Somatic Movement Therapy
What is Somatic Movement Therapy?
Somatic Therapy is a therapy that can support a client through therapeutic presence, bodywork and movement, trusting and following the inherent wisdom of the body-mind in its return to wholeness and health.
What this actually means in practice is that together we create a container that feels safe enough for you to work with what your body may bring forward and trusting that your body inherently knows what is needed. This may emerge for you in supported dialogue and witnessing around what you sense and feel in the body.
Initial practices that might be offered to deepen body awareness include:
- Facilitated self touch
- Guided Movement
- Offerings that can support deep rest and release
When the therapeutic relationship feels ready, clothed bodywork may be offered. Touch work can support a deep listening to the body and can also offer resource/ restoration or support to the body. Movement practices may be offered to help balance or integrate energies and impulses that may come forward in a session. Practices are offered into a session in response to what is emergent – either in dialogue or witnessing. This is a co-creative process, that means we decide together what pathway the session takes.
Initial sessions and orientation
Initial sessions usually involve clarifying intentions and developing awareness of the body. Attention is paid to finding ways to support your body in feeling resourced, safe and settled. This can then become a known and familiar place to return to when necessary, in sessions and in daily life.
After an initial session, and should you feel this work can support you in your intentions, we can agree to the frequency and scheduling of our work together.
It is very difficult to describe Somatic Therapy as it is always unique for each person, what they bring and what they are seeking. I can offer 20minute telephone discovery calls if that feels helpful for you in orienting. This can allow for you to ask more specific questions and begin a dialogue with me.
Sessions are £75/hour and are held at The Haelan Centre Clinic in Crouch End. N8.
Orientation and intake forms are sent upon booking
Resourcing for my work
My practice is informed by my trainings in Integrative Bodywork, Therapeutic Witnessing, Somatic Psychology, Developmental Movement and Embodied Anatomy – these underpinned by contemporary understandings of neurobiology and traumatic stress and by the guidance I have received in my twenty year personal process oriented practice and the discipline of Authentic Movement.
A more detailed description of these practices and their application is given by my teacher Linda Hartley in her article Embodying the Sense of Self
Client Testimonials
“I found the sessions very helpful. My understanding of what I experienced is related to trauma. I do feel very safe, contained and held by Mel whether online or in person. She is very highly attuned to what others embody and carry physically and how this is interconnected holistically and how this affects us and our way of being in the world. I find the depth, breadth and integrated nature of her knowledge an absolute joy and to work with her is transformative. In my experience this is very rare.”
“As a practising psychotherapist this particular experience felt much more helpful in that it was immediate, deep and integrated. This usually takes longer to happen in talking therapy. For me this is very therapeutic work and my knowledge and experience of therapy supports me in this practice.”
“I found the somatic practices very powerful. I was able to connect with my body on a more nuanced level which felt quite deep. Even just being witnessed in my movements was very powerful and brought up some deep feelings. This experience helped me to integrate earlier childhood experiences and how they may have impacted (and still are impacting me) physically. “
“I have been struggling with trying to recover from what I describe as relational trauma. I have been in therapy for a long time and somehow for myself the channel of ‘ talking’ has lost his healing power and I can see that I could keep talking about this painful situation for hours but without creating any shift in my state of mind and level of suffering. I have found the sessions really helpful “
