Somatic Therapy in Ontario
Virtual psychotherapy · Adults 18+ · Across Ontario
Sometimes you can understand something logically but still feel it in your body. You may notice tension, restlessness, heaviness, numbness, or a sense of being constantly on edge without fully understanding why.
Somatic therapy explores the connection between your body, emotions, thoughts, and experiences. I provide virtual somatic therapy to adults across Ontario, offering a supportive and collaborative space to develop greater awareness of your body's responses and learn ways to feel more grounded and regulated.
Understanding the Mind-Body Connection
Somatic therapy is a body-oriented approach that recognizes that our experiences can affect both our minds and our bodies. Stress, difficult experiences, and emotions can sometimes show up through physical sensations and patterns of tension, activation, numbness, or disconnection.
Rather than focusing only on thoughts and words, somatic therapy invites you to notice what is happening in your body and develop greater awareness of the connection between physical sensations, emotions, thoughts, and behaviours.
The goal isn't to force a particular physical response or "fix" your body. Instead, therapy can help you become more aware of your internal experiences and develop greater choice in how you respond to them.
Somatic approaches can be incorporated into therapy for a variety of concerns. You don't need to have experienced a specific traumatic event or have a particular diagnosis to explore a mind-body approach.
When Your Body Is Sending a Message
A racing heart or changes in breathing when stressed
Feeling frozen or stuck
Difficulty settling down after stressful situations
Feeling disconnected from your body or surroundings
Holding tension without realizing it
Finding that your body reacts before you've had time to think
Feeling constantly on edge or unable to relax
Muscle tension or physical tightness
Restlessness or feeling like you need to keep moving
Feeling numb or disconnected
Difficulty identifying what you're feeling
Feeling overwhelmed by emotions
You may notice things like:
You don't need to know exactly why you're experiencing these responses before coming to therapy. We can explore them together.
When Somatic Therapy May Be Helpful
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Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm
When your mind feels busy or overwhelmed and your body seems unable to settle.
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Stress & Burnout
When prolonged stress leaves you feeling depleted, tense, disconnected, or unable to switch off.
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Trauma & PTSD
When past experiences continue to affect your sense of safety or create strong physical and emotional responses.
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First Responder Stress
When the demands of first responder work, operational stress, or repeated exposure to difficult experiences continue to affect you outside of work.
Our nervous system plays an important role in how we respond to situations we perceive as stressful, threatening, or overwhelming. Sometimes these responses can continue even after the situation has passed.
You might find yourself constantly scanning for problems, struggling to relax, feeling overwhelmed by relatively small stressors, or becoming numb and disconnected when things feel like too much.
Somatic therapy can help you become more aware of these patterns and develop skills for responding to your internal experiences with greater awareness and flexibility.
You don't have to push yourself into uncomfortable sensations or revisit experiences before you're ready.
Somatic work can be approached gradually and collaboratively. We'll pay attention to your responses and adjust the pace when needed.
The goal is to develop greater awareness and choice, not to make you feel something you're not ready to feel.
Understanding Your Nervous System
What Does a Somatic Therapy Session Look Like?
Somatic therapy doesn't require you to spend the entire session focusing on your body. Sessions are conversational and collaborative, with opportunities to slow down and notice what you're experiencing physically and emotionally.
Depending on your needs and comfort level, we may explore physical sensations, movement, breathing, grounding, imagery, or other body-awareness practices. Some sessions may involve more conversation, while others may include guided exercises to help you notice and work with physical sensations and emotional responses.
There is no single way somatic therapy needs to look. I tailor our work to your experiences, needs, and comfort level, and you remain in control throughout the process. Together, we'll find approaches that feel useful and appropriate for you.
Somatic therapy can be adapted to a virtual setting, allowing you to participate from a private and comfortable space. Depending on the exercise, you may be seated, standing, or able to move within your own environment. We'll always consider what feels comfortable and appropriate for you.
You don't need to understand your body's responses or know exactly what you want to work on before starting therapy. We'll begin by discussing what brings you to therapy and what you'd like to change, and from there, we'll explore whether a somatic approach feels like a good fit for your needs.
We might explore:
Notice
What sensations are you experiencing right now?
Connect
How might those sensations relate to emotions, thoughts, or experiences?
Explore
What happens when you gently bring awareness to those sensations?
Respond
What helps you feel more grounded, settled, or connected?
Integrate
How can you take this awareness into your everyday life?
Is Somatic Therapy the Right Approach for You?
Somatic therapy isn't necessarily the right approach for everyone or for every concern. We'll consider your current circumstances, experiences, goals, and comfort level when determining whether a somatic approach may be appropriate. My approach is collaborative and tailored to your experiences, needs, and goals. Depending on what you're experiencing, we may draw from different therapeutic approaches.
You don't need to know whether somatic therapy is right for you before reaching out. That's something we can explore together.
Other Ways We Can Work Together
Somatic therapy is one of several approaches I may draw from depending on your individual needs and goals.
EMDR Therapy
A structured approach that can help you process distressing experiences and memories that continue to affect you in the present.
Learn More →
CBT
An approach that explores the connection between your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours while developing practical strategies for managing challenges.
Learn More →
