What is Somatic Coaching?

At its core, somatic coaching recognizes that the mind and body are interconnected and that our physical sensations, muscles and viscera, emotions, and thoughts are all part of a complex system that we call the “soma”.

Somatic coaching focuses on developing self-awareness, emotional regulation, and resilience through the exploration of physical sensations and movement.

Somatic coaches work with clients to deepen their understanding of their sensations, emotions, and thoughts, and help them create lasting change by integrating this awareness into their daily lives. This is a process we call the “somatic arc of transformation”.

 

Why Somatic Coaching?

Exploring ourselves through our thoughts or changing our external circumstances may offer temporary insights or novelty, but they often fail to bring about lasting change. This is because our deeply ingrained patterns tend to create similar situations, even after we understand them or have taken steps to change them.

Somatic coaching transforms the historical patterns living in our nervous system, enabling us to respond to the world differently and increase our capacity where we need it most. This could involve improving our boundaries, willpower, vulnerability, conviction, or other ways we show up with ourself or in the world.

By transforming our soma, we undergo deep internal change. This is supported by somatic practices that help us express our authentic selves with both gentleness and power. As we show up differently in our life, our external circumstances can eventually align with our new way of being.

Rather than being governed by old patterns that perpetuate unhelpful behaviors, we can reauthor what lives in our nervous system and create a more fulfilling life.

 

Somatic Coaching is NOT:

  • Psychotherapy/psychiatry

  • Counseling (marital/relationship, addiction-focused, or other forms of traditional counseling)

  • Life coaching

  • Strategic planning

  • A substitute for medical advice

While we may touch on areas that are an adjunct to work you may be doing in any of the areas above, I will refer clients out to specialists as appropriate in areas I am not qualified to address. My intention is always to hold space in the areas where I am competent to guide you, and help connect you to other caring guides in the areas where I can’t help.

 
 

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.