What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session?

If you're considering somatic therapy, you might be wondering what actually happens during an appointment and how it differs from traditional talking therapy.

In my approach to somatic psychotherapy, conversation is an important part of the work. We might explore what's happening in your life, the difficulties you're experiencing, or patterns in your relationships that you'd like to understand or change.

At times, I might invite you to notice a physical response, emotion or impulse that arises as we talk. You might become aware of tension in your shoulders, a feeling of heaviness, or an urge to withdraw when discussing something difficult.

These responses can give us another way of exploring your experience, particularly when familiar reactions seem to happen automatically or are difficult to put into words.

What happens in your first somatic therapy session?

The first appointment is primarily an opportunity for us to begin getting to know one another.

We'll talk about what has brought you to therapy, what you're finding difficult, and what you hope might change. You may be experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficulties in relationships, or patterns of responding that you understand intellectually but find difficult to change.

I'll also be interested in learning about your history, important relationships, and how you've come to understand yourself and your experiences.

You don't need to arrive with a clear explanation of what's wrong or know exactly what you want to work on. Part of the process can involve making sense of those things together.

There's also no expectation that you immediately discuss painful memories or pay close attention to physical sensations. For some people, focusing on the body can feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, particularly when anxiety, panic or trauma have been part of their experience.

We can approach these things gradually, without making them the focus before you're ready.

The first session is also an opportunity for you to ask questions, get a sense of how I work, and consider whether the approach feels right for you.

What does a somatic therapy session actually look like?

In somatic psychotherapy, we explore not only what you've experienced, but also how you've responded to those experiences, emotionally, physically and in your relationships.

Sometimes, our responses to difficult or threatening situations happen quickly, before we've had an opportunity to consciously understand what's happening. We might become tense, withdraw, go quiet, try to please someone, or feel unable to act even when part of us wants to.

These responses can make sense in the context of our experiences. For example, someone who grew up in an environment where expressing anger led to conflict or rejection may have learned to suppress the impulse to defend themselves or speak up. Over time, this response can become automatic, even in relationships where expressing disagreement might now be possible.

Traumatic or overwhelming experiences can also involve defensive responses, such as wanting to escape, push something away, protect ourselves or seek support, that we're unable to act on at the time.

Somatic approaches such as Somatic Experiencing pay particular attention to these protective responses and how they may continue to influence our experience.

An example of how this might unfold in a session

Imagine you're describing a disagreement with your partner. You wanted to express that something had hurt you, but when they became upset, you found yourself going quiet.

As we explore what happened, I might invite you to notice what happens when you imagine expressing what you wanted to say.

Perhaps you feel tension in your chest, notice your shoulders drawing inward, or become aware of an impulse to pull away. You might also recognise anger or a wish to stand your ground that wasn't accessible during the disagreement.

Rather than immediately trying to change these responses, we could take some time to explore them.

What happens when you begin to acknowledge the anger? Is there an impulse to speak, move, protect yourself or establish a boundary? What feelings or expectations arise alongside it?

Sometimes, bringing attention to an impulse that has been inhibited can evoke powerful emotions, sensations or memories. There may be fear associated with expressing anger, for example, alongside a desire to defend yourself.

In Somatic Experiencing, these experiences are sometimes understood in terms of defensive responses that were inhibited or could not be completed during overwhelming experiences.

By approaching these responses gradually, we can explore what happens when previously difficult feelings or impulses become more accessible, without needing to act them out.

For some people, this can create opportunities to experience emotions differently, recognise previously unavailable choices, or develop greater flexibility in how they respond to situations that once felt overwhelming.

This doesn't mean that every physical sensation carries a hidden traumatic memory, or that a particular movement or defensive response needs to be completed for healing to occur.

The process is guided by what emerges in the session, your responses and what feels manageable to explore. Sometimes we may pay close attention to bodily experience. At other times, we may spend more time talking about your relationships, emotions or personal history.

The intention is to develop a fuller understanding of your experience while creating opportunities for new ways of feeling, relating and responding.

Do I need to do breathing exercises or physical movements?

Not necessarily. I don't follow a prescribed set of exercises or techniques during sessions, but we may explore what helps you feel more settled, supported, or able to stay with an experience. In somatic therapy, these are sometimes called resources.

Resources are different for everyone. They might involve gentle movement, mindful breathing, self-touch, noticing your surroundings, or imagining a person or place that brings a sense of comfort or support.

Sometimes a resource simply helps you feel more present or makes a difficult experience easier to approach.

What's helpful for one person may not be helpful for another. For example, someone experiencing panic may find that focusing on their breathing increases anxiety rather than easing it.

In those moments, we might shift our attention to the surroundings, change position, return to talking, or explore something else that feels more manageable.

The process is collaborative, and rather than assuming a particular technique will help, we'll pay attention to your experience and explore what works for you. You're always welcome to decline a suggestion or tell me when something doesn't feel useful.

What if I can't feel anything in my body?

Some people find it easy to identify physical sensations associated with their emotions, while others find this much more difficult.

You might know that you're anxious without noticing anything particularly distinct in your body. You may struggle to identify what you're feeling, or find that your experience is dominated by numbness, tension or discomfort.

There isn't a correct way to experience your body in therapy.

We might begin with something ordinary, such as noticing how you're sitting, whether you feel comfortable, or what happens when you talk about something important.

Alternatively, we may spend most of our time exploring your experience through conversation, without directing much attention to physical sensations at all.

Developing bodily awareness isn't a prerequisite for therapy, nor is it a goal that everyone needs to pursue.

What matters is finding ways of exploring your experience that are meaningful and manageable for you.

What role does the relationship with the therapist play?

An important part of my approach is understanding how our experiences with other people shape the way we relate to ourselves and others.

Sometimes, familiar patterns become apparent within the therapeutic relationship itself.

For example, you might worry that you're saying the wrong thing, feel uncomfortable when someone pays close attention to you, or find yourself agreeing with me even when something doesn't quite fit.

I don’t see these responses aren't problems to correct, but they can become opportunities to understand something about what happens for you in relationships.

If you find it difficult to disagree with me, for example, we might explore what makes disagreement uncomfortable. Perhaps you expect that expressing a different opinion will create distance or conflict.

We could explore that expectation, what happens emotionally and physically as you consider expressing disagreement, and whether similar responses arise in other relationships.

This is one way I integrate somatic work with relational and attachment-informed psychotherapy. Rather than treating bodily responses as separate from your relationships and personal history, we explore how these different aspects of your experience connect.

What happens at the end of a session?

My individual psychotherapy sessions are 60 minutes.

Towards the end of a session, we may reflect on what we've explored, what stood out to you, or whether anything feels different from when we began.

Sometimes a session brings a clearer understanding of something you've been struggling with, while other times, it raises questions or brings attention to feelings that may need more time.

There's no expectation that every session ends with a breakthrough, a particular emotional state, or a clear solution.

We can also discuss how the process is feeling for you, whether the work is addressing what matters, and what might be useful to explore next.

How many somatic therapy sessions will I need?

There isn't a set number of sessions. Some people come to therapy with a particular difficulty they'd like to address, while others want to explore longstanding patterns affecting their emotions, relationships or sense of themselves.

The length of therapy depends on your circumstances, what you're hoping to work through, and how the process develops.

For difficulties involving longstanding anxiety, trauma or relational patterns, change can take time. Understanding why you respond in a certain way doesn't necessarily mean that the response will immediately change.

We'll regularly discuss how the therapy is progressing, what's feeling helpful, and whether the approach continues to meet your needs.

Considering somatic therapy in Melbourne?

I'm Josh Wasniewski, a psychotherapist and PACFA Certified Practising Member with a Master of Counselling.

My approach integrates relational and attachment-informed psychotherapy with somatic ways of working, informed by training in Somatic Experiencing.

I offer individual psychotherapy in Abbotsford and Northcote, as well as online sessions across Australia.

If you're interested in understanding how your emotional responses, relationships and past experiences may be connected, you're welcome to get in touch.

You can read more about my approach to somatic therapy in Melbourne or contact me to arrange an appointment.