What is Somatic Awareness in Counselling Therapy?

The word 'somatic' simply means 'of the body'. Somatic awareness is the practice of noticing what's happening inside your body, in the moment and getting curious about what those sensations might be communicating to you.

The Basic Idea

Your body and mind aren't separate systems. Thoughts, beliefs, and emotions often show up physically, and many somatic based therapists work with this connection. The idea is that experiences, especially stressful or painful ones, can leave an imprint in the body as well as in memory.

Think About How:

• Anxiety might show up as a tight chest or fluttery stomach

• Grief can feel like heaviness in the throat or shoulders

• Anger might bring heat, a clenched jaw, or tight fists

• Shame can make you want to curl in, drop your gaze, or shrink

• A belief like "I have to hold it all together" might live in a stiff back or braced shoulders

These aren't just metaphors. They're real physical responses, and somatic awareness gives you a way to read them.

How It's Used in Counselling

A somatic informed counsellor will often gently guide your attention to the body while you talk. You might hear questions like:

• "Where do you feel that in your body?"

• "What does that sensation feel like? Tight, warm, heavy, buzzy?"

• "What does your body want to do right now?"

This helps in a few ways:

• Tracking: You learn to notice the link between a thought or memory and a physical reaction, so patterns become easier to spot.

• Uncovering: Sometimes the body shows what words can't. You may feel an emotion before you can name it.

• Regulating: Noticing sensations without panicking helps calm the nervous system.

• Releasing: By staying present with what's held, rather than pushing it away, the body often has a chance to soften and let go.

What 'Releasing' Can Look Like

Releasing in somatic work is usually gentle and subtle, not always a big emotional breakthrough.

It often shows up as small physical shifts: a deep sigh, tears without a clear story, trembling or tingling, yawning, loosening in the shoulders or belly, and a sense of calm or relief afterwards.

Try a Mini Body Scan at Home

• Sit comfortably and take a few slow breaths

• Slowly move your attention from your head down to your toes

• Notice any areas of tension, numbness, warmth, or ease, without trying to fix them

• Pick one spot and ask, "What might this be holding?"

• Breathe toward it for a minute and see what shifts

Note

Somatic work can bring up strong feelings, especially if you've experienced trauma. If it feels like too much, it's okay to slow down, open your eyes, feel your feet on the floor, and take a break.

Working with a trained therapist can make the somatic process safer and more supported through grounding, slow breathing, gentle movement - always at your pace and never to the point of overwhelm.

Takeaway

Somatic awareness is about listening to the body as a source of wisdom. When you notice what is held in the body, you open the door to understanding it, and often, let it go.

Please reach out if I can support you experience what is held in your body.

Thanks, Myvanwy

Embodied Woman Counselling

PH: 0419 118 188