Somatic Coaching vs Mindset Coaching: What’s the Difference?
Somatic coaching is different to more traditional cognitive-focused coaching, because in this work we put the body first. Although mindset is important, one could argue that western medicine has placed a disproportionate amount of focus in this area, whilst often ignoring the role that our body plays in healing our limiting beliefs and what is blocking us from what we truly want out of life.
The role of the body in healing
Healing modalities are catching up with this. With the rise in popularity of body-focused therapies such as Somatic Experiencing and books such as ‘Waking the Tiger’ and ‘The Body keeps the Score’, it is becoming more accepted that severe trauma lives in the body, not just our thoughts. In the same way, less extreme but still crippling issues such as low self-esteem, limiting beliefs and other tensions also sit within the body, and you cannot always just think your way out of this.
Guide to the benefits of somatic coaching
If you want a deeper understanding, check out this guide to the benefits of somatic coaching.
My Challenge- Fear of Being Seen
Let’s take an example, one that’s close to my heart - fear of being seen. Whether you struggle with public speaking on stage, or get anxious about posting on social media, many people experience huge anxiety in this area. And although there are racing thoughts often involved (what will people think? Will I get trolled online?) the physical sensations of the anxiety are undeniable. For me, it came in the form of racing heart, sweaty palms, tight throat and shaky voice, where I felt I couldn’t even get my words out properly. And simply telling myself ‘no-one is judging you’, or repeating positive affirmations, simply wasn’t enough to calm my nervous system down.
Learn how Somatic coaching can help you gain career clarity by calming your nervous system and getting clear on your goals.
Body-based Coaching shifted everything
However, when I stated working with my body, everything shifted in this area. When this fear of being seen emerged, I would take a moment (both when I was on my own and also with my Somatic Embodiment Coach) and just bring my awareness to the part of my body where I could feel the tension the most strongly.
For me, it was always started as a tightness in my throat. I would begin to focus and accept this sensation in my throat, even welcoming and expanding it if I could. I would let my body move the way it wanted to as I focused in this area, often resulting in being curled forward in a ball, gently rocking myself. Sometimes sound would come to, sometimes crying, as I would fully allow this emotion to be here.
With gently prompting and questioning from my coach, I continued to feel it, until the sensation would shift into another part of my body, for example, my stomach- and we would repeat the process again. Often deeper insights would emerge, not from the mind but somewhere deeper, where I would understand why these fears crept up, and once I sat with these fears and also welcomed them in, they would always, always, shift.
After this process I finally came to feelings of peace, with my nervous system regulated, where I could really make steps to move forward from a place of calm and ease. Following on from working on this area, I began to speak at engagements of 100+ people, having shifted the excess stress and tensions in my body, so I could show up authentic, regulated and might I say, even entertaining!
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Somatic, embodied work is hugely powerful and can help in all areas of life, not just severe trauma. If you are interested in how you can benefit from this transformative work, please do reach out.
About Me
I’m Christina Shakelian, a Somatic 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.
