These Organizations Are Making Somatic Therapy Accessible For All

We have all experienced the intrinsic connection between our bodies and minds. Whether our heart rates skyrocket in fear, our stomachs twist with stress, or our hands stim in delight, we know that our feelings and how our body feels are dependent on one another. As most trauma scholars will tell you: the body knows what we’ve been through.

One tool to heal from trauma, oppression, and mental health conditions is the practice of somatic therapy. Soma means “the living body,” and somatics is the practice of being in communication with the body; using psychotherapy and physical therapy for holistic healing. This can happen through breathwork, meditation, visualization, massage, dance, eye movement and tapping exercises, and lots of other mind-body practices. Whether it’s being used to help abuse survivors, or to introduce stress reduction to social justice leaders, somatic therapy calls upon ancient lineages and traditions like those in East Asian philosophies (though these methods didn’t have a fancy name until the 1970s). Because of its longstanding roots, many practitioners have created the resources to make somatic therapy more accessible to a broad and diverse audience in modern day.

The Embody Lab

theembodylab.com unique spirituality and embracing healing. Stark’s muses include life and death, light and dark, and love and fear.

“I want everyone to know what real OCD looks like so that when they or a loved one suddenly feel trapped by terrifying, demanding thoughts, they might know what’s wrong and seek help,” Stark told the Salt Lake Tribune. “Our art show will be a success if it helps even one person get treatment for OCD.”

Generative Somatics

generativesomatics.org

The Embody Lab is a hub for somatics education, social justice, and embodied movement. Folks can use the lab to find a therapist or access therapeutic workshops and events hosted by licensed practitioners and psychotherapists. Participants can access these resources for $20-26 per month — which makes them a more affordable alternative to traditional therapy options in the U.S.

The Resilience Toolkit

theresiliencetoolkit.co

The Resilience Toolkit is a learning platform that helps people reduce stress and regulate their nervous systems so they can envision, create, and implement positive change. By using somatic exercises, the Toolkit helps participants by offering a menu of quick and effective stress-reduction tools, all created through an intersectional framework.

Generative Somatics is a network of social justice-minded people that believe somatic healing can be used as a tool for social transformation. By using somatics for leadership training and healing from the impacts of trauma and oppression, the organization is committed to creating affordable and accessible programs that specifically help social justice leaders and people impacted by oppressive systems find healing.

Ergos Institute Of Somatic Education

somaticexperiencing.com

The Ergos Institute was created by Dr. Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. for folks to access a myriad of resources to help heal trauma. The Institute’s website includes a database of practitioners, free experiential exercises, a digital learning library, and more. The Institute also funds community health projects to bring somatic tools to those in need of support for no cost.