Somatic Therapy
Having formal training in somatic therapy in Vancouver, BC, I hope to support individuals seeking trauma-informed, body-based counselling that works with both the mind and the nervous system. As a somatic therapist in Vancouver, my work is grounded in the understanding that anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, and relational challenges are not only cognitive experiences, but are held in the body through patterns of nervous system activation and protection. Somatic therapy supports healing by gently bringing awareness to these patterns and helping the nervous system move toward greater regulation, flexibility, and resilience.
Somatic therapy in Vancouver is often sought by individuals who feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck, or who have found that traditional talk therapy has not fully addressed their concerns. This body-centred approach focuses on present-moment experience, including physical sensations, emotional responses, breath, and subtle shifts in the nervous system. These experiences often reflect how the body has adapted to past stress, trauma, or attachment experiences, even when those experiences are not held in conscious memory.
When our nervous system has been under prolonged strain, it may remain in patterns of fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. This can show up as anxiety, emotional reactivity, numbness, difficulty relaxing, or challenges in relationships. Somatic therapy supports clients in developing a greater capacity to stay present with their experience without becoming overwhelmed, allowing the nervous system to settle and reorganize over time.
Attachment and relationships are an important part of somatic therapy (See Attachment Based Therapy). Early relational experiences shape how we experience closeness, boundaries, trust, and safety, and these patterns are often stored in the body rather than in words. Through a consistent and attuned therapeutic relationship, clients can notice how attachment patterns emerge in real time and explore new ways of relating with greater ease, self-trust, and emotional stability.
Many people seeking somatic therapy in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland are looking for a practical, grounded approach to counselling. Somatic therapy can be particularly supportive for men, While men’s therapy is one part of my practice, somatic counselling is inclusive and supportive for when emotions feel difficult to name or when stress shows up more physically than verbally and inclusive of all genders who are seeking trauma-informed, relational, and body-aware counselling in Vancouver.
Somatic therapy can support concerns such as anxiety, trauma and developmental trauma, chronic stress, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, and ongoing nervous system dysregulation. This approach does not necessarily require reliving or retelling traumatic events in detail. Instead, therapy unfolds at a pace that feels safe and manageable, focusing on awareness, regulation, and integration in the present moment.
If you are looking for somatic therapy in Vancouver, a somatic therapist in the Lower Mainland, or trauma-informed body-based counselling in British Columbia, somatic therapy at Connor Burns Psychotherapy offers a compassionate and grounded path toward greater balance, connection, and resilience.
FAQs
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a trauma-informed, body-based approach to counselling that works with the nervous system and bodily experience which includes, but does not specifically focus on thoughts and emotions. This can support clients in understanding how stress, trauma, and relational patterns are held in the body and can support regulation, resilience, and integration.
How is somatic therapy different from “talk therapy”?
While talk therapy focuses primarily on verbal processing, somatic therapy also includes awareness of physical sensations, emotional states, and nervous system responses. This can be especially helpful when issues feel overwhelming, persistent, or difficult to put into words.
What concerns can somatic therapy help with?
Somatic therapy can support anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, and nervous system dysregulation. Many people in Vancouver seek somatic counselling when they feel stuck or when traditional therapy has not fully addressed their concerns.
Do I need to relive past trauma in somatic therapy?
No. Somatic therapy does not require retelling or reliving traumatic events in detail. The focus is on present-moment awareness and working at a pace that feels safe and manageable for your nervous system. As a trauma-informed therapist, this approach is sensitive to each client’s history.
Is somatic therapy evidence-informed?
Yes. Somatic therapy draws from neuroscience, attachment theory, and trauma research, particularly in how the nervous system responds to stress and safety. It is widely used in trauma-informed counselling practices across Canada.
Is somatic therapy available in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland?
Yes. Somatic therapy is available in Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland, with services offered to individuals across British Columbia.
FAQs
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a trauma-informed, body-based approach to counselling that works with the nervous system and bodily experience which includes, but does not specifically focus on thoughts and emotions. This can support clients in understanding how stress, trauma, and relational patterns are held in the body and can support regulation, resilience, and integration.
How is somatic therapy different from “talk therapy”?
While talk therapy focuses primarily on verbal processing, somatic therapy also includes awareness of physical sensations, emotional states, and nervous system responses. This can be especially helpful when issues feel overwhelming, persistent, or difficult to put into words.
What concerns can somatic therapy help with?
Somatic therapy can support anxiety, trauma, chronic stress, emotional numbness, relationship difficulties, and nervous system dysregulation. Many people in Vancouver seek somatic counselling when they feel stuck or when traditional therapy has not fully addressed their concerns.
Do I need to relive past trauma in somatic therapy?
No. Somatic therapy does not require retelling or reliving traumatic events in detail. The focus is on present-moment awareness and working at a pace that feels safe and manageable for your nervous system. As a trauma-informed therapist, this approach is sensitive to each client’s history.
Is somatic therapy evidence-informed?
Yes. Somatic therapy draws from neuroscience, attachment theory, and trauma research, particularly in how the nervous system responds to stress and safety. It is widely used in trauma-informed counselling practices across Canada.
Is somatic therapy available in Vancouver and the Lower Mainland?
Yes. Somatic therapy is available in Vancouver and throughout the Lower Mainland, with services offered to individuals across British Columbia.
