Somatic & Strategic psychotherapy

mind-body therapy

Somatic therapy in Tokyo & Online

A body-oriented, trauma-informed approach integrating psychological and somatic perspectives to support emotional regulation, resilience and mind-body connection.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic Therapy is a body-oriented approach that recognises the connection between psychological experience and the body.

Thoughts, emotions, stress and difficult experiences can also be reflected in breathing, muscle tension, movement, sensations and patterns of nervous system activation.

Rather than focusing only on thoughts and emotions, somatic work brings attention to what is happening in the body and how this information can support greater awareness, regulation and flexibility.

The body is not treated separately from psychological therapy, but as another source of information and another pathway for therapeutic change.

How Somatic therapy Works

Developing Body Awareness

We begin by noticing what is happening in the body, including sensations, breathing, muscle tension, movement and other physical responses. This can help you become more aware of how stress and emotional experiences are expressed physically.

Supporting Regulation

Together, we explore ways of responding to physical and emotional activation with greater awareness and flexibility. This may include grounding, breath, movement, sensory awareness or other body-based resources.

Building New Experiences

Somatic work can create opportunities to experience the body, emotions and difficult situations differently. Over time, this can support greater regulation, resilience and a stronger sense of connection with yourself.

What Can Somatic Therapy Help With?

Somatic Therapy can be helpful when emotional or psychological difficulties are also experienced through the body. It can be particularly relevant for:

Trauma & Stress Responses

Trauma, chronic stress, hyperarousal, feeling overwhelmed, or difficulty feeling safe and settled in your body.

Anxiety & Emotional Overwhelm

Anxiety, persistent tension, difficulty calming down, emotional overwhelm, or feeling disconnected from your emotions or bodily experience.

Chronic Pain & Persistent Physical Symptoms

Chronic pain, muscular tension and other persistent physical symptoms where stress, emotions and patterns of attention may interact with the physical experience.

Disconnection & Difficulty Expressing Emotions

Feeling disconnected from your body, difficulty identifying or expressing emotions, or feeling that you understand something intellectually but struggle to experience or process it emotionally.

Regulation & Embodied Resilience

Developing greater awareness of bodily signals, learning ways to regulate activation, and building a stronger sense of connection, stability and flexibility in everyday life.

An integrative Approach

My somatic approach has developed through clinical training, body-based practices and years of experience working with movement, breath and embodied expression.

It brings together my training in Strategic Psychotherapy and Clinical Hypnotherapy with trauma-informed and somatic approaches, as well as my background in Kinesiology, Seitai, contemporary dance and voice and movement work.

These different perspectives inform the way I work with the body within therapy, while keeping the psychological and therapeutic process at the centre.

What to Expect in a Somatic therapy Session

Somatic therapy sessions are conversational, collaborative and adapted to your needs. We may explore what you are experiencing through thoughts, emotions, sensations, breathing, movement and other bodily signals.

The focus is not on forcing a physical or emotional response, but on developing greater awareness and finding ways to respond to your experience with more flexibility and choice.

Depending on your goals, the session may include grounding, breath awareness, movement, sensory awareness, therapeutic exercises or other body-oriented practices.

In some cases, the session may also include gentle touch, always with your clear consent. This may involve light contact on areas such as the sternum or abdomen, to bring greater awareness to areas of tension, such as around the diaphragm.

You remain in control of the process throughout the session, and we work at a pace that feels appropriate for you.

Is Somatic therapy Right for You?

Somatic Therapy may be particularly relevant if you notice that stress, emotions or difficult experiences are also reflected in your body, or if you feel that talking about a difficulty alone does not fully address your experience.

It may be worth exploring if you:

feel disconnected from your body or emotions
experience persistent tension, physical activation or difficulty settling
find it difficult to recognise or express what you are feeling
feel overwhelmed by stress or emotional experiences
understand something intellectually but still feel affected by it physically or emotionally
want to develop greater awareness of your body’s signals and responses

You do not need to be comfortable with body-based work or know exactly what you need before starting. We can explore together what approach may be most appropriate for you.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Somatic Therapy a form of psychotherapy?

Somatic Therapy can be integrated into a psychotherapeutic process, bringing attention to bodily experience alongside thoughts, emotions and personal history. The approach is adapted to the individual and does not rely on body-based techniques alone.

Do you need to talk about your past or trauma during Somatic Therapy?

Not necessarily. We work with what is relevant to your present experience and therapeutic goals. You do not need to revisit difficult experiences in detail for somatic work to be useful.

Does Somatic Therapy involve touch?

Touch is not required. When appropriate, gentle touch may be used as part of the work, but only with your explicit consent. You remain in control and can choose not to include touch at any point.

What if I don't feel connected to my body?

That is not a barrier to starting. Somatic work can begin with very simple forms of awareness and gradually develop your ability to notice sensations, emotions and bodily responses at your own pace.

Can Somatic Therapy help with anxiety or chronic stress?

It can be particularly useful when anxiety or chronic stress is accompanied by physical tension, persistent activation, difficulty settling or feeling overwhelmed. The work focuses on developing greater awareness and more flexible ways of responding to these experiences.

Can Somatic Therapy be combined with Strategic Psychotherapy or Clinical Hypnotherapy?

Yes. Depending on your needs and goals, somatic approaches can be integrated with Strategic Psychotherapy or Clinical Hypnotherapy. The therapeutic process is adapted to the difficulty being addressed rather than following a predetermined formula.

Ready to explore a different relationship with your body?

If you would like to explore whether Somatic Therapy may be appropriate for you, you can get in touch to discuss your needs and find the most suitable way to begin.