So You Wanna Bring the Body Into the Room (Without Losing Your Head)

Why Somatic Work Isn’t Just a Buzzword

Let’s be honest—if you’ve been in the therapy world for more than 14 seconds, you’ve probably heard someone say “somatic” in a tone that suggests they now exist on a higher vibrational plane. Maybe you’ve nodded along in supervision while someone mentioned “tracking interoceptive cues” and pretended you totally knew what that meant (spoiler: you’re not alone). Or maybe you’ve just hit a point in your clinical work where talk therapy feels… incomplete. Your clients get it—they know the patterns, the history, the family tree of dysfunction—but still feel stuck, disconnected, or like their body didn’t get the memo.

Enter: somatic experiencing. Not as a replacement for the work you already do, but as a complement—a way to bring the body back into the room, alongside the mind that’s been doing all the heavy lifting.

The truth is, we’re not just brains with good insight. We’re nervous systems with histories. And for many clients, especially those navigating trauma, chronic stress, or high-functioning anxiety in a trench coat, the nervous system is holding onto something the prefrontal cortex can’t quite talk its way out of.

This post isn’t about turning you into a certified somatic practitioner overnight (please don’t do that). It’s about giving you a grounded, ethical, and actually doable starting point. Whether you’re pre-licensed, newly licensed, or just the “body-aware adjacent” therapist in your peer group, consider this your friendly, slightly sarcastic guide to integrating somatic experiencing—without needing a singing bowl or a certification you don’t have time for (yet).

Ready to get out of your head—and into the work? Let’s start with what somatic experiencing actually is… and what it’s definitely not.

What Is Somatic Experiencing—And What It’s Not

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a trauma-healing modality developed by Dr. Peter Levine, and while it may sound like something involving yoga mats and chanting (spoiler: it’s not), it’s actually grounded in neurobiology. At its core, SE is about helping clients complete the body’s natural threat response—the one that gets hijacked during trauma and then stays stuck in a loop like a buffering YouTube video you didn’t ask to play.

It works with the nervous system, not just the narrative. The idea is simple: trauma isn’t stored in the event—it’s stored in the body. And when a person doesn’t get the chance to fully fight, flee, or even freeze safely, that survival energy gets trapped. Somatic Experiencing helps clients access, track, and gradually release that energy—without re-traumatizing them or asking them to relive the worst day of their life while you take notes.

But here’s the important part: SE isn’t just a grab-bag of grounding tools and breathwork. It’s a highly specific modality that uses titration (small doses of sensation), pendulation (moving between discomfort and safety), and body tracking—all with a heavy emphasis on slowness and nervous system regulation.

So let’s set a few things straight:

SE is not breathwork circles that push clients into catharsis (no shade, just not the same thing).
SE is not yoga-informed therapy (again, love a good downward dog, but not SE).
SE is not something you can “pick up from a podcast” and immediately use to unlock trauma stored in the hips.

And—because it needs to be said—SE is not touch-based therapy unless you’re trained, licensed, and the client gives full consent. No chakra poking in your associate year, okay?

What SE is, at its most accessible level, is a roadmap to work with the body alongside the brain. It’s a way to help clients become aware of internal sensations, build capacity for discomfort, and access their own innate self-regulating system… all without needing to name every emotion or explain every trigger.

In short: if you’ve ever had a client say “I know I’m safe but I don’t feel safe,” SE starts to make sense of that sentence.

Why Talk Therapy Alone Sometimes Falls Short

We love a good insight. A breakthrough moment. A well-placed “huh.” And for many clients, those cognitive lightbulbs are powerful. But here’s the reality: sometimes, talk therapy is like trying to reboot a frozen laptop by typing harder. You can narrate the entire trauma timeline, understand the attachment wounds, and label every internal part with a color-coded Post-it—and still feel stuck.

Because here’s the thing: insight isn’t the same as integration.

Some clients can unpack their entire life story with stunning precision while their body is still in survival mode. They’re self-aware, articulate, maybe even funny about it all. But their nervous system? It didn’t get the memo. It’s still operating like the threat is happening now—because in body time, it is.

This is especially true for trauma survivors, neurodivergent clients, and anyone who’s lived in a body that hasn’t always felt safe. For them, talking about the experience doesn’t necessarily regulate the experience. In fact, it can sometimes reinforce the stuckness. As in: the more they talk about it, the more dysregulated they feel.

Enter somatic experiencing—not as a shiny new trend, but as an acknowledgment that healing isn’t just cognitive—it’s biological. It’s nervous-system-deep.

Somatic work invites a different kind of presence in the therapy room. One where slowing down doesn’t mean losing momentum. One where noticing a tightness in the chest is the work, not a distraction from it. And one where a client saying, “I feel something shift” doesn’t require a full verbal processing monologue to be meaningful.

It’s not that talk therapy is broken. It’s just incomplete without the body at the table. (And no, naming it “somatic” because you mentioned breathing once during a panic attack doesn’t count.)

Somatic experiencing helps fill in the gap between what a client knows and what their body believes.

How You Can Ethically Start as a Pre-Licensed or Untrained Therapist

Before you panic-Google “somatic certification near me,” let’s take a breath (see what I did there?). You don’t need to be a fully certified Somatic Experiencing practitioner to begin integrating body-based awareness into your therapy sessions. You do, however, need to stay grounded in your scope, your ethics, and your favorite clinical supervisor’s imaginary voice in your head.

Here’s the good news: you’re probably already doing more “somatic-ish” work than you think. Helping a client ground in the here and now? That’s nervous system work. Supporting emotional regulation by slowing the pace? Also somatic-adjacent. Asking “where do you feel that in your body?” without trying to fix it? You’re officially body-aware, my friend.

That said, there are a few core somatic-informed tools that are safe, powerful, and totally appropriate for pre-licensed clinicians to start using—with no certification, altar, or essential oils required.

Resourcing

Help your client locate internal or external experiences that bring a sense of safety, ease, or connection. Think: a memory of their dog, the feeling of sunlight, or the moment they crushed a karaoke song in 2014.

Therapist prompt:

“Can you think of a time, even a small moment, where you felt just a little more okay?”

Grounding & Orienting

Invite clients to reconnect with their environment or their body’s contact with the present moment. It’s not just for panic attacks—this is baseline regulation.

Therapist prompt:

“Notice your feet on the floor. Can you feel the support of the chair under you?”

Bonus: Have them visually scan the room to find 3 objects that feel neutral or interesting. It’s low-key magic.

Sensation Tracking

Instead of asking what they think, ask what they feel—literally. You’re helping them rebuild the bridge between awareness and embodiment.

Therapist prompt:

“As you talk about that, what are you noticing in your body? Any tightness, warmth, or changes?”

Gentle Pendulation

Not the trauma-processing kind. You’re not guiding anyone into the abyss. This is about toggling attention between areas of tension and areas of ease to build nervous system flexibility.

Therapist prompt:

“You’re noticing heaviness in your chest—can we check if there’s anywhere in your body that feels a little less activated right now?”

What Not to Do (Yet)

Let’s be clear. There are things that are 100% outside your current scope:

Inducing catharsis or emotional flooding
Regressing clients into body-stored memories
Attempting to process trauma via the body without training
Using touch (unless you’re licensed, trained, and your malpractice says “go for it”)
Asking clients to “breathe into the pain” without tools to titrate that experience

In other words: body-awareness, yes. Trauma excavation via the nervous system, not so fast.

You don’t have to be a somatic wizard to start weaving this in. You just have to be intentional, slow, and willing to stay curious with your clients as you both learn what their body is trying to say.

Touch on Intersections with Other Modalities

You don’t have to throw out your entire clinical toolbox to be somatically informed. In fact, if you’ve ever asked a client how their inner child feels and where they feel it in their body, you’re already flirting with integration.

Somatic work isn’t a standalone island. It’s more like a friendly neighbor who waves from the porch while your client processes their existential dread. It overlaps beautifully with a bunch of approaches you’re likely already using—so let’s take a moment to connect the dots.

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Parts work thrives with body-based awareness. When a client notices that their Perfectionist Part shows up as shoulder tension or a racing heartbeat, you’re merging insight with sensation. That’s somatic.

Example:

“What does that part feel like inside—tightness, buzzing, heaviness?”

Mindfulness & MBCT

Mindfulness is already about present-moment awareness. Now just shift that spotlight onto the body. Breath awareness, noticing sensation without judgment, and tracking shifts in emotion? Somatic, somatic, somatic.

Attachment-Based Therapy

Secure attachment is experienced physiologically. Co-regulation, safety, and attunement all land in the nervous system long before they land in language. When you slow your voice, breathe with your client, or name felt shifts in the room—you’re already working somatically.

DBT & Distress Tolerance

That ice cube trick? Somatic. TIPP skills? Somatic. Half of DBT’s coping skills are basically a low-key nervous system survival manual. When clients are too flooded to think, we go back to the body. You’ve been doing this longer than you think.

EMDR & Sensorimotor Therapy

These approaches formally integrate somatic elements—and if you’re trained in either, you’ve likely already seen the power of bottom-up work. But even if you’re not, learning to notice and track a client’s physiological response can enhance any modality you use.

Somatic work doesn’t replace your current style—it enhances it. It slows things down just enough to let the body speak. And when the body speaks, therapy hits differently. Clients begin to trust themselves in new ways—not just because they know things, but because they can finally feel them.

Documentation Language Cheat Sheet

Ah, documentation. That sacred ritual where we try to capture the depth of the human experience in 3–5 sentences that make sense to insurance reviewers and our future selves. And while “client tracked a warm buzz in their solar plexus and spontaneously wept” might be accurate, it’s probably not making it through the claim process unscathed.

So, let’s talk about how to chart somatic-informed work in a way that’s both ethical and insurance-safe—without turning it into a game of Mad Libs.

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for the somatic-curious therapist who also has to play nice with the medical model:

Somatic Tool	Insurance-Friendly Language
Resourcing	“Client identified and engaged with internal/external calming resources to support regulation.”
Grounding	“Utilized present-moment orientation and grounding techniques to decrease emotional intensity.”
Sensation Tracking	“Client was invited to notice and describe internal physical sensations to increase body awareness.”
Pendulation	“Supported client in shifting attention between distress and neutral body states to promote regulation.”
Co-regulation	“Therapist modeled calm and attuned presence to facilitate client nervous system stabilization.”

Yes, it’s still you doing your beautiful relational, intuitive, body-aware work. You’re just speaking the dialect of Documentation Land. No need to compromise your integrity—or your client’s experience—to get reimbursed.

If it helps, remember: You’re not dumbing it down. You’re translating it in a way that keeps the door open for this work to be funded.

Pro tip? If you ever feel like writing “client’s body felt like an abandoned haunted house filled with bees,” jot that in your process notes—and give insurance the version above. Both can be true.

The Therapist’s Body Matters Too

You’ve probably heard some version of “you can’t take clients where you haven’t gone yourself.” And while that phrase gets tossed around a little too casually in some circles (usually by someone about to sell you a $2,000 workshop), there’s truth in it—especially when it comes to somatic work.

Because here’s the deal: if you’re not in your body, your client probably won’t be either. The nervous system is highly attuned to vibe shifts, even the subtle ones. You don’t have to announce your disembodiment—it shows up in rushed pacing, scattered energy, glazed-over eyes, or forgetting to breathe for most of the session (been there).

So yes, your body is part of the clinical equation. You’re not just a facilitator—you’re a co-regulator. That doesn’t mean you need to be a Zen monk or that every moment of therapy needs to feel like a breathy yoga class. It just means bringing some awareness to how you are showing up in the room.

Are you grounded? Holding your breath? Are your shoulders creeping up like they’re auditioning for a horror film?

Noticing your own somatic state in session isn’t a distraction—it’s data. It can guide your interventions, help you stay connected, and prevent you from steamrolling a client’s process just to “keep things moving.”

And let’s be real: your body deserves care, too. You’re not a disembodied brain floating in a black T-shirt, offering calm words while ignoring the knot in your own gut. Bringing the body into the room means your body, too.

The more you practice staying in your own window of tolerance, the more space you create for your clients to do the same. No deep dive required—just a steady presence, a little curiosity, and maybe a reminder that lunch is still a thing you’re allowed to have.

Therapist Reflection Prompts

You’re likely already doing more somatic work than you realize—but integrating it with intention starts by checking in with the one body you’re always in: your own. (Yes, even on back-to-back client days.)

Below are a few reflection prompts to help you build internal awareness, identify stuck points, and deepen your clinical intuition—without needing a journal that costs $45 and promises enlightenment in 30 days.

Try one or two in supervision, during your notes time, or while staring blankly into your tea between sessions:

“When do I feel most grounded during sessions? When do I feel like I’m floating above the room?”

(Hint: Your body’s not subtle. It’s just patient.)

“What’s happening in my body when a client gets dysregulated? Do I tighten up? Go blank? Speed up?”

(Your nervous system is in the room, whether you RSVP’d or not.)

“What would it look like to pause and co-regulate instead of jumping into fixing or interpreting?”

(Sometimes the most therapeutic thing is the breath you didn’t override.)

“Do I treat my own body like a tool, a liability, or an ally?”

(No shame—just curiosity. And maybe a stretch.)

“Where do I go when I feel stuck as a therapist—into my head, my agenda, or my gut?”

(Spoiler: your body has opinions.)

Reflection doesn’t have to mean reinventing your practice. It can be as simple as noticing when you need to put both feet on the floor, take a breath, or stop dissociating into your therapy voice. Start small. Stay curious.

Want Something Tangible to Take With You?

If you’re the kind of therapist who loves a good takeaway—something you can print, scribble on, or accidentally spill your tea on—I’ve got you.

🎁 I put together a free, no-gatekeeping download:
“5 Somatic Tools You Can Ethically Use Today (Even If You’re Pre-Licensed)”

It’s a cozy little resource full of:

Therapist scripts that don’t sound like robots wrote them
Insurance-friendly documentation phrases (because audits are not somatic)
Scope-safe reminders to help you stay regulated and legal
Reflection prompts you can actually use between sessions, not just hoard in your bookmarks

Whether you’re dipping a toe into body-based work or you just want a cheat sheet to tape next to your notes, this one’s for you.

👉 Download below and consider it your nervous system-friendly nudge to start where you are.

Somatic Blog Download Download

Where to Learn More Without Overwhelm

So you’re curious, inspired, maybe even excited (in a regulated way, of course)—but the last thing you need is a new modality rabbit hole that ends with you staring at a $5,000 training page, wondering if you need a second job or a sugar parent to fund your CEU habit.

Good news: you don’t need to know everything before you start weaving somatic awareness into your work. In fact, it’s better if you don’t rush it. Integration > accumulation.

Here’s a handful of resources to keep you learning, grounded, and well within your bandwidth:

Books (That Don’t Read Like Textbooks)

Waking the Tiger by Peter Levine – The OG SE primer. Has animal metaphors, which is honestly half the charm.
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk – You’ve probably heard of it. A classic, but not the lightest read. Use your window of tolerance accordingly.
The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy by Deb Dana – Think of it as the nervous system translator you never knew you needed.

Trainings and Courses (Entry-Level, Ethical, and Not Culty)

SEI’s “Intro to Somatic Experiencing” webinars – Low-commitment, high-value. No prerequisites other than curiosity and a nervous system.
Deb Dana’s Polyvagal workshops – Excellent for learning regulation tools, co-regulation strategies, and how to explain “neuroception” without losing your client.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute’s intro offerings – Body-based work with clear boundaries and trauma-informed practices.

For the Audiovisual Learner (Aka: “I Can’t Read One More Thing”)

Podcasts like Therapist Uncensored, The Trauma Therapist Podcast, and Embodied with Elizabeth Kristof often touch on somatic principles.
YouTube videos of Peter Levine demos—yes, they exist, and yes, some are awkwardly powerful.

Community and Support

Join a peer consult group with a somatic lens (or start one if your current group gives blank stares when you say “interoception”).
Ask your supervisor how they view body-based work—this can open the door to integrating it without flying solo.
Follow a few somatic-informed therapists online (the non-performative ones) to keep your feed inspired and grounded.

TL;DR: You don’t have to do all the things. You just have to keep listening—to your clients, to your own body, and to the work as it unfolds. Learn slowly. Learn relationally. Learn with discernment.

Want 90 Somatic Tools You Can Actually Use?

If your brain is buzzing with ideas and your nervous system is whispering “please give me something tangible,” I’ve got you covered.

I created a free companion handout: 🎁 “90 Somatic Experiencing®-Inspired Tools for Therapists”

It’s organized into six easy-to-navigate domains and includes:

Therapist-facing descriptions
Client-centered prompts
When to use each tool (plus a few gentle scope notes)
And no fluff—just body-based tools you can ethically use, even if you’re pre-licensed

This isn’t a script. It’s a flexible guide to help you feel more confident weaving somatic awareness into your work without needing a second master’s degree (or a panic-text to your supervisor).

👉 Click below to download the handout

Because sometimes the body says: “Please give me a printed thing to scribble on while I plan my next session.”

Somatic Experiencing Handout Download

Start Small, Stay Curious

If you’ve made it this far, congrats—you’re officially body-curious (professionally speaking). Whether you’re pre-licensed, early-career, or just finally ready to stop pretending you know what “titration” means, you don’t need a crystal collection or a certification to begin honoring the body in the therapy room.

Start where you are.

Ask simple questions like “Where do you feel that in your body?”

Notice your own breath in session.

Give yourself permission to pause.

You’re not doing it wrong—you’re building fluency.

Somatic work isn’t about performance. It’s not about always being calm or regulated or knowing what to say. It’s about learning to stay present when things get uncomfortable—without abandoning your client or yourself. Which, by the way, is a pretty good working definition of therapy in general.

So no, you don’t have to “become a somatic therapist” tomorrow.

But you can start being a more embodied one today.

Slow is safe. Curious is enough. And your nervous system? It’s a clinical tool, not an afterthought.

Let the body into the room. It’s been waiting.

Written by Jen Hyatt, a licensed psychotherapist at Storm Haven Counseling & Wellness in Temecula, California.

Disclaimer

This blog post is intended for informational and educational purposes only and reflects the author’s perspectives and experiences as a mental health professional. It is not a substitute for formal training, supervision, or individualized clinical guidance. Therapists are encouraged to consult their own professional resources, supervisors, or peers when applying concepts to their practice.

While this post introduces somatic-informed practices, it doesn’t replace formal Somatic Experiencing® training. Always consult your clinical supervisor and licensing board to ensure you’re practicing within scope.