Have you ever felt disconnected from your body after a stressful experience?
Or struggled with prolonged tension that traditional approaches can’t seem to resolve?
You’re not alone. Many people find themselves seeking alternatives to conventional therapy, particularly when dealing with trauma, stress, or persistent physical discomfort.
Somatic touch therapy offers a unique approach that bridges the gap between physical sensations and emotional experience. It involves using the sense of touch.
Ahead, we explore everything you need to know about somatic touch therapy, from its core principles to practical applications.
What is gentle somatic touch therapy?
Somatic touch therapy is a body-oriented therapeutic approach that uses gentle, attuned touch to help individuals support body awareness, regulate their nervous systems, and reconnect with their physical selves (1).
The term “somatic” comes from the Greek word “soma,” meaning “of the body,” emphasizing the therapy’s focus on bodily experiences and sensations.
The foundation of somatic touch therapy rests on several key principles:
Body-Mind Integration: This approach recognizes that emotional and psychological experiences are stored not just in the mind, but throughout the body. Stressful and overwhelming experiences create lasting imprints in our nervous system and physical tissues (2, 3).
Nervous System Regulation: The therapy focuses on helping the nervous system shift from states of survival (fight, flight, or freeze) to states of safety and relaxation (rest and digest). This regulation occurs through gentle, non-invasive touch that signals safety to the body (4).
Consensual and Attuned Touch: Every aspect of the touch is consensual, with continuous check-ins to ensure the client feels safe and empowered. The therapist uses highly attuned touch, meaning they listen carefully to the body’s responses and adjust accordingly (5).
Slow and Gentle Approach: Unlike traditional massage or bodywork, somatic touch therapy is slow and gentle. The goal isn’t to manipulate tissue but to support comfort and relaxation and encourage greater body awareness (6).
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Types Of Touch Therapy Approaches
Several specific modalities fall under the umbrella of somatic touch therapy:
Each approach shares a common aim: using touch to support relaxation and body awareness while respecting the client’s autonomy, boundaries, and comfort level.
Read more: What Is the Best Somatic Meditation to Deal with Stored Emotions?
Research specifically comparing somatic touch therapy to traditional talk therapy is still in its early stages, and we cannot yet conclusively compare the two therapies.
However, emerging evidence about touch and nervous system regulation suggests several key differences in how these approaches facilitate recovery.
Access To Pre-Verbal Experiences
Talk therapy primarily engages the prefrontal cortex and language centers of the brain (9). However, the body often stores trauma (particularly early developmental trauma) in parts of the brain that developed before language capacity (2, 10). Somatic touch therapy can access these pre-verbal trauma patterns through the body’s sensory and autonomic nervous systems.
One study demonstrates that pleasant touch activates specific neural circuits that boost hormones, such as oxytocin, which are essential for social interaction and mental wellness (11).
This pleasant touch effect suggests that therapeutic touch may influence relaxation and stress responses in ways that talk-based processing doesn’t address as directly.
Bottom-Up Vs. Top-Down Processing
Talk therapy typically works “top-down,” using cognitive understanding to influence emotional and physical states. Somatic touch therapy works “bottom-up,” using physical sensations and nervous system regulation to create changes in emotional and mental states (12).
Nervous System Regulation Vs. Cognitive Understanding
Talk therapy primarily works through cognitive insights and emotional processing (13).
While valuable, this approach may not directly address nervous system dysregulation.
Somatic touch therapy works at the physiological level, helping to regulate stress responses and promote relaxation through direct nervous system intervention (6, 1).
Speed Of Physiological Change
Research on therapeutic touch suggests that hands-on approaches can create relatively rapid physiological changes (14, 15, 16), including:
Talk therapy reduces stress through different mechanisms that take a more gradual pace, require practice, and become more apparent over time (13):
Complementary Rather Than Competitive
Rather than viewing somatic touch therapy and talk therapy as competing methods, research suggests they may work synergistically.
Many clients benefit from combining both approaches, using talk therapy for cognitive processing while utilizing somatic touch therapy to support body awareness, grounding, and relaxation.
To learn more about different somatic interventions and their applications, exploring various therapeutic approaches can help you understand which combination may be a good fit for your goals and preferences.
Body awareness (the ability to sense and understand what’s happening inside your physical being) gets compromised by difficult past experiences or disconnection (17).
Somatic touch therapy can support the restoration of this vital human capacity through several mechanisms:
Rebuilding The Mind-Body Connection
Prolonged stress and overwhelming experiences often cause people to disconnect from their bodies as a protective mechanism. This disconnection, while initially protective, can lead to (18):
Somatic touch therapy helps rebuild the mind-body connection through several probable mechanisms:
Interoceptive Awareness: Gentle, attuned touch helps clients tune into internal bodily sensations, gradually increasing their awareness of heartbeat, breathing, muscle tension, and other physical cues (19).
Present-Moment Anchoring: The physical sensation of therapeutic touch provides a concrete anchor to the present moment, helping clients develop the capacity to stay present with their bodily experiences (6).
Gentle Sensation Exploration: Within the context of a therapeutic relationship, clients can gently explore sensations that might otherwise feel overwhelming or frightening (20).
Window of Tolerance Expansion: Regular practice can expand the range of sensations a client can tolerate without feeling overwhelmed (21).
Through somatic touch therapy sessions, clients often report increased awareness in several areas (22):
Building Body Trust
Many individuals struggling with trauma or ongoing stress have learned to mistrust their bodies. Somatic touch therapy helps rebuild this trust by consistently providing positive, comfortable bodily experiences. Over time, clients often develop greater confidence in their body’s wisdom and signals.
While research specifically on somatic touch therapy continues to emerge, related studies on therapeutic touch and body-based interventions suggest that these mechanisms can effectively reduce stress and affect both blood pressure and cortisol levels (14, 15, 16).
For more information on specific techniques used in this process, explore various somatic interventions that complement touch therapy.
The concept of “stored tension” in somatic touch therapy relates to how the nervous system organizes around traumatic or overwhelming experiences, creating patterns of muscular holding, shallow breathing, or ongoing activation that persist long after the initial event.
What People Mean by “Stored Tension”
Neurological Basis: Research shows that traumatic experiences can create lasting changes in the nervous system, including (23):
Fascia and Connective Tissue: Studies suggest that fascia (connective tissue) may hold cellular memory and respond to emotional states (24). Ongoing stress can create restrictions in fascial tissue that gentle touch may address (25).
Polyvagal Theory: One study on the autonomic nervous system suggests that calming touch can activate the parasympathetic nervous system, supporting the body’s relaxation response (26).
We have limited scientific research specifically on somatic touch therapy’s ability to relieve tension.
Much of our understanding comes from related fields like massage therapy, craniosacral work, and general therapeutic touch research, which show promising but preliminary results.
Theoretically, somatic touch therapy may help release these patterns through several mechanisms:
Probable Mechanisms Of Release
While we need more research, several mechanisms may explain how somatic touch therapy facilitates the release of stored tension:
Nervous System Coregulation: The therapist’s regulated nervous system may help coregulate the client’s nervous system, promoting a shift from defensive states to relaxation (4).
Mechanical Pressure and Release: Gentle pressure and holds may help fascial tissue release restrictions, though this occurs much more subtly than in traditional massage (27).
Neuroplasticity: The brain’s capacity to form new neural pathways means that repeated experiences of comfort and relaxation through touch may help establish new, more sustainable patterns (28).
Hormonal Responses to Therapeutic Touch: Studies note increased oxytocin production during supportive touch (15), which enhances relaxation and release.
Most clients describe the “release” experienced in somatic touch therapy as:
The experience during a somatic touch therapy session differs significantly from one person to the next. Research provides limited evidence to support outcomes of somatic touch.
At this stage, we rely on anecdotal reports.
Some commonly reported experiences are as follows:
Initial Sensations
Deep Relaxation: Many clients report an almost immediate sense of relaxation that feels different from their usual experience. They often describe it as a “melting” sensation or feeling like they can “finally exhale” (30).
Surprised by Stillness: Since the therapist’s hands often remain still rather than moving, clients are sometimes surprised by how powerful the stationary touch feels.
Emotional Responses: It’s common for emotions to arise during sessions.
Clients might experience (31):
Progressive Changes Throughout Sessions
Increased Body Awareness: Clients often become more aware of areas of tension they didn’t previously notice, as well as areas of ease and comfort.
Nervous System Responses: Common responses include (32):
Sleep and Rest States: Many clients enter deep rest states during sessions, sometimes falling asleep naturally – something that may be rare in their daily lives (33).
Long-Term Experiential Changes
Clients who engage in regular somatic touch therapy often report:
Individual Variations
It’s important to note that everyone’s experience is unique.
Factors that influence the experience include:
Some clients may need several sessions to feel comfortable enough to relax fully, while others experience immediate benefits.
Not All Sessions Feel “Good”
It’s important to understand that:
The pace of experiencing benefits varies significantly. Some people notice immediate changes, others require multiple sessions.
Understanding these potential experiences can help individuals approach somatic touch therapy with realistic expectations and greater preparedness for their personal process.
It is also important to note that the changes described here are based on anecdotal evidence and personal reports. While some research supports aspects of somatic therapy, these specific outcomes have not been fully validated by scientific studies.
While professional guidance is often essential for addressing complex trauma and nervous system dysregulation, there are several gentle techniques individuals can use to support their own regulation and well-being.
The Importance of Professional Guidance
Complex Trauma Considerations: Individuals with significant trauma histories should work with trained professionals, as self-applied techniques might sometimes trigger overwhelming responses without proper support.
Learning Proper Technique: Working with a qualified practitioner helps individuals learn to recognize their body’s signals and to understand the appropriate use of somatic touch.
Safety and Consent: Professional guidance ensures that all touch remains consensual and within appropriate therapeutic boundaries.
Gentle Self-Regulation Techniques
Several somatic touch therapy activities can be gently self-applied (34):
Self-Holding and Comfort Touch:
Grounding Through Touch:
Breathwork Combined with Touch (35):
Progressive Self-Care Approaches
Individuals can gradually build their capacity for self-regulation:
When To Seek Professional Help
Consider professional guidance if you experience:
Professional somatic touch therapists undergo extensive training to understand nervous system responses, trauma dynamics, and appropriate touch techniques (36).
They can read subtle cues and adjust their approach accordingly, skills that are difficult to replicate in self-practice.
If you’re interested in self-regulation, consider working with a qualified practitioner first to learn appropriate techniques and understand your unique needs and responses.
This foundation can make self-practice more comfortable and effective.
To better understand the broader context of body-based supportive approaches, it may help to explore different types of somatic therapy activities and how they’re typically used.
Read more: At-Home Somatic Therapy: Exercises To Regulate Your Emotions
The following techniques are gentle and can offer a simple introduction to somatic, body-aware touch practices.
Heart Coherence Hold
This technique helps regulate the nervous system and promote feelings of safety and calm.
Steps:
Benefits: This technique can help activate the parasympathetic nervous system and create feelings of self-compassion and safety.
Grounding Through Feet Connection
This technique helps you connect with your body and the present moment.
Steps:
Benefits: This technique can help reduce stress and create feelings of groundedness and stability.
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Gentle Boundary Creation
This technique helps establish clear energetic boundaries and self-awareness.
Steps:
Benefits: This technique can help increase body awareness and create clear psychological boundaries.
Nervous System Reset Touch
This technique helps activate the body’s relaxation response.
Steps:
Benefits: This technique can help slow heart rate, reduce blood pressure, and promote overall relaxation.
Self-Soothing Neck and Shoulder Release
This technique addresses common areas where stress and tension accumulate.
Steps:
Benefits: This technique can help release physical tension and provide comfort during stressful moments.
For those interested in learning more about somatic massage techniques and their applications, exploring professional training or working with qualified practitioners can deepen your understanding and skills.
While somatic touch therapy can offer significant benefits, it’s important to understand potential limitations and considerations:
Limited Specific Research: While related research on therapeutic touch and body-based interventions shows promise, emerging studies on somatic touch therapy suggest its potential to enhance emotional regulation and resilience through interoceptive awareness. Techniques like the Community Resiliency Model (CRM) demonstrate how focusing on bodily sensations can support mental well-being, particularly for those affected by trauma (29).
However, further research is needed to solidify the evidence base for all claimed benefits.
Retraumatization Risk: If not conducted by adequately trained practitioners, touch-based therapy could potentially reactivate traumatic responses, particularly for individuals with histories of physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Proper training and trauma-informed approaches are essential (37).
Boundary and Consent Issues: The therapeutic use of touch requires extremely clear boundaries, ongoing consent, and ethical practice.
Practitioners must be highly trained in maintaining appropriate therapeutic relationships and recognizing when touch may not be applicable.
Not Suitable for Everyone: Some individuals may not be comfortable with touch-based interventions due to cultural factors, personal preferences, trauma history, or other individual considerations. Alternative approaches may be more appropriate.
Insurance and Accessibility: Many somatic touch therapy practitioners don’t accept insurance, making this approach potentially inaccessible for some individuals due to cost.
Potential for Dependence: Some clients may start to rely too heavily on sessions or practitioner support, instead of building their own self-regulation skills over time.
Research on massage therapy and therapeutic touch has identified some potential negative outcomes, including, physical discomfort, and soreness (38).
While these studies don’t directly examine somatic touch therapy, they suggest that all touch-based interventions carry potential risks that must be carefully managed by qualified practitioners.
The key to minimizing potential negative outcomes lies in working with properly trained, ethically-minded practitioners who prioritize client safety, consent, and appropriate pacing of the therapeutic process.
To explore how somatic touch therapy relates to other bodywork approaches, you might be interested in learning about somatic massage techniques and their applications.
Coregulating touch is a prime example of somatic touch therapy, where a trained practitioner places their hands gently on areas such as the client’s back near the kidneys or cradles their head, without manipulation or movement. The practitioner attunes to the client’s nervous system responses, helping facilitate a shift from survival physiology to a more regulated, calm state. Research indicates that the therapeutic touch can have measurable physiological effects. Studies show that appropriate, attuned touch can reduce cortisol levels, increase oxytocin production, and activate the parasympathetic nervous system (14, 15, 16). However, research specifically on somatic touch therapy is still developing, and individual responses can vary significantly based on factors like trauma history, practitioner skill, and personal comfort with touch. The five phases of therapeutic touch, as developed by Dolores Krieger and Dora Kunz, are (39): However, somatic touch therapy may be guided by different frameworks that focus more on nervous system regulation than on energy work. Research suggests that pleasant touch can influence neurotransmitter production, including serotonin, though the mechanisms are complex. A pleasant touch stimulates specific neural pathways, boosting hormones and neurotransmitters associated with well-being, social bonding, and emotional regulation (14, 15, 16). However, the relationship between touch and serotonin production specifically requires further research to fully understand.Frequently Asked Questions
What is an example of touch therapy?
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Somatic touch therapy offers a body-based approach that supports the profound connection between mind and body. By working with the nervous system’s natural capacity for regulation and resilience, this approach can help individuals reconnect with their bodies, release stored tension, and develop greater self-awareness.
The process of reconnecting with your body is deeply personal, and what feels supportive for one person may not feel right for another. If you’re considering somatic touch therapy, take time to research qualified practitioners in your area who have appropriate training and credentials. Look for professionals who prioritize informed consent, maintain clear boundaries, and demonstrate understanding of trauma-informed care.
Remember that progress isn’t always linear, and combining somatic touch therapy with other supportive approaches (such as traditional therapy, movement practices, or mindfulness techniques) may provide the most comprehensive support for your unique needs.
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