How Can Somatic Therapy Help with Anxiety?
If anxiety were just in your mind, you could talk yourself out of it.
But for many people, anxiety lives in the body—racing heart, shallow breath, tight chest, frozen limbs, or a sense of being on high alert all the time.
That’s where somatic therapy comes in.
At Tidal Trauma Centre, we help clients who feel stuck in chronic anxiety find relief through body-based approaches that work with—not against—the nervous system.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a form of psychotherapy that integrates body awareness with traditional talk therapy.
Rather than focusing only on thoughts or behaviours, somatic work brings attention to physical sensations, posture, breath, and movement patterns.
This approach is rooted in the understanding that the body holds onto stress and trauma—and that lasting healing often requires more than insight alone.
Why Anxiety Isn’t Just in Your Head
When anxiety becomes chronic, it’s not always because of cognitive distortions or irrational fears.
Often, it’s because the nervous system has learned that the world—or your internal experience—isn’t safe.
Your body may be:
Hypervigilant from past overwhelm
Frozen in response to emotional shutdown
Bracing against sensations or memories
Stuck in a loop of “fight, flight, freeze, or fawn”
No amount of logic can override a system that feels unsafe.
Somatic therapy helps restore felt safety, which is key to regulating anxiety from the inside out.
How Somatic Therapy Works for Anxiety
At Tidal Trauma Centre, we integrate somatic practices into sessions by helping clients:
Track and describe physical sensations
Notice areas of tightness, numbness, or movement
Use grounding techniques to re-centre the body
Explore subtle impulses (like wanting to stretch, shake, or breathe deeply)
Reconnect to body signals and cues of safety
This is not about pushing through discomfort.
It’s about creating micro-moments of regulation that the nervous system can trust.
Somatic Therapy + Anxiety: What the Research Shows
Studies support the use of somatic approaches like:
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Polyvagal-informed therapy
These models help people reduce physiological symptoms of anxiety, increase vagal tone (resilience of the nervous system), and feel more grounded in everyday life.
We often combine somatic therapy with EMDR, IFS, and DBT for a comprehensive trauma-informed approach.
What a Somatic Therapy Session Might Look Like
A session might include:
Sitting with a feeling instead of analyzing it
Tuning into breath and heartbeat
Exploring protective body patterns like collapsing or bracing
Gentle movements to release tension
Using touch or props (with consent) to create containment
You’ll always be in control.
Your therapist will move at a pace that respects your nervous system.
When Somatic Therapy Helps Most
Somatic therapy can be especially effective if you:
Feel anxious but don’t know why
Struggle with looping thoughts and body symptoms
Are exhausted by traditional talk therapy
Know your anxiety is trauma-related
Feel disconnected from your body or emotions
FAQs: Somatic Therapy and Anxiety
What’s the difference between somatic therapy and regular talk therapy?
Talk therapy works with thoughts and insights; somatic therapy adds body-based awareness to help resolve deeper nervous system patterns.
Can somatic therapy make anxiety worse?
When guided by a trained therapist, somatic work is titrated—meaning it moves slowly, so you’re never overwhelmed.
In fact, many people find it gentler than purely cognitive approaches.
Is somatic therapy evidence-based?
Yes. Models like Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy are well-researched and used worldwide for trauma and anxiety treatment.
Do I need trauma to benefit from somatic therapy?
No. Anyone experiencing chronic stress, anxiety, or disconnection from their body can benefit.
Is this available online or in person?
We offer somatic therapy in Surrey and online across British Columbia.
Your Body Was Never the Problem
Anxiety doesn’t mean your body is failing—it means your body has been working overtime to protect you.
Somatic therapy offers a path to healing that honours this effort, and helps you come home to yourself.