What is Somatic Psychology?
Somatic psychology is a form of psychotherapy that focuses on somatic experience, including therapeutic and holistic approaches to the body. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which prioritizes cognitive and emotional processing through language, somatic psychology holds that psychological and emotional patterns are stored in the body itself—in muscular tension, breath patterns, posture, and nervous system states. It recognizes that physical experiences, sensations, and expressions are deeply intertwined with cognitive, emotional, and behavioral aspects of the self. Practitioners use body awareness techniques, movement, breathwork, and attention to physical sensation to help clients access, process, and release psychological material that may be inaccessible through verbal processing alone.
Origins & Lineage
Wilhelm Reich, a student of Sigmund Freud, proposed in his book Character Analysis, published in 1933, that trauma stretches beyond our minds and could lead to inflammation, pain, muscular tension, and other reactions within the body. Reich is widely regarded as one of the founding figures of body psychotherapy, and his work established a crucial link between psychological processes and their expression in the living body—through breath, muscular tension, and patterns of regulation. From the 1930s, Reich became known for the idea that muscular tension reflected repressed emotions, what he called ‘body armour.’ His approach was influenced by Sándor Ferenczi, a Hungarian neurologist who also studied with Freud and gave insight to Reich to write his book Character Analysis.
Pierre Janet can perhaps be considered the first somatic psychologist due to his extensive psychotherapeutic studies and writings with significant reference to the body (some of which pre-date Freud). Pierre Janet, considered one of the first somatic psychologists, proposed that the trauma-related impressions which have bypassed consciousness continue to plague the individual as internalized but unrecognized memories.
In the 1960s and 1970s, pioneers like Alexander Lowen and Fritz Perls further developed body-oriented therapies. Reich was expelled from the psychoanalytic mainstream and his work found a home in the ‘growth movement’ of the 1960s and 1970s and in the countercultural project of ‘liberating the body.’ The term “Body Psychotherapy” became established in the area of psychotherapy during the 1980s. The European Association for Body Psychotherapy (EABP) was founded in 1988.
How It’s Practiced
Somatic psychology encompasses numerous modalities, each with its own theoretical framework and techniques. Somatic Experiencing was coined by Peter Levine in the 1970s, which initially came from his observation of animals under threat: they can “shake out” or otherwise release stress through the body beyond a “freeze” response. Sensorimotor psychotherapy was developed by Pat Ogden in the 1980s and 90s, drawing on the basics from other therapies including the Hakomi Method, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness. The Hakomi Method, developed in the 1970s by Ron Kurtz, emphasizes the physical nature of how we live in our bodies.
In practice, somatic therapists work with clients to develop awareness of bodily sensations—noticing tension, temperature, breath, movement impulses, and felt sense. In somatic experiencing, a therapist may focus on body sensations with the goal of releasing stored stress, improving a client’s daily functioning, and emotional regulation. In sensorimotor psychotherapy, a therapist may encourage a client to identify a traumatic moment, to “be with” and observe the bodily experience (rather than getting “caught up” in the events of a story), and to unlock new thoughts, sensations, and meaning. Sessions may involve guided attention to body parts, tracking sensations as they arise and change, working with breath and movement, and techniques like resourcing, grounding, and titration to help clients stay within their window of tolerance.
Somatic Psychology Today
The field has gained significant mainstream recognition in recent decades, particularly through trauma research. Bessel van der Kolk, professor of psychiatry at the Boston University School of Medicine and founder of the Trauma Research Foundation, has described these developments in a comprehensive and readable way in his book The Body Keeps the Score. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., is the developer of Somatic Experiencing®, a naturalistic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma. He holds doctorates in both Biophysics and Psychology. He is the Founder and President of the Ergos Institute for Somatic Education and the Founder and Advisor for Somatic Experiencing® International.
Today, people encounter somatic psychology through individual therapy sessions with trained practitioners, group workshops, intensive trainings, retreat settings, and professional certification programs. The Somatic Experiencing® Professional Training provides a rich theoretical framework for understanding and addressing trauma physiology. Somatic education programs offer webinars, certification programs, doctorates, and degrees in somatic psychology, body psychotherapy, and somatic practices. Universities including Antioch, Washington University, and specialized institutes now offer certificates and degrees in somatic psychology.
Common Misconceptions
Somatic psychology is not simply massage, bodywork, or physical therapy, though it may incorporate touch in some modalities. It is psychotherapy that uses the body as a portal to psychological material. It is not a rejection of talk therapy or cognitive approaches; many somatic practitioners integrate verbal processing with body-based techniques. Body psychotherapy was marginalised within mainstream psychology and was seen in the 1980s and 1990s as ‘the radical fringe of psychotherapy.’ While the field has gained empirical support and mainstream acceptance, it is not a panacea—some clients may find verbal or cognitive approaches more accessible, particularly those who have difficulty accessing body sensation due to dissociation or other factors.
The field also carries complexity around Reich’s controversial later work and life, which diverged significantly from his early contributions to body psychotherapy. The therapeutic use of touch remains ethically complex and varies considerably across different somatic modalities and professional standards.
How to Begin
For those seeking somatic therapy, locate a practitioner trained in a specific modality—Somatic Experiencing (SE), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Hakomi, or another approach—through professional directories such as the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP), or the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute. Reading foundational texts provides theoretical grounding: Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score (2014) offers an accessible introduction to trauma and the body; Peter Levine’s Waking the Tiger (1997) introduces Somatic Experiencing; Pat Ogden’s Trauma and the Body (2006) details Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. For practitioners, professional training programs typically require existing licensure in a mental health field and span 1-3 years with a combination of coursework, personal sessions, and supervised practice.