Sometimes I have a challenging time writing educational material about mental health. It is not because I don’t feel I have valuable information to share or that I don’t think providing this type of information is not helpful. It is because ultimately I am not the expert and I have a tough time with clinicians who act like they are. Let me explain. One of my first mentors always told us as interns, “You are the expert. Make sure that each session the client is leaving with valuable advice and a handout in their hand.” This always struck me as a little bit odd– how he would always remind us of this point every supervision meeting we had. While his intentions were good, I realized much later why that didn’t sit too well with me.
In my 12 years as a counselor, I have become a very somatic and experiential practitioner. The fundamental concept of somatic therapy is treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within the body. Somatic therapies operate on the premise that the body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved issues can become trapped inside. A somatic therapist helps people release damaging, pent-up emotions in their body by using various mind-body techniques. Some techniques include:
-Body awareness, which helps people recognize tension spots in the body as well as conjure calming thoughts
-Pendulation, which guides people from a relaxed state to emotions like their traumatic experiences and then back to a relaxed state
-Titration, which guides people through a traumatic memory while noting any accompanying physical sensations and addressing them in real time
-Resourcing, which helps people recall resources in their lives that promote feelings of calm and safety, such as special people and places.
Somatic therapy for me in session involves guiding people to listen to their ultimate source of wisdom, their bodies. Their body is the expert. I am a guide. Paying attention and learning to sit with (instead of fifighting our bodies) is where the power lies. Embracing these sensations and emotions and learning to move with them and not against them is what I believe helps people heal from trauma, anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues such as OCD and eating disorders. Just our bodies know how to heal wounds or work a sliver to the surface of our skin, our bodies know how to heal our mind and emotions. Sometimes they need a little help and guidance, just as a bone needs to be properly set or antibiotics for an infection need to be used, our bodies know how to heal with the right tools. Therapy is that tool. I work with the body. The body is the expert.
Experiential therapy involves creating a healing experience for a client in the room. I was taught in graduate school that 80% of the successful treatment outcome of therapy isn’t the techniques I use, but the relationship I build with the client.
Connection heals. Feeling seen, heard, validated, encouraged, and lifted brings healing. We are mammals. We are meant to be in connection, live in herds, in pods, and in families. Experiential therapists believe there is a very real and human moment in the room happening right then and there that is a powerful agent for change.
The focus isn’t about analyzing our thoughts or passively talking about what ifs scenarios, its taking action, and doing something in session. When people say to me, “I went to a therapist before and all I did was talk and vent and they listened”— experiential therapy is the opposite to that. Experiential therapy emphasizes the use of active, hands-on experiences to promote personal growth and healing. It focuses on creating a safe environment for individuals to explore their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors through direct engagement. Some techniques include:
-Role-playing: Acting out real-life situations to gain insight and practice new skills.
-Guided imagery: Using visualization techniques to evoke and process emotions.
-Art therapy: Using creative expression through art, such as painting or sculpting, to communicate and process emotions.
-Music therapy: Using music to evoke emotions, improve mood, and promote relaxation.
-Animal-assisted therapy: Interacting with animals to provide comfort, support, and emotional regulation.
-Emotionally focused couples therapy (EFT) or Emotionally focused family therapy: Interacting with the individuals in your life in a new and different way. Creating a new emotional experience by guiding you to express and communicate your emotions to each other in healthier ways
actively right in the moment.
In experiential therapy we aren’t talking about something, we are doing that thing right in the moment. For example, rather than talk about different communication styles to have with your partner, I am guiding you in the moment to talk to your partner right then in there in a more vulnerable and healthy way. You turn to them and talk. We create a healthier dynamic in the moment.
Experiential therapy again teaches me that I am a guide, but the experience we create together in the room is the change agent. There is no expert or people to impart all my wisdom upon. I am working to create a new energy, a healing experience, a moment in time where healing can occur. Often this wisdom comes from YOU, as you dig deep inside of yourself and your emotions, express yourself in art, use your mind to create healing in meditation, and tap into the safety of your body and in the that very moment— to act in new ways.
I do know a thing or two about therapy— but we work together with your body in the room together to heal. You are the expert. Your intuition, your vessel, your nervous system are powerful tools. Never forget that. The goal isn’t for you to rely on me. It’s for you to realize you have everything you need inside of you. I just help you get there.