Somatic Therapy vs. Talk Therapy: What's the Difference?
If you've ever felt like you’re talking in circles in therapy—where you understand your issues intellectually, but still feel stuck in your body—you’re not alone.
Talk therapy is incredibly valuable for processing thoughts, emotions, and patterns.
But what if your body is still holding onto tension, trauma, and overwhelm—no matter how much you talk about it?
This is where somatic therapy comes in.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy goes beyond the mind and into the body.
It’s based on the idea that everything you’ve experienced in life is held in your body—from your posture, breath, and physical tension to the subtle energetic and emotional residues stored in your tissues.
In somatic therapy, we use the wisdom of the body to:
Release stored stress and tension
Reconnect to your emotional and energetic state
Reinforce safety, trust, and resilience
Support nervous system regulation and integration
Rather than processing everything through words alone, somatic therapy uses movement, touch, breath, and sensation to help you reconnect with and release what’s been held in the body.
Talk Therapy: The Power of Words and Awareness
Talk therapy is incredibly valuable in many situations because it gives you the space to:
Identify limiting beliefs and unconscious patterns
Gain insights into your behavior, thoughts, and emotions
Talk through difficult past events and traumatic experiences
Reframe old stories and create new narratives for your life
It’s a brilliant tool for working with the cognitive side of healing, as it helps clarify what’s happening in your mind and emotions. But here’s the catch:
The body often holds onto things words can’t express.
This is where somatic therapy offers something unique.
When Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough
Even when you understand something mentally, the body might still hold tension, pain, or emotional residue from past trauma.
This is why talk therapy alone often doesn’t resolve chronic stress or trauma.
For example, you might know all about your triggers, but still:
Feel triggered physically (tightness in your chest, clenching jaw, shallow breath)
Experience emotional numbing, dissociation, or shutdown
Cycle between feeling overwhelmed and detached
Somatic therapy helps complete the process by bringing the physical and emotional back into harmony. It meets you where your body is, rather than where your mind wants to go.
How Somatic Therapy Complements Talk Therapy
Somatic therapy and talk therapy don’t have to be mutually exclusive. In fact, they work beautifully together.
When combined, somatic therapy helps:
Bring awareness to the body’s experience of trauma or tension
Release emotional or physical blocks that words can’t access
Ground you into the present moment during emotional processing
For example, during a somatic session, you might notice that something comes up in the body—a tight shoulder, a clenching stomach, or a heavy sensation in your chest.
We’ll work with that sensation to listen, honor, and release it in a way that allows you to integrate your emotional and physical experience, rather than pushing it away.
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is especially beneficial if:
You’ve done talk therapy but still feel stuck in the body
You experience chronic pain, fatigue, or tension that’s not fully explained by medical conditions
You’ve tried physical therapy, yoga, or meditation but still struggle with emotional numbness or hypervigilance
You’re looking for a deeper, more embodied approach to healing
Somatic Therapy: A Path to Wholeness
Unlike traditional therapies that focus on addressing symptoms, somatic therapy helps you reconnect with yourself.
It’s a path of integration, not release. It’s about honoring your body’s wisdom, working through it with compassion, and helping you feel whole again.
Ready to Experience It?
Whether you're looking to complement your talk therapy or explore a new healing path, somatic therapy offers a deep, embodied approach.
You can choose to work virtually or in person at my Los Angeles treatment space, located in Echo Park, where we’ll tune into your body’s wisdom and create space for real, lasting healing.