social systems meant to protect, the body adapts by prioritizing survival—often through hyperarousal, dissociation, or constriction—responses that may later be misunderstood or pathologized rather than recognized as adaptive. Over time, this ongoing stress can erode the body’s capacity for regulation, rest, and connection, particularly when harm is cumulative and intergenerational. Understanding these impacts through a somatic lens invites compassion and accountability, recognizing that nervous system responses are not individual failures, but embodied reflections of systemic violence and the absence of collective safety.
Grounded in the early work of Wilhelm Reich and Peter Levine, and later shaped by mental health practitioners and community facilitators Resmaa Menakem, Pat Ogden, and Bessel van der Kolk, somatic therapy recognizes that trauma, especially trauma related to chronic stress, systemic oppression, and state violence, is not only held in our thoughts, but in our bodies and nervous systems. Somatic approaches may include practices such as tracking bodily sensations, breathwork, grounding exercises, mindful movement, and gentle awareness of posture or tension, all offered at a pace that supports choice and consent. These therapies help individuals understand how survival responses like fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown can become activated during high stress, and provide practical tools for emotional regulation and nervous system stabilization. By strengthening the body’s capacity to sense safety, even in moments of heightened stress or exposure to ongoing threat, somatic therapies support people in reconnecting with their bodies as sources of protection, wisdom, and embodied resilience.
Creating a Sense of Safety in the Body
Somatic practices you might explore with a therapist
When people begin somatic therapy, one of the first goals is not processing emotions or memories, but helping the body feel a little safer. Safety in the nervous system often comes from small, repeated experiences of regulation, choice, and gentleness.
Below are examples of practices a somatic therapist might guide you through—always at your pace, with permission to stop, adjust, or simply notice.
Box Breathing (Finding Rhythm and Predictability)
You might be invited to explore a simple breathing rhythm, such as box breathing. This isn’t about forcing relaxation, but about offering your nervous system a predictable pattern.
You could try inhaling slowly through the nose for a count of four, pausing briefly at the top of the inhale, exhaling for four, and pausing again before the next breath. As you do this, you might notice how your chest, belly, or throat respond.
A therapist may encourage you to adjust the counts so they feel comfortable—or to stop entirely if your body signals “that’s enough.” The goal is not perfect breathing, but listening to how your body responds to rhythm and pause.
Bilateral Tapping (Supporting Regulation Through Alternation)
Bilateral tapping involves gently tapping one side of the body and then the other, often on the thighs, arms, or shoulders.
You might alternate left and right at a pace that feels soothing rather than mechanical. Some people find this creates a sense of grounding or presence, while others simply notice the sensation of touch.
In somatic therapy, this practice is often paired with curiosity:
- What do you notice in your body as the tapping continues?
- Does one side feel different than the other?
- Would slowing down or stopping feel better right now?
The emphasis is always on choice and agency, not pushing through discomfort.
Gentle Rocking (Inviting Safety Through Movement)
Rocking is a natural self-regulation movement many humans instinctively use, especially in times of stress.
You might rock slowly forward and back in a chair, side to side, or even shift your weight gently while standing. A therapist may invite you to find a rhythm that feels calming—or simply neutral.
Rather than asking “Does this relax me?” the invitation is often:
- Does this movement feel supportive?
- Is there a sense of settling, or simply less effort?
Sometimes the body responds with a deeper breath, a sigh, or a subtle sense of ease. Sometimes it doesn’t—and both are okay.
Orienting Through the Breath (Tracking Sensation Without Control)
Instead of structured breathing, you may be guided to simply notice where the breath already moves.
You might place a hand on your chest or belly and observe:
- Where do you feel the breath most clearly?
- Does the breath feel shallow, deep, uneven, or steady?
- What happens when you allow it to be exactly as it is?
This practice supports emotional regulation by building tolerance for sensation, without needing to change it. Over time, this can help the nervous system learn that sensation itself is not dangerous.
Self-Soothing Touch (Using Contact to Support Safety)
Self-soothing touch can be as simple as placing a hand over your heart, wrapping your arms around yourself, or resting a hand on your cheek or neck.
In somatic therapy, touch is always approached with consent—even with yourself. You might be encouraged to ask internally:
- Does this touch feel comforting, neutral, or uncomfortable?
- Would a different location or pressure feel better?
The intention is not to force calm, but to offer the body a sense of containment and support, especially during emotional moments.
Pendulation (Moving Between Ease and Activation)
A somatic therapist may guide you to gently notice a place in your body that feels relatively calm or neutral, and then briefly notice an area that feels tense or activated—before returning to the calmer sensation.
This back-and-forth helps the nervous system learn that it can move out of intensity and return to safety. Over time, this builds emotional resilience and regulation capacity.
You are never asked to stay with discomfort longer than feels manageable.
