- 1817 Queen Anne Ave, Suite 202, Seattle, WA
- 707-440-9288
- ian@ianmackelvie.com
- 707-440-9288
- ian@ianmackelvie.com
Many people in Seattle are curious about somatic psychotherapy but aren’t sure what it actually involves or whether it’s effective. Somatic therapy works with the nervous system to address patterns of anxiety, overwhelm, and disconnection that don’t always shift through talk therapy alone. This approach guides how I work and can help you decide whether this style of therapy is right for you.
“Soma” in Greek translates to body. “Psyche” in Greek translates to mind. Easily put, somatic psychotherapy is talk therapy that see’s a functional unity between the body and the content of the mind — an idea reflected in how Harvard Health describes somatic therapy and the way the body can hold emotional experience.
Interventions focus on understanding bodily reactions – felt sensations, expression, and posture – while bringing this insight into a persons concious awareness with traditional talk therapy methods. Many modern recognizable therapies use somatic techniques: Somatic Experiencing, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Bioenergetics, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Neuro-feedback, Hakomi, and Gestalt to name a few.
So, unlike standard talk therapy where the primary focus is words and cognitions, I will additionally focus on the how: how you talk about certain subjects, how you amplify certain emotions while maybe avoiding others, how you show up in the world, how your breathing may pause, and other somatic cues.
When we join a client’s lived experience, the emotions, sensations and signals become a gateway to understanding you and your reactions. These insights are the fuel for creating lasting change.
In Seattle, somatic therapy is often helpful for people who feel mentally active but emotionally constrained. Somatic psychotherapy uses dynamic interventions that help an individual deepen their exploration of emotional reactions. From my point of view, we do not want to endlessly talk about how we feel. We want to be open enough to experience our feelings.
Achieving this looks different with every client, and what there needs are, but some techniques I might use are:
Somatic psychotherapy can involve many different physical and creative activities for clients that are interested. It can also just be staying seated the entire time. As a therapist, my job is to ensure that what we are doing lines up with your needs, and is effective at assisting you with your primary concerns.
Somatic psychotherapy can support people who feel stuck in long-standing emotional or physical patterns and want a deeper, more embodied way of working through them. This approach is especially helpful for individuals experiencing:
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Complicated grief
Depression
Anxiety
Trust and intimacy difficulties
Self-esteem challenges
These concerns often show up not only in thoughts and emotions but also in the body through tension, withdrawal, shutdown, restlessness, or a sense of disconnection. Somatic psychotherapy helps bring awareness to those patterns, creating space for healing, resilience, and a more grounded sense of self.
Breath work and emotional expression are two core tools I use in somatic therapy, and this is backed up by current neuroscience, psychophysiology, and clinical trials. Clients that engage in purposeful breathing activities or emotional exercises are literally retraining the brain and nervous system. Research demonstrates that somatic practices can reduce stress, improve mood, and even alleviate physical pain. We also get the opportunity to integrate left brain and right brain activities when feeling emotionally activated, therefore practicing vital self soothing techniques.
There are a lot of different breathing techniques that are effective, but I especially like to introduce clients to Reichian Breathwork. This technique can be used throughout the therapy session. It’s not just something you use when activated. When using this technique we get an opportunity to work with emotional responses that spontaneously emerge. Doing this gives us insight into how our sympathetic and parasympathetic system responds.
Scientific literature is growing regarding the benefit of somatic techniques, and is catching up to what somatic practitioners have observed for years. This includes the foundational ideas of Wilhelm Reich, widely considered the father of somatic therapy. It’s a very exciting time to see many techniques, programs, therapies and other healing practices building off of these earlier traditions.
Starting therapy is a difficult commitment. If you’ve ever jumped into a river from a cliffs edge, or went up to someone you were nervous to talk to and say hi, or gave a presentation to a room full of people, I bet it’s very similar. Hopefully, you are also able to remember the thrill and excitement you also got from facing that terror. It makes the first step a lot easier.
The Basics: Somatic Psychotherapy in Upper Queen Anne, serving Magnolia, Ballard, Fremont, Interbay, and greater Seattle. Also available online throughout Washington and California. There’s a Trader Joe’s, several coffee shops, parks and free parking nearby. So if you’re coming in person you can get some stuff done too. I try and respond directly to messages within 24 hours, Monday thru Thursday.
FAQ
Somatic Psychotherapy is psychodynamic talk therapy that also uses body based (somatic) interventions. It recognizes that the mind and body are deeply interconnected, using this relationship to release tension and restore emotional balance.
No. A somatic background informs my work, but that does not mean you have to do something uncomfortable for you. Most clients primarily do talk therapy as this work is still based in psychodynamics. The use of interventions that engage someone more physically are done at the clients pace and with their agreement always. We’ll decide together what’s appropriate for your process.
No. Somatic therapy is verbal, relational, and experiential. If appropriate, pressure can be applied or offered to help someone engage more directly with emotional expression, but again this is always based on your comfort and agreement.
Clients often come in with anxiety, trauma, relationship issues, emotional numbness, chronic tension, or a sense of being stuck. Others are navigating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complicated grief, depression, trust and intimacy difficulties, or long-standing self-esteem challenges.
Many have tried traditional talk therapy and feel they need something more direct. Something that includes depth, embodiment, and a willingness to gently challenge old patterns. Somatic work helps build emotional regulation, clarity, and resilience
Yes. While in-person work allows more flexibility for movement and in-room presence, virtual sessions are effective and still incorporate body based interventions with careful guidance.
The Hardest Part? Making the first step
Use the Contact Form to give me some brief details of what you’re experiencing. You can also call or email me. I try to respond to all contacts and inquiries within 24 hours, Monday thru Thursday.
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