Somatic therapy is a body-centred approach to healing that works with the nervous system directly. Rather than relying solely on verbal processing, it invites the body into the healing conversation — recognising that trauma, stress, and emotional pain are held not only in the mind, but in the muscles, breath, and physiological memory of the nervous system.
At Holina, somatic therapy is woven into every programme. Your somatic practitioner works in close collaboration with your psychotherapist and medical lead — ensuring body-level healing and clinical care move together from the first session.
The Practice
What somatic therapy involves at Holina.
Nervous System Mapping
We begin by understanding how your body holds stress and tension. Your practitioner guides you through exercises that build awareness of your physical patterns and automatic responses — without judgement, and at your own pace.
Breathwork & Body Awareness
Guided breathwork helps regulate the nervous system, creating physiological states of calm from which deeper healing becomes possible. Breath is one of the few autonomic functions we can consciously influence.
Trauma Release Exercises
Specific movement and tension-release practices help discharge stored stress responses held in the body — gently, progressively, and always within your window of tolerance.
Somatic Integration
What emerges in individual psychotherapy is brought into the body. What releases in somatic practice is explored in talk therapy. The two inform each other — creating change at more than one level.
Who This Supports
Somatic therapy tends to be particularly helpful for:
Trauma and PTSD
Complex trauma and early life experiences
Chronic stress and nervous system dysregulation
Anxiety held in the body
Burnout and emotional exhaustion
Dissociation or disconnection from the body
Grief and loss
Those who have tried talk therapy and want to go deeper
