Somatic therapy explores how the body expresses deep painful experiences, applying mind-body healing to aid with trauma recovery.
Trauma can become stored in our bodies at a cellular level. Somatic therapy focuses on understanding how trauma affects each individual and exploring the most effective ways to heal from deep emotional wounds.
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic Therapy is a treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within the body. Somatic therapies posit that our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved emotional issues can become ‘trapped’ inside.
Somatic therapy focuses on the interplay between the mind and body in the healing process. It incorporates physical techniques such as movement, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises to help release tension that may be stored in the body as a result of emotional experiences and past trauma.
Consequently, it aids in cultivating emotional intelligence skills through experiential methods. It helps clients to develop coping strategies for emotion regulation.
Who might benefit from somatic therapy?
Since disturbing feelings often show up in the body in debilitating ways, somatic therapy aims to drain those emotions of their power, relieving pain and other manifestations of stress, such as disrupted sleep or an inability to concentrate.
These types of emotions can stem from a variety of conditions and circumstances that somatic therapy may potentially help alleviate. They include:
- post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)
- complicated grief
- depression
- anxiety
- trust and intimacy issues
- self-esteem problems.
For example: Anxiety can lead to muscle tension, particularly in the neck, shoulders, jaw, and back. It can cause a lot of discomfort, pain, stiffness, and trouble with daily activities. If we’re experiencing chronic anxiety or distress, it’s almost like we have our foot on the gas pedal. It’s not a panic attack, but we’re never feeling a reprieve and there’s a constant wear and tear on the body.
Psychodynamic & Somatic Therapy
Elisabeth Eitelberger is a registered Psychotherapist and Clinical Counsellor with PACFA, as well as a professionally recognised Creative Arts Therapist with ANZACATA. She tailors her therapeutic approach to address the specific challenges and requirements of her clients, creating a trauma-informed and culturally sensitive environment that encourages both verbal and non-verbal expression.
Her diverse interests encompass Trauma, C-PTSD, Neurodivergence (including Autism, ADHD, and Dyslexia), Identity Development with a focus on LGBTQIA+, along with Anxiety, Depression, Mental Health Disorders, Chronic Pain, and Existential Self-Exploration. Elisabeth advocates for an integrative methodology that combines evidence-based practices with somatic and creative arts therapy, drawing on Psychodynamic and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, as well as incorporating techniques from Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, DBT, MBT, Interpersonal and Existential Psychotherapy, and Humanistic Theories.
With a wealth of experience assisting clients from diverse backgrounds, Elisabeth has also maintained a professional career as an interdisciplinary artist for over thirty years. She holds Master’s degrees in Creative Arts Therapies from Murdoch University and Philosophy from Vienna University.