Somatic Coaching

Somatic coaching begins with the premise that mind and body are not separate from one another. Our experiences are recorded in our body and our body holds these memories, in tandem with our mind. When muscles contract or react during a stressful event, it is encoded in the soft tissue. As a protective mechanism, we all create armoring in our bodies when we encounter potential pain or fear. The more times we do this, the more layered and thus embodied the pattern becomes.

As a simplified example, let’s imagine that John is on a hike and he encounters a bear on the trail. Unconsciously, he clenches his fists and jaw in reaction to his fear. Much later he’s in a safe environment, in my office, and his hands engage in the same manner while he’s talking about the bear on the trail. As I guide John to focus his attention on sensations in his body, he becomes aware of some tension in his arms and hands. Mindfully, gently, we work together to release the armoring he created in that moment on the trail when he was in “fight or flight”. He’s able to fully release the tension, and unwind a pattern that isn’t currently serving him. By the end of the session he is feeling more ease, comfort and presence.

We enter and explore the inner landscape through various physical sensations we are experiencing. Using sensory awareness, movement and gentle touch, clients are able to move into greater comfort and spaciousness. Somatic coaching is truly something to experience first-hand to have an understanding of how it works. It is a profoundly effective modality that I often use in a Skills For Change coaching session.