Somatic Therapy FAQ – Kristy Long LMFT | California Telehealth

Question 1

What does "somatic" mean?

Accepted Answer

The word somatic comes from the Greek soma, meaning body. Somatic therapy is a body-centered approach to healing that recognizes the body as an active participant in emotional and psychological wellbeing — not just a vessel for the mind. Rather than working only with thoughts and narratives, somatic therapy pays attention to physical sensations, posture, breath, movement, and the felt sense of experience.

Question 2

How is somatic therapy different from traditional talk therapy?

Accepted Answer

How is somatic therapy different from traditional talk therapy?

Question 3

Is somatic therapy evidence-based?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Somatic approaches are supported by a growing body of research in neuroscience, trauma, and psychophysiology. The work of Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing), Pat Ogden (Sensorimotor Psychotherapy), Stephen Porges (Polyvagal Theory), and Bessel van der Kolk (The Body Keeps the Score) has contributed significantly to our understanding of how trauma is stored in the body and how body-based interventions support healing. Many somatic methods have been studied in clinical trials and are recognized by trauma-informed care frameworks.

Question 4

What modalities do you use in somatic therapy?

Accepted Answer

What modalities do you use in somatic therapy?

Question 5

What does a somatic therapy session actually look like?

Accepted Answer

Sessions are conversational and relational — we talk, and I also invite you to notice what is happening in your body as we do. I might ask questions like "Where do you feel that in your body?" or "What happens in your chest when you say that?" We may slow down and stay with a sensation, use breath or gentle movement, or work with imagery. Nothing is forced or prescribed. The pace is always guided by what feels safe and workable for you.

Question 6

Do I have to do anything physical or move my body?

Accepted Answer

No. Somatic therapy does not require movement, exercise, or touch of any kind — especially in a telehealth setting. The "body work" in somatic therapy is primarily internal: noticing sensations, tracking your felt sense, and working with breath and awareness. You are always in control of what you engage with and at what depth.

Question 7

Will I have to talk about my trauma in detail?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily. One of the strengths of somatic approaches is that they can support healing without requiring you to narrate traumatic events in detail — which can sometimes be retraumatizing. We work at the edges of your window of tolerance, titrating the work so it remains manageable. You will never be pushed to go somewhere you are not ready to go.

Question 8

How long does somatic therapy take to work?

Accepted Answer

This varies widely depending on your history, goals, and what you are working through. Some people notice shifts in nervous system regulation within a few sessions. Deeper trauma work typically unfolds over months. Therapy is not linear — there are periods of integration, consolidation, and sometimes temporary intensification before things settle. We will check in regularly about how the work is landing for you.

Question 9

What is the "window of tolerance" and why does it matter?

Accepted Answer

The window of tolerance is a concept developed by Dr. Dan Siegel to describe the zone of arousal in which we can process experience effectively — not so activated that we are overwhelmed, and not so shut down that we are disconnected. Somatic therapy is specifically designed to help you work within this window, gradually expanding your capacity to be with difficult material without becoming dysregulated. Staying within the window is a core principle of trauma-informed somatic work.

Question 10

How does trauma get stored in the body?

Accepted Answer

When we experience something overwhelming, the nervous system activates survival responses — fight, flight, or freeze. If those responses are not able to complete (because the threat was inescapable, or we had to suppress our response), the energy and activation can become "stuck" in the body. This can show up as chronic tension, hypervigilance, numbness, dissociation, or a persistent sense of unsafety — even long after the original event has passed. Somatic therapy works to help the nervous system complete those interrupted responses and return to a more regulated baseline.

Question 11

What is the polyvagal theory and how does it relate to therapy?

Accepted Answer

Polyvagal Theory, developed by Dr. Stephen Porges, describes how the autonomic nervous system regulates our states of safety, danger, and life threat. It explains why trauma responses are not choices — they are automatic, biological survival strategies. Understanding your nervous system through a polyvagal lens can reduce shame, increase self-compassion, and help you recognize and work with your own patterns of activation and shutdown. It is a foundational framework in my practice.

Question 12

Can somatic therapy help with anxiety?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Anxiety often has a strong somatic component — racing heart, shallow breath, muscle tension, a sense of dread in the body. Somatic therapy addresses anxiety not just cognitively but physiologically, helping to regulate the nervous system, build a greater sense of safety in the body, and develop practical tools for working with activation when it arises.

Question 13

I do not feel much in my body. Can somatic therapy still help me?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Numbness, disconnection, and difficulty sensing the body are very common — and are often themselves a response to overwhelm or trauma. We start exactly where you are. Building body awareness is a gradual process, and there is no expectation that you will immediately feel a lot. Many people find that the capacity to sense and inhabit the body develops slowly over the course of therapy, and that this itself becomes a meaningful part of healing.

Question 14

Do you offer in-person sessions?

Accepted Answer

I offer telehealth sessions only. All sessions are conducted via secure video. You must be physically located in California at the time of each session.

Question 15

What are your fees?

Accepted Answer

What are your fees?

Question 16

How do I get started?

Accepted Answer

How do I get started?

Question 17

Do you work with couples or families?

Accepted Answer

Yes. I work with couples and families as well as individuals. Somatic approaches can be particularly valuable in relational work, helping partners and family members understand their own nervous system responses and how they interact with one another.

Question 18

Is somatic therapy right for me if I have never been in therapy before?

Accepted Answer

Yes. No prior therapy experience is needed. Many people find somatic therapy to be a welcoming entry point precisely because it does not require you to have the "right" words or to already understand your patterns. We start with what is present — in your body, in this moment — and build from there.

Understanding somatic therapy.

What is Somatic Therapy?

What to Expect in Sessions

Trauma & the Nervous System

Logistics & Practical Questions

Still have questions?