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Somatic Therapy Philadelphia

Whether you’re struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), recovery from substance use disorder, chronic pain, or ongoing emotional distress, our trained somatic therapists help you safely explore how your body responds to stress and begin your healing journey with awareness and care.

Table of Contents

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy, also known as body-oriented trauma therapy or somatic experiencing therapy, focuses on how the body holds and expresses trauma. Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy incorporates gentle physical awareness and movement exercises to help release stored trauma and restore emotional balance.

Through this body-centered therapy, clients learn to notice bodily sensations, build self-regulation, and reconnect with their internal and external resources for resilience. These same tools can help people in recovery manage cravings, anxiety, or trauma triggers that contribute to substance use patterns. This process creates a safe space to process past experiences and reduce the physical symptoms often linked to traumatic stress.

Somatic trauma therapy can be a pwoerful healing process to bring body awareness to physical sensations, and help you express emotions in a more clear way - promoting a significant reduction in stress.

How Somatic Experiencing Therapy Works

Our somatic therapists in Philadelphia are trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE), a proven, body-oriented therapeutic approach developed to treat trauma, chronic stress, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Somatic experiencing therapy focuses on helping the nervous system return to balance by gently guiding clients to notice and release uncomfortable sensations or pent-up tension that may have developed after traumatic events. This regulation process is also particularly beneficial for individuals in addition recovery, where nervous system dysregulation often contributes to emotional distress and cravings.

During a session, clients may engage in:

  • Body scanning to notice how the body holds stress or emotion
  • Movement exercises to release tension and encourage grounding
  • Mindful awareness of the present moment to support emotional regulation
  • Guided exploration of how the body’s sensations reflect past trauma and recovery progress

This somatic therapy work helps individuals process emotions at a pace that feels safe and sustainable, promoting a gradual and lasting healing process.

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Somatic Therapy and Addiction Recovery

Addiction often develops as a coping mechanism for unresolved trauma or stored tension in the body. When trauma remains unprocessed, the nervous system can stay in a heightened state, making emotional regulation, impulse control, and sustained recovery more difficult.

Somatic therapy helps bridge that gap by addressing the body’s responses to stress and cravings.

Through a body-centered approach, clients learn to:

  • Recognize physical cues that precede triggers or relapse
  • Use grounding and breathing to self-regulate the nervous system
  • Reduce chronic anxiety and stress-related physical symptoms
  • Reconnect with the body’s natural rhythms for rest, safety, and balance

At MPower Wellness, somatic experiencing therapy complements our evidence-based addiction treatment programs. In fact, many clients find that combining somatic work with traditional addiction counseling deepens their emotional healing and enhances long-term stability.

As a whole, it empowers clients to build resilience, stay present during recovery challenges, and reduce relapse risk by calming the body’s survival responses.

The Role of Somatic Therapy

The Role of Somatic Therapy in Long-Term Recovery

For many individuals in recovery, talk therapy alone may not fully address the physical and emotional impact of trauma or substance use. Somatic therapy provides a missing link, basically a way to process what the body remembers even when words fall short.

This body psychotherapy approach promotes:

  • Increased body awareness to identify cravings, stress, or emotional overload early
  • Release of stored trauma and emotional tension linked to past addiction cycles
  • Improved emotional regulation for navigating everyday stress without substances
  • A stronger mind-body connection that supports long-term stability and inner peace

By integrating somatic therapy with traditional addiction treatment, clients experience significant improvements in their ability to process emotions, manage stress, and feel connected throughout recovery.

MOST INSURANCE ACCEPTED

Up to 100% of the costs covered by insurance. At MPower Wellness, we accept most insurance plans. Verify your insurance to get information about your coverage.

Key Factors That Make Somatic Therapy Effective

At MPower Wellness, we know that trauma and stress responses vary widely from person to person. That’s why our somatic therapy integrates specific interventions tailored to your needs.

Key factors in our behavioral therapeutic processes include:

  • Creating a safe space for exploration and emotional release
  • Increasing body awareness to identify stored trauma and physical manifestations of distress
  • Supporting emotional regulation through grounding and self-soothing techniques
  • Encouraging expression of emotions without judgment or re-traumatization
  • Building internal and external resources to handle everyday life with more balance and control

For individuals in recovery, these skills directly translate to managing triggers, navigating emotional lows, and maintaining nervous system stability during high-risk moments.

Who Can Benefit From Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy helps individuals dealing with:

  • Post-traumatic stress and complex PTSD
  • Chronic anxiety and chronic pain
  • Emotional distress and burnout
  • Trauma recovery and unresolved past experiences
  • Physical symptoms tied to stress or trauma
  • Difficulty feeling present or connected in everyday life
  • Recovery from substance use disorders or co-occurring trauma

For those who’ve tried traditional talk therapy but still feel stuck, somatic therapy provides a new path to healing through body awareness and emotional processing.

Who Can Benefit From Somatic Therapy

Still Have Questions About Somatic Therapy Philadelphia?

At MPower Wellness, we know that healing looks different for everyone. Whether you’re beginning your recovery journey, working through trauma, or simply exploring new approaches to wellness, our team is here to help you feel safe, informed, and supported.

If you’re curious about how somatic therapy in Philadelphia can help you manage trauma, chronic stress, or addiction recovery, these common questions may guide you toward your next step.

Why Choose MPower Wellness for Somatic Therapy in Philadelphia

At MPower Wellness, our somatic therapists provide trauma-informed, body-centered therapy designed to meet you where you are. Every session is guided by empathy, safety, and respect for your pace.

Our somatic approaches may be integrated with EMDR therapy, mindfulness practices, or other evidence-based modalities to promote deep healing and symptom reduction.

Whether you’re beginning your healing journey or looking to build on existing trauma therapy, we’re here to help you reconnect with your body, process emotions safely, and move toward a stronger sense of self.

We’re here to walk with you through your options & answer every question.

Frequently Asked Questions

Somatic therapy, also known as body-oriented trauma therapy or somatic experiencing therapy, focuses on how the body stores emotional experiences and trauma. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which relies primarily on verbal processing, somatic therapy incorporates body awareness, gentle movement, and breathing techniques to help release stored trauma, reduce physical symptoms, and restore balance to the nervous system. This body-centered approach is especially effective for individuals experiencing chronic pain, anxiety, or physical tension that hasn’t improved through talk therapy alone.

Somatic therapy helps individuals in addiction recovery by addressing the mind-body connection that drives cravings, emotional dysregulation, and relapse triggers. Many people use substances to manage the lingering effects of traumatic experiences or stored tension in the body.

Through somatic therapy work, clients learn to:

  • Recognize how their body responds to stress and cravings
  • Use body-based tools for self-regulation and grounding
  • Release pent-up tension and stored trauma that fuel addictive patterns
  • Build awareness and trust in their physical sensations during recovery

This process supports deep healing and enhances emotional stability, helping clients maintain sobriety and feel more grounded throughout the recovery journey.

In a typical somatic therapy session, a trained somatic therapist helps you tune into your body’s sensations and explore how those sensations relate to your emotions, stress, or past trauma.

You may practice:

  • Body scanning to identify areas of stored tension or discomfort
  • Breathing and grounding exercises to calm the nervous system
  • Gentle movement or posture work to promote emotional release
  • Mindfulness techniques that encourage awareness of the present moment

Each session takes place in a safe space, allowing you to process uncomfortable sensations at a pace that feels manageable. For clients in addiction treatment, this practice supports awareness and self-regulation, key to long-term recovery.

Yes. Somatic experiencing therapy is widely recognized for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), complex trauma, and trauma-related anxiety. It helps the nervous system release energy and tension associated with traumatic events.

Over time, clients often experience:

  • Reduced hyperarousal and chronic stress
  • Improved emotional regulation
  • Decreased physical symptoms like fatigue and muscle tension
  • A greater sense of control and safety in their own body

For those in addiction recovery, resolving underlying trauma through somatic therapy can reduce relapse risk and strengthen overall mental health.

Absolutely. At MPower Wellness, somatic therapy Philadelphia is often integrated with other mental health and addiction treatments; including EMDR therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and group or family therapy.

This integrative therapeutic approach allows clients to heal on multiple levels; addressing the physical manifestations of trauma while developing the emotional and cognitive tools needed for long-term recovery and wellness.

If you are looking for an effective treatment to bring about increased awareness as you release tension and bodily sensations through physical responses and a more holistic approach - somatic therapy might be for you.

Start Your Healing Process Today

Your body holds wisdom, and healing. Our somatic therapy Philadelphia team is ready to help you release stored tension, regulate your nervous system, and rediscover calm through compassionate, body-centered care. If you’re in recovery or rebuilding after addiction, somatic therapy can help you reconnect with your body as an ally in healing, not a source of stress or pain.

Contact MPower Wellness today to schedule your first session with a trained somatic therapist and begin your path toward recovery and renewed balance.

Sources

Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing – Effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023

Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189

To learn more, give us a call, fill out our free insurance form, or send us an email—whatever’s easiest for you. We’re here to answer your questions and help you take the next step.

Medical Reviewer

Dr. Singh

Dr. Deepraj Singh is a board-certified psychiatrist. She graduated from Albany Medical College and completed her residency at Drexel University. Due to her passion for learning as well as teaching, she joined the Drexel University faculty to teach resident physicians and medical students. She started out her career in emergency psychiatry, but has expanded into working in outpatient, day program, inpatient and targeted case management programs. She is also certified in ECT and TMS. She performed ECT for persons with severe depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorders. She has always been interested in ways to improve care for her patients. This has led her to pursuing leadership roles such as medical directorships at various outpatient programs and inpatient facilities. These opportunities have allowed her to make changes at an organization level as well as community level. She strives to provide a comfortable atmosphere and a thorough evaluation. She believes in the holistic approach to care, aspires to integrate the biopsychosocial aspects as well physical health, and nutrition into her evaluation and treatment of her patients.

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