Written by Sharon Hartnett CST-D — Somatic Therapist, Hakomi Graduate, and SPI Trauma-Informed Bodyworker. Trauma-informed bodywork for nervous system regulation, emotional healing, and embodied presence.
What Does a Somatic Therapist Do?
Somatic therapy refers to working with the mind to help it integrate into the body. I first became interested in helping the body to heal when I attended the Barbara Brennan School of Healing in the late 1990s. 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 two-year course at the Hakomi Institute. Later, I continued to learn at the Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Institute 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 experienced 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 bodies 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 at 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 and integrated 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 two-year course and SPI’s first-year trauma-informed training, I also work with the Craniosacral Therapy techniques developed by the Upledger Institute, and I am Diplomate-certified in SomatoEmotional Release.
Who 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.
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.
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—warmth, tingling, tightness, movement impulses. By bringing conscious attention to these physical responses, we help your body complete thwarted survival responses (fight, flight, or freeze) and release the physiological energy that has become trapped.
How Somatic Therapy Differs 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 two books for deeper understanding: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, and Pat Ogden’s Trauma and the Body. One thing 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 fascia and the whole-body sense of therapy.
Signs That Your Body Is Releasing Trauma
Signs that your body is releasing trauma can include emotional release, physical sensations like warmth, tingling, or spreading in the tissues, muscle relaxation, changes in breathing patterns, improved digestion, involuntary trembling, and eye movement changes during the session. These let us know that the nervous system is processing, helping let go of stored stress and tension. Generally this leads to a sense of better health and wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy works with the body, not just the mind, to release stress and trauma stored in the tissues and nervous system. Through gentle touch and guided awareness, it helps the body complete survival responses that got stuck and return to a regulated, present state.
Is somatic therapy the same as massage?
No. You stay fully clothed, the touch is gentle and non-invasive, and the focus is on your nervous system and awareness rather than working muscles. It draws on craniosacral therapy, Hakomi, and trauma-informed principles.
Do I have to talk about my trauma?
No. We may begin with a quiet conversation, or go straight into the body. Everything moves at a pace your nervous system can trust, and touch is always with your explicit consent.
Can somatic therapy help if talk therapy hasn’t?
Often, yes. Talk therapy works from the “neck up”; somatic therapy works from the “bottom up,” reaching the physical imprint of experiences that words alone can’t. Many clients find the two complement each other.
Where are sessions held?
In my office at 6797 N High Street, Suite 333, in Worthington, Ohio, serving the greater Columbus area.
Somatic Therapy 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.
Book your session — (614) 653-8111
Still have questions? Reach out here.
Sharon Hartnett CST-D
Lighten Up Therapies
6797 N High Street Ste 333, Worthington, Ohio 43085
(614) 653-8111