Why Words Aren’t Enough: Somatic Therapy San Francisco

Can you think of a moment in your life when you didn’t have the words to express what you were feeling? When only a movement or gesture would express what was happening to you in you life? If so, you are not alone. Much of our communication and how we make sense of how we feel comes from our bodies. Whether it is non-verbal communication or physical sensations in the body, how we experience our world is through our bodies. Although our brains have the capacity to think and analyze, the body is our home, where all the sensations, feelings, and memories converge—where our brains are housed. The body and the mind can’t be separated, as much as Western culture might try. So it makes sense that sometimes words cannot do justice to everything we as humans experience. This is also why when we try to heal mental health with just our minds, something is missing.

What does this mean for those of us that want to heal? Healing and mental health may look different than what we thought. The idea of traditional psychoanalysis and sitting on the couch may go out the window and we may need to look at different types of therapy. Here is where somatic therapy may come into play. This blog addresses the question:

When Should I Consider Somatic Therapy San Francisco To Address My Mental Health?

1) You are a person who is very in touch with his/her/their body and find that moving is healing for you.

If you already know movement is healing and find that you learn best through tactile cues, a somatic therapy might be best for you. As a somatic therapist in San Francisco, I find that people who are already in touch with their bodies can use that to help tap into their mental health.

2) You are a person who is NOT very in touch with his/her/their body and would like to be.

If you have trouble feeling comfortable in your body, whether it is due to psychological trauma or for any other reason, a somatic therapy may be the right fit for you. I specialize in attachment repatterning as well as dance therapy and am able to match clients where they are at in their healing journey. There is no pressure to engage in a somatic modality in a certain way. How you move into healing is your own unique path that I am happy to accompany you on.

3) You have undergone some type of psychological trauma and need help processing.

Since the body keeps memories of trauma, working through trauma using the body can be particularly fruitful. Psychological trauma can also leave physical symptoms that somatic therapy can be adept at addressing.

4) You feel like you talk and talk but are unable to make process in talk therapy.

If traditional talk therapy has not allowed you to meet your mental health goals, you may consider a somatic therapy modality to help you grow and change. Although talk therapy can work really well for some people, others do better with different types of therapy.

Lastly, if you have any questions about somatic therapies such as dance therapy and dynamic attachment repatterning, please contact me, Lisa Manca, at lisa@lisamanca.com. I would be happy to hear about your goals and guide you towards a type of therapy that would be the best fit for you.