What Somatic Therapy Is
Somatic therapy is a broad label for approaches that work through the body, attention to physical sensation, breath and the nervous system, rather than through talking alone. At Sol it is part of the week for women who find it useful, sitting alongside the core treatment across three levels of care in Riverside.
“Somatic therapy” is not a single defined treatment. It is an umbrella term covering several different practices, and different providers mean different things by it. The next section explains what the research currently shows.
What the Research Shows
We want you to have a clear picture of the research, so here is what it currently shows.
The VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline for PTSD rates every treatment it reviews on a five-point scale: Strong for, Weak for, Neither for nor against, Weak against, Strong against. Somatic experiencing, the one named form of this work that appears in the guideline at all, sits in “Neither for nor against”, on insufficient evidence, alongside acupuncture, yoga, guided imagery and relaxation training.1 Research on somatic experiencing is limited: one randomized trial (Brom et al., 2017) has studied it for PTSD.3
“Insufficient evidence to recommend for or against” is not the same as “this does not work”. It means the research that would settle the question has not yet been done.
Why offer it, then? The VA explains it well: the current evidence base does not support these practices as a first-line intervention, and given the lack of demonstrated harm along with initial positive evidence, they may be applied for people who prefer these options, as a gateway to additional services or for their ancillary health benefits.2
Our approach follows the same thinking. Somatic work is not a first-line treatment. We offer it because some women want it and find it helpful, and because it can make the rest of treatment feel easier to engage with. For trauma, the approach with the strongest guideline backing is EMDR, and it is available here.
What It Actually Involves
Attention to what is happening in your body, in the present, with a clinician guiding it. Noticing where tension sits. Tracking what changes when a difficult subject comes up. Slowing down at the point where most people speed up.
For a lot of women the appeal is simple: it does not require you to narrate anything. If explaining what happened has felt impossible or unhelpful, a session that begins with how your body feels right now can be a gentler place to start.
Practitioners describe this work in terms of trauma being held in the body and the nervous system being stuck in a survival state. That is the model the approach is built on rather than an established finding. What we see is that some women settle more easily in a body-based session than in a talking one, and that is why we offer it.
Where This Sits in Your Treatment
Somatic work at Sol runs alongside the core therapies in your program, never instead of them.
If trauma is what you are being treated for, the trauma-focused work is the treatment. The VA and Department of Defense guideline’s strongest rating goes to cognitive processing therapy, EMDR and prolonged exposure.1 Sol delivers EMDR through an EMDRIA Certified Therapist. Sol does not offer cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure.
Somatic work can help in the spaces around that: feeling settled enough for the harder sessions, having something gentle for the days between them, and staying present in the room.
See the full set of therapies, or read about PTSD, anxiety or childhood trauma.
This Is Not Massage or Bodywork
A lot of people arrive at this page looking for somatic massage, somatic release work or a bodyworker, so we want to be clear early on.
Sol is a DHCS-certified, CDSS-licensed outpatient program. Somatic work here is clinical, delivered by clinicians, within a treatment program you are admitted to. There is no table and no hands-on bodywork.
If a bodywork practitioner is what you are looking for, a different kind of provider will be a better fit.
If what you are actually looking for is help with something harder, and somatic work is the door that felt approachable, that is a very common way to arrive here and it is a perfectly good one.
Starting Treatment
1
Call or Send Your Insurance Details
Admissions answers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2
Assessment
A clinician works out what is being treated and where body-based work fits, if it does.
3
Verify Your Insurance
We contact your plan and walk you through your benefits.
4
Start Date
Set around what your week can hold.
Somatic work is not billed separately. It is part of the program, so the insurance question is about the level of care rather than the modality.
In crisis right now? Call or text 988.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our admissions line is answered 24 hours a day, 7 days a week at (951) 972-5085.
Is Somatic Therapy Evidence-Based?
Not yet. The VA and Department of Defense PTSD guideline places somatic experiencing in its “Neither for nor against” category on insufficient evidence, and research on somatic experiencing is limited, with one randomized trial (Brom et al., 2017). That means the research is still early, not that the approach has been tested and failed.
Is Somatic Therapy Recommended by the VA?
Not as a first-line treatment. It appears in the VA and Department of Defense guideline in the insufficient-evidence list. The VA does say complementary practices may be offered to people who prefer them, given the lack of demonstrated harm, as a gateway to other care or for ancillary benefit.
Does Somatic Therapy Treat Anxiety or Depression?
We make no claim that it does. Anxiety and depression are treated here with approaches that have research behind them, and somatic work can gently sit alongside that.
Is Trauma Really Stored in the Body?
That is the model this approach is built on rather than an established finding. What we can say is that some women find body-based sessions easier to use than talking ones, and that is why we offer them.
Is This Massage?
No. Sol is a DHCS-certified, CDSS-licensed outpatient program. Somatic work here is clinical and delivered by clinicians within a treatment program. There is no table and no hands-on bodywork. If a bodyworker is what you are looking for, a different kind of provider will be a better fit.
Does This Involve Describing My History Out Loud?
Not in a somatic session, no. That is much of the appeal for women who have found retelling their history either impossible or unhelpful.
What Should I Do If I Want the Treatment With the Strongest Evidence?
Ask about EMDR. The VA and Department of Defense guideline gives its strongest rating to cognitive processing therapy, EMDR and prolonged exposure for PTSD. Sol delivers EMDR through an EMDRIA Certified Therapist. Sol does not offer cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure.
Does Insurance Cover Somatic Therapy?
It is part of your program rather than a separate billed service, so what matters is how your plan covers your level of care. Sol accepts most major insurance plans, including Aetna, Anthem, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Carelon, CareFirst, Cigna, UC SHIP and UnitedHealthcare. Sol can often work with HMO policies through a single case agreement. Sol does not accept Medi-Cal, Medicaid, Medicare, Molina, IEHP, Kaiser, TRICARE or TriWest. Every plan is different, so the quickest way to know is to verify your insurance. Our admissions team responds within 24 hours.
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If This Feels Like a Gentle Place to Start, Reach Out
Many women begin with the gentlest-sounding option. Where your care goes from there is worked out with you.
4175 Brockton Avenue, Riverside, CA 92501
Confidential, gentle and pressure-free. You never need to promise anything on the phone.
Sources3
- 1.US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. Clinical Practice Guideline for the Management of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and Acute Stress Disorder, 2023, Recommendations 8 and 27. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/
- 2.US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/complementary_alternative_for_ptsd.asp
- 3.Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al. Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2017. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28585761/
Medical Disclaimer
This page is educational and is not medical advice. Somatic approaches are offered at Sol Women’s Treatment as a supporting part of a treatment program, not as a first-line treatment for any condition, and the VA and Department of Defense clinical practice guideline for PTSD currently places somatic experiencing in its insufficient-evidence category, with research on it still limited. Whether body-based work suits any individual is a clinical judgment made at assessment. Sol is certified by the California Department of Health Care Services for outpatient and intensive outpatient services, certification 330246AP, and licensed by the California Department of Social Services, facility 331881576, and does not provide detox, inpatient or residential care. No two women respond identically and nothing here promises a result. In a medical emergency call 911. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.