Clients who are accustomed to traditional talk therapy often express a concern that if they go to a somatic therapist, then their stories won't be heard—that their experiences, thoughts, and history will take a back seat to tracking bodily sensations.

You may have been drawn to therapy because you wanted to gain self-knowledge, to trace the origins of your problems to earlier experiences, and to finally feel another person’s acknowledgement that what happened to you was real, and that it was important. Will this be possible, you wonder, in a somatic session?

Sometimes, concerns about somatic therapy stem from past encounters with therapists who were perceived to be dismissive or invalidating in their singular focus on physical awareness.

As a counsellor who integrates somatic therapy with more talk-based approaches, I want to address this concern directly: meaningful somatic therapy isn't about silencing your story—it's about enriching it and processing it in a way that supports deep healing.

The value of your story

Your story matters. The experiences you've lived through, the patterns you've noticed, and the meanings you've made of your life are essential pieces of your therapeutic journey. When you share your story, you're not just recounting events—you're offering valuable insights into your experiences, relationships, and the ways you've learned to navigate the world.

We humans have storytelling deep in our DNA. Sharing information through story is incredibly adaptive. We can learn from others’ trials and errors without having to undergo them ourselves; we can traverse the world using our imaginations without leaving our living room; we can draw from the wisdom of archetypal myths that express our common humanity; we can investigate hypothetical futures before they arrive.

Stories help us make sense of our experiences, connect with others, and recognize patterns that have shaped our lives. In counselling, they provide context that can be essential for both client and therapist to understand where we are and where we might want to go. The details you share help create a fuller picture of your experiences and their impact on your life.

The somatic dimension

Our bodies hold more wisdom than many give them credit for. The somatic approach recognizes that our physical experiences—our sensations, movements, and physiological responses—carry important information about our emotional well-being and are powerful allies in healing.

One reason why this information is so useful is because many of our formative experiences occurred in our early development, during our preverbal years, in which we were living in a state of sensory impressions and emotional currents rather than in a world organized by rational thought. Somatic approaches hold that when we are working with patterns that were laid down before we had the verbal skills to conceptualize what was happening to us, we can use physical sensations and feeling states as a therapeutic access point.

Affect is the basic, underlying “feeling tone” that is always present in each of us as a temperament or mood, embodied in our physical sensations. Affective patterns, like a unique fingerprint for each of us, were laid down in large part before we could talk or formulate complex thoughts.

Although affect usually operates on an unconscious level, this tone profoundly influences how we feel, think, and behave. It serves as a set of operating instructions as to what kind of world we live in and how to move through it safely. Therefore, it also serves as a bridge to the past: our current affect, the way that we carry ourselves in the world, reflects the totality of our life experiences.

In somatic therapy, to work with trauma patterns, we turn our conscious attention to affective experiences that are normally unconscious. A primary means of cultivating this awareness is through noticing physical sensations. When we bring awareness to our present-moment physical experience, we often discover insights that might not be accessible through story alone.

We might notice how certain memories affect our breathing, how specific thoughts create tension in our shoulders, or how discussing particular topics changes our energy level. These physical responses aren't separate from our story—they're an integral part of it, sometimes truer than the words we say.

As we continue to focus on our current felt sense experience, we may have spontaneous memories or impressions from the past, emotional shifts and releases, or a deep sense of peace and presence with an emotion or sensation that has been running in the background for a very long time.

In addition to the fact that much trauma is preverbal, another reason to work with affect and physical sensations is that the mind can generate endless (fascinating and wonderful) ideas without offering a sense of which ones are relevant, helpful, or most ‘true’ for us. As discussed above, the mind loves to analyze information and develop meaningful narratives. It is good at entertaining many perspectives – but how do we know which of our thoughts to believe or to live by?

While bodily sensations are also dynamic, their tangibility can give them a more personal, intimate, and unambiguous quality than thoughts. Many people connect with their intuition as an embodied experience: a physical feeling of settling, centredness, relief, joy, or excitement.

Ideally, we want our thoughts and our physical sensations to be telling the same story. For example, the question “Am I safe?” could be answered with both a reasonable explanation of why we can trust our surroundings and a felt sense of restfulness. Checking in with the body’s responses to our thoughts can be a guide to which stories are resonant and relevant for each of us.

The power of narrative in trauma healing

For over a century, psychotherapy has recognized the healing power of telling our stories. The “talking cure,” as it was originally known, wasn't just about catharsis—it was about making sense of our experiences and integrating them into our life narrative in a meaningful way.

When we tell our story in therapy, several important processes occur:

Fragmented memories begin to organize themselves into a coherent narrative
Implicit (unconscious) memories can become explicit (conscious), making them easier to work with
New meanings and perspectives can emerge as we put words to our experiences
We begin to understand the broader context of our experiences and their impact on our lives
The process of sharing in a safe relationship can help repair attachment wounds
The therapeutic relationship itself becomes a container for processing and integrating difficult experiences

Moreover, the language centres in our brain are closely connected to areas involved in emotional regulation. When we can find words for our experiences while staying connected to a sense of safety in the present moment, we strengthen our capacity for self-regulation and resilience.

Memory integration: A ‘both/and’ approach

Contemporary trauma research has shown us that healing requires engaging both our capacity for narrative meaning-making and our ability to process physical sensations and emotions. While telling our story helps organize and make sense of our experiences, working with the body helps process the physiological imprints of trauma that words alone might not reach.

This dual approach is particularly valuable because trauma often impacts both our ability to construct coherent narratives and our capacity to feel safe in our bodies. By working with both dimensions, we create multiple pathways for healing and integration.

Working with both story and soma

In my work with clients, we weave narrative and bodily awareness in a way that honours both. I might ask you to pause your story at key moments to process the physiological activation that arises through telling it. This isn't about dismissing your experience—it's about creating space to work with it more effectively.

Sometimes, we might not cover your entire story in one session, and we may not get to every detail. This pacing is intentional and serves several important purposes:

It allows time to process intense experiences without becoming overwhelmed
It helps build your capacity to stay present with difficult material
It creates space for integrating insights and changes
It ensures that sharing your story becomes part of the healing process rather than a re-traumatizing experience

The therapeutic process

Somatic therapy often moves at a different pace than traditional talk therapy. Rather than pushing through difficult material, we might:

Take time to build resources before diving into challenging stories
Work with one small piece of an experience at a time
Alternate between narrative and somatic awareness
Return to important themes over multiple sessions
Focus on building your capacity to stay present with difficult material

This measured (“titrated”) approach helps ensure that processing your experiences leads to integration and healing rather than overwhelm.

A collaborative approach

Successful therapy emerges from collaboration. A skilled therapist will work with you to find the right balance between story and somatic awareness that serves your healing process. They should be transparent about their approach and responsive to your needs and preferences.

If you feel dismissed or invalidated in therapy, that's important feedback to share with your therapist. The therapeutic relationship should feel safe enough for you to express when something isn't working for you, and your therapist should be willing to adjust their approach accordingly.

Moving forward together

Effective somatic therapy isn't about choosing between your story and your bodily experience—it's about bringing them together in service of your healing. Your experiences, thoughts, and history matter deeply, and they can be even more powerful when integrated with present-moment awareness of your physical experience.

If you're considering somatic therapy, know that you don't have to abandon your story to benefit from this approach. The goal is to expand your awareness and resources, not to limit them. Look for a therapist who can hold space for both your narrative and your somatic experience, who can help you find the balance that works best for you.

Your healing journey deserves an approach that honours all of who you are—your history, your thoughts, your emotions, and your physical experience. When these elements are woven together, they create a more complete and satisfying path toward healing and growth.

If I go to a somatic therapist, will I still get to tell my story?