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Somatic Inquiry in Ric h
​Seeking Depth to Recovery is home to licensed therapists trained in somatic therapy approaches, including somatic inquiry, to help clients heal from trauma. We have seen firsthand how much SI can help people overcome PTSD, dissociation, and other symptoms of trauma.
What Is Somatic Inquiry (SI)?
Somatic Inquiry, a body-based healing practice, is a specific approach to asking the body questions. Whereas the mind might answer a question with reason and logic, the body answers with physical sensation. When we attune to these physical answers, we can learn so much about ourselves and intervene directly to make subtle changes in our thoughts and behaviors.
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Soma means body. Body-based healing practices provide a sophisticated augmentation to traditional mind or talk-based approaches. Other somatic therapies include Somatic Movement Therapy and Somatic Experiencing.
Here’s an example of Somatic Inquiry:
“What happens when you think of a time where important people let you down?”
Mind answer: “I feel angry, and I begin to ruminate over all the times this has happened to me before.”
Body answer: “My throat is tight, and I feel an aching in my stomach.”
What’s the difference?
The difference is that with a mind answer, we eventually reach a ceiling of insight where we can no longer add to the meaning that we’ve already made from an experience. When insight alone is no longer fruitful in changing our emotional or behavioral reactions, then that’s an indicator that our mind answer is in misalignment with our body answer.
A body answer reflects the activation of our gas and brake pedals in the autonomic nervous system, which is responsible for our fight, flight, freeze responses. (For more information on how the nervous system gets stuck in fight, flight, freeze, please read our page on Somatic Experiencing).
Why does that matter?
By listening to the body, we get deeper answers than what we can get from the mind alone. When people are struggling with self-sabotaging behaviors, Mind-Body Coaching can help them to listen to the deeper issues so that they can respond in an attuned way. This gives us direct access to the core drivers for self-defeating behaviors. With this direct access, we more effectively and economically adopt newer behaviors that support living the life you wish to live.​
What Kind of Questions Do You Ask During Somatic Inquiry?
The types of questions your therapist will use during a somatic inquiry session vary based on your unique history and personality. In general, the questions are designed to help you notice physical sensations, encourage curiosity about connections, and invite new perspectives.
What Does This Kind Of Intervention Help Heal?
Somatic Inquiry can be used to supplement treatment for a range of mental health conditions including PTSD, trauma, and dissociation. It can be helpful for letting go of painful emotional wounds, limiting beliefs, and unhelpful patterns of thinking.
How Does This Fit Into Traditional Life Coaching?
​Traditional life coaching is designed around setting performance-based goals and implementing behavioral plans to achieve change. While these skills are integrated into Mind-Body Coaching, recipients of this kind of Somatic Inquiry over traditional life coaching are able to meet their goals with greater ease, due to the blockages within their bodies being cleared.
Are You Interested In Trying Somatic Inquiry? Schedule Your First Appointment With Us.
At Seeking Depth to Recovery in Richmond, VA we are proud to incorporate somatic inquiry into our therapy sessions because we've seen the amazing results it can help foster. If you're interested in finding out if this is the right path for you, please don't hesitate to reach out and schedule your first appointment with us. One of our licensed therapists like Adrienne Loker, LCSW is looking forward to working with you.