Sense of Somatics

In 2016 Dananjaya Hettiarachchi started his winning speech called “I see something in you” not with words but with a symbolic act of… smelling a rose. The smell is one of the strongest senses. It can transport us somewhere in a fraction of a second. Then he used the flower as a metaphor, addressing the audience: “You and I, are not very different from this flower. Just like this flower is unique…(pause)... You are unique”. Metaphor is a resistance melter and a safe way to communicate our message.

After this powerful opening, he made people laugh, reflect, and be moved, using more than five senses. He had the mindset and the skillset of an effective communicator and public speaker which made it possible.

How many senses do we have? I don’t know the answer but let’s playfully explore what can come on top of the basic five:
sixth sense (intuition)
sense of space
sense of humor,
sense of belonging
sense of safety,
sense of beauty,
sense of meaning,
sense of time,
sense of direction,
sense of wonder…
The list only begins here.

And do you have your favorite musicians? Have you ever thought about why you love them? In his book The Music Lesson, Victor Wooten, one the most unique bass guitar players in the world, creatively laid out 12 elements that when applied and integrated turn music into… Music. He proposed senses of Groove, Articulation, Technique, Emotion, Dynamics, Rhythm, Tone, Phrasing, Space, Listening, and Wonder. And when he plays I can feel their authentic synergy.

What do public speaking and music have to do with psychotherapy? Apart from having the potential to be therapeutic, they can inspire us therapists to include more senses in our work to make it more powerful. In Somatic Psychotherapy we often speak about Felt Sense and it is the meta-sense, the sense of somatics that contains many special, subtle, specific senses.

Why consider including the somatic sense in psychotherapy anyway? In the realm of mental health therapy, traditional talk therapy has long been the cornerstone of treatment. However, as our understanding of the mind-body connection deepens, somatic therapy has emerged as a powerful ingredient of effective methods. Research studies have found that awareness of the physical sensations related to one’s problems makes a decisive difference in the success or failure of psychotherapy. Nearly thirty studies support this correlation, which was first recognized by Eugene Gendlin of the University of Chicago. (For a review of these studies, see L. S. Greenberg and W. M. Pinsof, The Psychotherapeutic Process: A Research Handbook (New York: Guilford Press, 1986), 21–71.”)

There is a big chance that some mental health professionals remain hesitant, perceiving somatic techniques as overly complex or difficult to integrate into their practice. Let’s dispel these concerns by highlighting the benefits of somatic therapy and its potential to optimize mental health treatment. Let’s focus on the big five:

Embodied Healing

Unlike traditional talk therapy, which primarily engages the cognitive and verbal faculties, somatic therapy invites clients to tap into the wisdom of their bodies. By addressing physical sensations, patterns, movements, it is possible to access deeper layers of trauma and emotion that may be inaccessible through dialogue alone. This holistic approach fosters a profound sense of embodied healing, empowering clients to integrate their emotional experiences on a somatic level.

Regulating the Nervous System

Many mental health issues are associated with dysregulated nervous systems characterized by hyperarousal or hypoarousal. Somatic techniques, such as vagus nerve activation, grounding exercises or breathwork, offer effective strategies for regulating the nervous system and restoring equilibrium. By teaching clients how to modulate their physiological responses, therapists can empower them to manage stress and anxiety more effectively in their daily lives.

Enhancing Emotional Awareness

In somatic therapy, emotions are understood as embodied experiences that manifest through physical sensations. By attuning to bodily cues, clients can gain deeper insight into their emotional states, allowing them to identify and express feelings that may have been previously overlooked or suppressed. This heightened emotional awareness supports greater self-understanding and emotional intelligence, laying the groundwork for profound personal growth and transformation.

Trauma Resolution

Traumatic experiences are often stored in the body, manifesting as chronic tension, pain, or somatic symptoms. Somatic modalities offer a gentle yet powerful approach to trauma resolution, enabling clients to safely process and release stored trauma through somatic interventions such as Somatic Experiencing or Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. By renegotiating the body's response to past trauma, clients can reclaim a sense of safety and empowerment, paving the way for healing and resilience.

Cultivating Mindfulness and Presence

Somatic therapy encourages us to cultivate mindfulness and presence by grounding in the present moment and attuning to bodily sensations. Through practices such as body scans and mindful movement, we learn to anchor ourselves in our bodies, deepening our connection to the here and now. This embodied presence not only alleviates symptoms of anxiety and rumination but also enhances overall well-being and resilience.

By embracing somatic techniques, mental health professionals can expand their therapeutic repertoire, offering clients a holistic approach to healing that honors the intricate interplay between mind and body. Like including a sense of humor in the speech, and a sense of wonder in music, adding a sense of somatics in therapy can elevate any therapeutic relationship and healing success. Sense of Somatics makes perfect sense.