What Is Somatic Therapy? | Somatic Therapy in Maryland Explained
- erinbowmanlcpc
- Mar 27
- 5 min read
If you've ever tried to talk your way through a problem but still felt stuck, tense, or like your body didn’t get the memo—you’re not alone. That’s where somatic therapy comes in.
I’m a somatic therapist based in Baltimore, Maryland, and many of my clients are thoughtful, high-functioning people who’ve hit a wall with traditional talk therapy. Somatic therapy invites the body into the conversation.
Let’s break down what that actually means—and why it might be the missing piece you didn’t know you needed.
First: What Does “Somatic” Even Mean?
"Somatic" comes from the Greek word soma, meaning body. Somatic therapy is any therapeutic approach that sees your whole body as part of your healing—not just your brain.
Rather than just talking about your experience, we tune into what’s happening in your body as you speak. That might mean noticing where you clench when you talk about your boss, or how your breath shifts when you try to say no.
Why Include the Body in Therapy?
Because your body:
Stores stress responses and trauma patterns
Holds habits of people-pleasing, freeze, fawn, and hypervigilance
Often "knows" something before your mind can name it
If your nervous system has learned to prioritize safety over honesty, connection, or rest—you won’t be able to simply mindset your way into change. Somatic therapy helps re-pattern those body-held responses gently, with curiosity.
What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session?
Every therapist is different, but here’s what it might include:
Gentle awareness practices (like noticing breath, tension, or sensation)
Checking in with body signals when discussing a stressful moment
Movement or grounding exercises to help regulate your nervous system
Invitations to pause, feel, and notice—not to analyze or fix
You don’t need to be “good at” body awareness to start. Many people-pleasers, perfectionists, and high-achievers struggle with this at first (and that’s part of the work!).
Who Is Somatic Therapy Helpful For?
Somatic therapy is especially helpful if you:
Feel burnt out but can’t seem to rest
Struggle with boundaries but don’t know why
Tend to freeze, shut down, or spiral under pressure
Have done years of talk therapy but still feel stuck
Want to reconnect with your intuition or feel more like yourself
It’s also a powerful support for folks healing from trauma, chronic stress, and attachment wounding—especially if you’ve always felt like you had to be the “together one.”
Does Somatic Therapy Work Online?
Yes—and often better than people expect. I offer somatic therapy online throughout Maryland.
Even in a virtual setting, we can slow down, feel into your body’s cues, and practice tools that help you self-regulate in real time.
You don’t need to be in the same room to come home to yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to be good at body awareness to try somatic therapy? Not at all. Many people-pleasers, high achievers, and anxious folks feel disconnected from their body—and that’s okay. Somatic therapy helps you build that awareness slowly and gently.
How is somatic therapy different from talk therapy? Talk therapy focuses on what you think and say; somatic therapy focuses on what you feel and sense. Both can be powerful, but somatic work brings your whole self into the process.
Can I combine somatic work with other types of therapy? Yes. Even as a somatic therapist, with most of my clients we are integrating somatic work with parts work and a type of talk therapy that emphasizes mindfulness, acceptance, and moving towards a life that is specifically meaningful for you.
Is somatic therapy helpful for people-pleasers or burnout? Absolutely. Somatic therapy helps uncover the nervous system patterns that drive people-pleasing and over-functioning—and teaches your body what safety and boundaries actually feel like.
Do I need to wear workout clothes to somatic therapy? Nope! Somatic therapy isn't a fitness class. You’re welcome to wear whatever makes you feel comfortable and at ease—whether that’s leggings, jeans, or pajamas. Or, whatever you happened to wear to work on the day of your session—that's a-okay as well.
Will my somatic therapy look like my friend’s somatic therapy? Probably not—and that’s a good thing. Somatic therapy is highly personalized. One person’s session might include breathwork, while another’s centers on stillness, grounding, or storytelling.
Will every session be somatic-focused? Not necessarily. Some sessions are more somatic, and others are more conversational—it depends on your energy, what’s coming up that week, and what your body is ready for. Somatic sessions can require a lot of emotional or nervous system capacity, and it’s okay to honor that.
Is it okay to mix talk therapy and somatic therapy? Yes! As much as I’m Team Somatic Therapy, talk therapy isn’t bad—it’s just not the whole picture. Most of my clients appreciate having a balance: sometimes we drop deep into the body, and sometimes we stay more in language, storytelling, or reflection.
Do I need to start with full-body awareness to benefit from this? Not at all. We go at your pace. Some people begin with very little connection to sensation or language for what’s happening in their body, and that’s okay. We might start by simply noticing temperature or tension, and slowly build from there.
What type of somatic therapy do you use? I’m trained in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, a somatic approach that integrates body awareness with trauma theory and attachment work. It emphasizes mindful tracking of sensation and movement patterns to support healing.
Who is somatic therapy not a good fit for? Somatic therapy is rooted in a bottom-up approach—meaning we start with your body’s experience first, rather than analyzing things from a top-down, cognitive place. While many clients appreciate having action steps, the process emphasizes presence and pacing over pushing forward. If you prefer only cognitive, insight-based work or are uninterested in exploring emotional patterns, including those connected to earlier experiences, this might not be your ideal fit. Also, while somatic tools can be useful in support of OCD treatment, I don’t recommend somatic therapy as a primary treatment modality for OCD.
TL;DR: What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy helps you understand and shift the body-based patterns behind your stress, people-pleasing, and burnout. It’s not about fixing—it’s about listening.
Whether you're in Baltimore or anywhere in Maryland, support is available. And it doesn’t have to be all in your head.
Looking for somatic therapy in Maryland?
Ready to lean more—or wondering if this approach might be a fit for you—I offer free 20-minute consults. We’ll talk about what’s been feeling hard, and whether this work feels like a good match.
Not quite ready to reach out? You can also start by downloading my free somatic trigger tracker, which helps you tune into your body’s early cues before you’re in full-on overwhelm.
If you're still figuring out how to begin therapy, you might also like: How to Find a Therapist Near You (Without Spiraling)
I'm a somatic therapist based in Baltimore, Maryland, specializing in helping overwhelmed people-pleasers reconnect with their bodies, set grounded boundaries, and feel more like themselves again. My work blends honesty, softness, and body-based tools—because healing can be deep and doable.
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