Somatic Healing vs Talk Therapy: what’s the difference?
Therapy has traditionally been focusing on mindset work, challenging limiting beliefs and other mental blocks which can stop people achieving their goals. But sometimes, the mental analysis doesn’t go deep enough.
If you’ve worked through mindset blockers via coaching or therapy and are still challenged, it might actually be worth looking at what’s happening on a deeper level, in your body and in your nervous system.
What is Somatic Healing?
The word ‘somatic’ comes from the greek word ‘soma’, which means the body. Somatic Healing focuses on both the body and the mind to clear blocks and bring lasting transformation. It is focused on present sensations and feelings in the body, and less concerned with revisiting past events and traumas.
If something is consistently stopping a person move forward in a certain area of their life, this block is most likely held in their body and their nervous system, not just the mind. Its is likely the person has already thought through and mentally analysed the challenge, but they still feel stuck or can’t reach their goal. For example, if you throat feels constricted and tight when discussing a problem you’re currently facing, this is showing that the anixiety is still within the body, as well as the mind.
Somatic Healing uses gentle, body-first approaches like breath, movement, sound and expression to shift the physical sensations and feelings in the body into flow. Once this has happened, it is so often clear to the subject exactly what they are going to do to achieve this goals, and more importantly their nervous system is calm and they can go about their life with a lot more presence, peace and joy.
Curious about what type of techniques are used in this work? Learn how to implement two simple somatic tools here and try a free guided mediation alongside it.
So how is Somatic Healing different to Talk Therapy?
Therapy tends to focus on and make sense of someone’s past and how it holds them back. Somatic Healing is much more focused on the present moment, awareness in what is happening in the body in the moment, and also on how to move forward once these tensions have been released.
Whilst therapy is necessary for resolving past traumas and individuals facing significant mental-health challenges, this work is more present and forward-facing in its approach. Both are extremely useful in their own right and the which one is the best route for an individual is dependant on their individual circumstances.
Who can Somatic Healing help?
People looking to add body-focused, nervous system-centred tools into their life
Interested in future-focused work with body-focused coaching to help achieve their goals
Wanting support in releasing emotional blocks and physical tensions holding them back in their everyday life
Keen to learn somatic tools and techniques to allow them to independently calm their nervous system away from the sessions (as well as with me).
Interested in the mind-body connection and wanting to explore beyond purely cognitive coaching
Less concerned with. addressing the story of their past and interested in present and future-focused modalities.
Interested in moving forward with Somatic Healing or have more questions on what’s most suitable for you?
Get in touch here to schedule a call or session and learn more or experience a session - I’d love to support!
About Me
Christina Shakelian is a Somatic Healing & Nervous System Practitioner passionate about helping people reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and release stuck emotional patterns.
My work focuses on guiding clients beyond purely mental approaches to healing and instead accessing the deeper wisdom of the mind–body connection. Through gentle somatic techniques, breathwork, and nervous system regulation practices, I support clients in developing the skills needed to feel calmer, more grounded, and more aligned in their lives.
If you’re curious about exploring somatic healing for yourself, you can book a Somatic Healing Session or Taster Session and begin learning these powerful tools for lasting emotional wellbeing.