What is Somatic Coaching and is it right for you?
Christina Shakelian- Accredited Somatic Coach
What Is Somatic Coaching?
Somatic coaching engages your whole intelligence — not just your mind, but your body as well.
Instead of focusing solely on mental strategies or thought patterns, we shift attention to the body. This coaching practice helps you develop awareness of physical sensations such as tight shoulders, a constricted throat, or butterflies in your stomach. These sensations often carry valuable insights.
By gently noticing, welcoming, and allowing them to be present as you breathe and move, you calm your nervous system and create space for transformation.
As this process unfolds, physical tension begins to soften. Limiting beliefs, emotional blocks, or feelings of being “stuck” often start to dissolve. In their place, deeper clarity emerges — new insights, truths, and natural next steps become clear.
Much like the wisdom behind the phrase “trust your gut,” body-focused coaching helps you access your inner guidance by quieting stress and mental overactivity.
If you’re looking for more than a cognitive approach to coaching, somatic work might be a great fit for you — helping you remove blockages, calm your nervous system, and achieve the goals that really matter to you.
Curious about somatic work? Book a Complimentary 1:1 Somatic Session here and experience the benefits of Somatic Healing.
Benefits
Reduce overall stress and anxiety and generate more calm and presence in everyday life
Empower you to calm your nervous system - both in session and on your own
Calm looping thoughts in the head
Greater connection to your bodily sensations & awareness
Improve confidence and ability to self-coach through stress
Release limiting patterns & tensions held in the body
Enhance emotional resilience & intelligence -learn more about how to feel your feelings through somatic awareness.
Greater clarity around challenges and goals (by quietening the mind and listening to your instincts)
Generate more magnetism and pleasure in your every day life, due to the deeper body connection you will develop
Learn more about the Benefits of Somatic Healing here
‘Christina created a safe space for me to explore and work with the sensations in my body, process emotions and cultivate new awareness. I left the session feeling grounded and centred’
Eve, UK
Techniques Used:
Enquiry & question-based coaching
Movement
Sound
Breathwork
Grounding exercises
Heart Coherence
Posture & movement awareness
Mindful presence & embodiment practices such as this daily feminine embodiment practice to cultivate presence.
Guided Meditations - For a gentle introduction to somatic meditation this 5-minute somatic body scan for relaxation and stress relief is a great place to start.
At home practices
Who can benefit?
I work with people who are looking for practical ways to calm the nervous system, self-coach through stress and anxiety, and ultimately develop deep presence, joy and connection to their body and essence in every day life.
Body- focused coaching can support you in many areas of life — from relationships and health to gaining career clarity without overthinking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: How long does it take to see results?
A: Many clients feel shifts after just a few sessions, but lasting change depends on practice and integration. There are benefits in a few sessions and greater shifts over 6-8 weeks, alongside at-home practices (which you will be provided).
Q:Can this replace therapy?
A: It is complementary to therapy and each individual will have different needs. Somatic coaching is less concerned with historical events and more concerned with reaching your potential in both the present moment and in the future.
Q: Do you offer Taster Sessions before I commit?
A: Yes, depending on availability and your goals, I do offer a limited amount of taster sessions to see if this approach is right for you- reach out here
Q: How does Somatic coaching differ to mindset coaching?
A: Somatic coaching utilises a holistic, body & mind approach to tackling challenges and reaching your goals. In this work we put the body first, and utilise tools such as breath work, movement, sound and other tools, as well as enquiry. Mindset work generally places more emphasis on mental analysis, and often doesn’t address the body and nervous system as much- Discover the key benefits of somatic coaching compared to mindset coaching.
Next Steps
I hope these will be useful tools in your toolkit, and empower you to self-coach through your everyday stresses. If you’d like to explore 1:1 coaching, please do schedule a Complimentary Somatic Session here
About Me
I’m Christina Shakelian, a Somatic Practitioner & Coach certified by the School of Embodied Arts and member of the Association of Coaching and Institute of Complementary Therapies.
I combined body-focused, somatic coaching with over 10 years of corporate coaching experience at Apple. When we combine body- first, embodied methods with structured coaching sessions, we can release stored emotions, tensions and traumas from the body and reach a deep inner knowing by connecting to the body’s wisdom, reaching our goals with more ease and pleasure.
If you’re curious about exploring somatic healing for yourself, you can book a Somatic Healing Session or Taster Sessionand begin learning these powerful tools for lasting emotional wellbeing.
If you’re struggling with anxiety, stress or overwhelm and have tried talking therapy with limited success, it might be worth focusing on your body instead of your mind