Somatic Therapy in Columbus, Ohio

What Does A Somatic Therapist Do?

Trauma-Informed Bodywork is for Nervous System Regulation, Emotional Healing, and Embodied Presence

Written by Sharon Hartnett CST-D:Somatic Therapist, Hakomi Graduate and SPI Trauma Informed Bodyworker.

SOMATIC Therapy refers to working with the mind to help integrate into the body.  I first began being interested in helping the body to heal when i attended the Barbara Brennan School of Healing in the late 1990’s.  There was a big emphasis on being grounded and present in the body.  As a massage therapist, I realized how much this type of somatic healing was needed, and so i decided to study a 2 year course at the Hakomi Institute.  Later, I continue to learn at SPI after reading Pat Ogden’s book, “Trauma and the Body.”  It resonated with me as she had also done rolfing Structural Integration which was similar to my work.  Since that time, with all the people I have worked with, I have witnessed and experience the benefit of stepping into our own skins and being in the moment, present and clear.

Long ago, I realized that I can help people shift and change their body’s through their own mind awareness.   As people begin to notice their patterns and tap into their own deeper roots, they can change.  Truly change from suffering and pain into optimal health.  

The Sessions are all about resourcing and self-empowerment.  You are the captain of your own life!

Listen to What Your Body Has Been Holding

Your body remembers everything—even when your mind doesn’t. Sometimes you don’t even know that you are holding pain in your body until someone touches you in a particular way or a certain depth- but it is there-stored away in your tissues.

In times of stress, trauma, or overwhelm, the body often protects you by storing those experiences deep within the tissues. Over time, these patterns can show up as chronic pain, anxiety, fatigue, or a sense of disconnect from yourself.  These patterns have a story, and they are waiting to be released, integrate so that you can feel more free and easy inside.

Somatic Therapy offers a gentle and respectful way to reconnect with your body and restore your sense of safety and wholeness.

Through slow, intuitive touch and guided awareness, I help you listen to what your body is trying to say—so that it can finally exhale.  In addition to completing the Hakomi 2 year course and SPI’s first year Trauma Informed courses, I also work with the Craniosacral Therapy techniques laid out by the Upledger Institute.  Certified Diplomate Certified in SomatoEmotional Release work.

Who This Somatic Therapy Supports

This therapy is for you if you’re navigating:

• Stress or trauma stored in the body

• Feeling disconnected, numb, or overwhelmed

• Anxiety, burnout, or chronic fatigue

• Pain with no clear medical explanation

• Nervous system dysregulation

• Emotional heaviness held in the tissues

• A desire to feel more embodied and whole

• Nothing has worked through talk therapy or medicine.

Somatic Therapy is not about “fixing” but about meeting what’s there with compassion, curiosity, and presence. The body often knows how to release—if only it feels safe enough to do so.

What Happens in a Somatic Healing Session?

Each session is unique and guided by your body’s cues. We may begin with a quiet conversation or drop straight into the body with stillness and gentle, non-invasive touch.

My approach draws from Craniosacral Therapy, trauma-informed principles, and somatic presence. Together, we create a space where the body can release old patterns and reorganize itself toward balance—without force or overwhelm.

You remain fully clothed during the session, and everything moves at a pace your nervous system can trust.

Somatic Bodywork Techniques

Techniques might include mindful movement, breathwork, tracking sensations, grounding exercises, and often gentle touch (always with your explicit consent). The goal is to regulate your nervous system, increase your capacity for presence, and foster a sense of safety and resilience within your own body.

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Why Somatic Touch Therapy?

The core premise of somatic therapy is that experiences, especially stressful or traumatic ones, aren’t just ‘in your head’ – they are deeply embedded in your body’s tissues and nervous system. This can manifest as chronic tension, pain, anxiety, or feelings of being ‘stuck.’ In a somatic therapy session, we gently guide you to become aware of your bodily sensations (e.g., warmth, tingling, tightness, movement impulses). By bringing conscious attention to these physical responses, we help your body complete thwarted survival responses (like fight, flight, or freeze) and release the physiological energy that has become trapped.

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Differences from Talk Therapy

While traditional talk therapy is incredibly valuable for gaining insight into thoughts, emotions, and behavioral patterns through verbal processing, it often operates from the ‘neck up.’ It excels at helping you understand why you think a certain way and develop coping strategies through logical thought and conversation.

Somatic therapy, on the other hand, works from the ‘bottom-up.’ It addresses the physiological imprint of experiences that words alone often cannot reach. For individuals who have found talk therapy helpful but still experience persistent physical symptoms of stress or trauma, or who feel ‘stuck’ despite understanding their issues, somatic therapy offers a complementary and often more complete path to healing.  

I recommend 2 books for deeper understanding:  The Body Keeps The Score and  Pat Odgen’s book, :Trauma in the Body

One thing that I enjoy about Pat Ogden’s approach is that she started as a bodyworker and then moved into trauma therapy as a psychotherapist.  She has a great holistic understanding of facia and the whole body sense of therapy.

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Signs That Your Body is Releasing Trauma

Signs that your body is releasing trauma can include emotional outbursts, physical sensations like warmth, tingling or spreading of the tissues, muscle relaxation, change in breathing patterns, digestive issues improve, involuntary trembling, eye movement changes during the session.  These let us know that the nervous system is processing to help let go of stored stress and tension.  Generally this leads to a sense of better health and wellbeing.

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 Somatic Therapy Located in Worthington – Serving Columbus, Ohio

I offer a quiet, heart-centered space for people ready to explore deep healing at the pace of their body’s inner wisdom. Whether you’ve experienced trauma, are simply feeling worn thin by life, or just want to deepen your connection to yourself—this work meets you exactly where you are.

✨ Ready to Reconnect?

Let’s listen to what your body has been trying to say.
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