Somatic Therapy and EMDR: A Powerful Combination for Trauma Healing
When trauma lives in the body, talk therapy alone often isn’t enough.
That’s why more people are turning to somatic therapy — a body-centered approach that, when paired with EMDR, can create deep and lasting transformation. Together, these two therapies help guide the nervous system back to safety, regulation, and resilience.
At Heart Centered EMDR in Kelowna, we offer a holistic approach to trauma healing that acknowledges not just your thoughts, but your body’s lived experience.
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that helps individuals release trauma and chronic stress by focusing on physical sensations and their connection to emotional experiences.
Rather than relying solely on verbal processing, somatic therapy uses tools like:
Body awareness
Breathwork
Mindful movement
These techniques help bring your awareness inward, allowing you to safely explore where trauma might still be held in the body.
How Trauma Lives in the Body
Trauma often gets stored in the body, leading to symptoms like muscle tension, chronic pain, fatigue, and emotional dysregulation. These physical responses can linger long after the original event, keeping the nervous system stuck in a loop of fear, freeze, or hypervigilance.
Somatic therapy creates space for you to tune into these sensations and release long-held tension, unlocking healing from the inside out.
The Role of EMDR in Healing
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a well-researched trauma therapy that helps reprocess painful memories using bilateral stimulation, like guided eye movements or tapping. This technique helps reduce the emotional intensity of distressing memories by desensitizing the nervous system and rewiring how the brain stores those experiences.
When paired with somatic therapy, EMDR becomes even more powerful — not just clearing trauma from the mind, but helping release it from the body as well.
A Bottom-Up Approach to Trauma
Both EMDR and somatic therapy follow a bottom-up approach, meaning they work with the body and nervous system first — rather than starting with cognitive processing alone. This is important because most of the communication in our system flows from the body to the brain. When trauma is stored in the nervous system, we need body-oriented techniques to fully resolve it.
What the Research Shows
Studies indicate that EMDR and somatic therapy can significantly reduce symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as:
Flashbacks
Hypervigilance
Anxiety
Emotional numbness
Together, these therapies can:
Improve emotional regulation
Reduce body-based trauma responses
Build resilience for future challenges
Foster a stronger sense of grounding and self-awareness
Why This Combination Works
When we address trauma both neurologically and somatically, healing becomes deeper and more sustainable. EMDR helps process the emotional charge of a traumatic memory, while somatic therapy releases its physical residue. It’s this integration that allows for true transformation.
You Don’t Have to Carry It Alone
If you’ve tried traditional therapy and still feel stuck, consider a more embodied approach. At Heart Centered EMDR in Kelowna, Ashlea offers a gentle, trauma-informed space where EMDR and somatic therapy come together to support lasting healing.
Ready to reconnect with your body and reclaim your peace?
