If you’re considering investing your time, energy and money in somatic practices or somatic therapy, it makes sense to ask, “Is somatic work evidence-based?”.
The short answer is yes —with some important nuance. There is a growing body of scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness, in addition to the anecdotal success stories that we hear.
Somatic work is built on a foundation of neuroscience research that demonstrates how trauma and stress literally live in the body, and supporting the idea that healing is not only a mental process. Your body remembers what your conscious mind might try to forget. This is not just a catchy phrase, it’s neurobiology.
Before we continue let’s get on the same page about what “evidence-based” means.
What do we mean by “Evidence-Based”?
Briefly, evidence-based practice combines three elements:
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- The best available research
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- The practitioner’s or therapist’s clinical expertise
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- The client’s goals, values and lived experience
Not every effective therapeutic practice has decades of randomized controlled trials, and not every practice works for every person in the same way. Strong therapeutic work integrates research with the unique needs of the individual.
What does science say about why the Body Matters?
“Soma” is the root word for somatic. It is a term of Greek origin that refers to the physical body (distinct from the mind). “Soma” has different meanings in the Vedic tradition and in Hindu texts and. Today, “somatic” is commonly used to describe a sensation that is felt in the body.
When we experience something overwhelming, our nervous system automatically tries to protect us through responses such as fight, flight, freeze, fawn or shutdown. Sometimes those responses resolve naturally. Sometimes they remain active long after the original situation has passed.
Research in trauma psychology, pioneered by experts like Bessel van der Kolk and Peter Levine, shows that talking about trauma alone often isn’t enough because trauma is stored in the body’s sensations, muscles and nervous system responses. This may show up as:
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- chronic tension
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- persistent anxiety
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- difficulty relaxing
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- emotional numbness
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- people-pleasing
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- shutting down during conflict
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- feeling constantly “on guard”
Multiple studies have demonstrated that body-centered interventions create measurable changes in the nervous system. What makes somatic work evidence-based is how it addresses this biological reality. Some people intellectually understand their patterns, yet their bodies literally continue reacting as if danger is still present.
What the Research Suggests
Researchers have increasingly studied the role of the body in emotional regulation and in trauma. When you do somatic work, you’re helping the body complete the physiological responses that were interrupted or stuck during an overwhelming or traumatic event. This process activates the parasympathetic nervous system- your body’s calming response- and helps regulate the sympathetic nervous system that keeps you in fight-flight-freeze-fawn-shutdown mode.
Findings suggest that the vagus nerve responds to body-oriented approaches to help reduce symptoms of anxiety, chronic stress, depression, and post-traumatic stress for many individuals.
The vagus nerve plays a crucial role in nervous system regulation, and it responds measurably to somatic interventions. Key mechanisms include:
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- greater awareness of bodily sensations (interoception)
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- improved emotional regulation
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- increased nervous system flexibility
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- completion of interrupted defensive responses
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- stronger experiences of safety and grounding
While research continues to evolve, there is growing agreement that the body plays an important role in psychological transformation and healing.
Why Insight Isn't Always Enough
Many clients say:
“It happened so long ago, I’ve processed it, and I still feel stuck.”
Or
“I know I want change, but the same thing keeps happening in my life”
Insight and intellectual understanding of an experience or pattern is valuable, but it does not automatically change a nervous system that has practiced that pattern for years.
You may know you’re safe during a disagreement, yet your body tightens. You may know you’re qualified for a leadership role, yet your chest constricts when speaking in a meeting. You may know that you’re exhausted, but you keep pushing through to the next task. You may know that you’re okay, but you also sense that something bad is about to happen. These reactions are often protective responses learned through past experiences.
Somatic practices help bring awareness to these responses so they can gradually become more flexible.
A Sophisticated Approach to Somatics
Core Energetics is a body-centered psychotherapy that integrates psychological understanding with the wisdom of the body. Rather than just releasing tension from the body, Core Energetics recognizes that emotional experiences influence our physical patterns like our:
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- breathing
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- posture
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- movement
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- energy
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- capacity for connection with ourselves and others
The way you hold yourself physically, reflects your psychological defenses and emotional history. Core Energetics also acknowledges that significant wounds can arise not only in childhood but from significant experiences throughout life. A Core Energetics approach to somatics works to understand habitual ways of being in the world. Habits that served us at one time but may now limit us. What makes this approach evidence-based is that it’s built on decades of psychological and somatic research and inquiry. It integrates attachment theory, trauma neuroscience, body-centered psychology, and spirituality. Sessions may include conversation alongside:
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- noticing bodily sensations
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- breath work
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- movement and/or sound
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- emotional awareness
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- safe, intentional expression of emotions
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- exploring how protective patterns appear in relationships
Rather than asking, “How do I get rid of this feeling?”, Core Energetics often asks, “What is this experience trying to tell me about how I’ve learned to protect myself?”
That shift can create space for greater self-understanding, awareness, transformation and deeper healing. Without a shift, it is more predictable for your nervous system to stay the same.
Is Somatics with Dr. Koren Bedeau Right for You?
You do not need to have experienced a major traumatic event to benefit from somatic work or coaching with somatics. Stress, difficult relationships, repeated disappointments, and years of ignoring your own needs can all shape the way your nervous system responds to life. Life hastaught many of us to stay small and silent to remain safe or that we need to take up lots of space and be perpetually bigger and better to be seen and valued.
My approach to somatics can help you if you feel stuck in some aspect of your life, or if you want to feel more safety in your body and in the world. Together we interrogate long held stories that are not only dominating your mind but are also alive in your body.
Many people seek support when they want relief from anxiety, stress, burnout, or relationship difficulties. Those goals matter. But over time, many clients notice something more:
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- greater emotional resilience
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- healthier boundaries
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- clearer communication
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- more fulfilling relationships
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- increased confidence and direction
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- greater clarity about what they truly desire
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- a deeper sense of comfort in their own bodies
The work isn’t about becoming someone different. It’s about removing the layers of protection that once helped you survive but now keep you from living fully. As the protective layers soften, you become more connected to what you truly desire. You become more fully yourself.
A Final Thought
The evidence supporting body-centered approaches continues to grow, and with it our understanding that lasting transformation often involves both the mind, body and spirit.
Our thoughts matter. Our emotions matter. Our relationships matter. Our environment matters. Our individual and shared history matters. And our bodies matter too.
When development, coaching and healing work includes all these dimensions, it becomes an opportunity to reconnect with your authentic self, increase your capacity to experience joy, increase your capacity to navigate life’s challenges, and live a life that feels more aligned with who you truly are.
Further Reading
If you’re interested in reading more about the science behind trauma, the nervous system, and body-centered approaches to healing, these resources provide an excellent starting point.
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- Bryant, T. (2022). Homecoming: Overcome Fear and Trauma to Reclaim Your Whole, Authentic Self. Tarcher Perigee.
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- Menakem, R. (2017). My Grandmother’s Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies. Central Recovery Press.
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- Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic Experiencing Using Interoception and Proprioception as Core Elements of Trauma Therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93.
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- Price, C. J., & Hooven, C. (2018). Interoceptive Awareness Skills for Emotion Regulation: Theory and Approach of Mindful Awareness in Body-Oriented Therapy(MABT). Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 798.