Somatic EMDR: Healing Trauma Through Mind and Body
Many people come to therapy with insight. They understand their history, recognize patterns, and can clearly explain why they feel the way they do—yet their body still reacts as if danger is present. Anxiety lingers, tension doesn’t release, or emotions feel stuck despite years of effort.
This is often because trauma is not only remembered cognitively—it is stored in the nervous system.
Somatic EMDR is a trauma-informed approach that integrates traditional EMDR with body awareness, helping both the brain and the body complete the healing process together.
At CARE Counseling, Inc., Somatic EMDR is used gently and intentionally to support regulation, safety, and integration—without overwhelming the nervous system.
Why the Body Matters in Trauma Healing
Trauma can interrupt the body’s natural stress responses. When an experience is too overwhelming, the nervous system may not get the chance to complete actions like fight, flight, or self-protection. As a result, the body may remain in a state of hypervigilance, tension, shutdown, or numbness long after the threat has passed.
This can show up as:
Chronic muscle tension or pain
Persistent anxiety or restlessness
Fatigue, numbness, or dissociation
A sense of being “stuck” despite insight or talk therapy
Somatic EMDR recognizes that healing must include the body, not just the story of what happened.
What Is Somatic EMDR?
Somatic EMDR combines the structured framework of EMDR with careful attention to physical sensations, impulses, posture, breath, and nervous system responses.
During sessions, your therapist may help you:
Notice subtle bodily sensations alongside thoughts or emotions
Track shifts in tension, temperature, or movement
Pause when needed to support regulation
Allow the body to complete unfinished stress responses
Strengthen a sense of present-moment safety
Rather than pushing through distress, Somatic EMDR follows the body’s pace, allowing healing to unfold gradually and sustainably.
How Somatic EMDR Is Used at CARE Counseling
At CARE Counseling, Somatic EMDR is always grounded in safety, collaboration, and consent. Therapy focuses on:
Stabilization and nervous system readiness
Gentle pacing to prevent overwhelm
Respect for protective responses in the body
Integration with other trauma-informed approaches when helpful
You are never forced to relive trauma or move faster than your system allows. Your therapist works with you to ensure that both your mind and body feel supported throughout the process.
What Somatic EMDR Can Help With
Somatic EMDR may be especially helpful for individuals experiencing:
Chronic stress or ongoing tension
Trauma that feels “held in the body”
Persistent physical reactions without clear triggers
Feeling stuck despite insight or previous therapy
Nervous system dysregulation (fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown)
Healing doesn’t require erasing the past—it involves helping your body learn that the danger has passed.
What Makes Somatic EMDR Different
Unlike approaches that focus only on thoughts or memories, Somatic EMDR honors the body as an essential partner in healing. Many clients find that when the body begins to feel safer, emotional and cognitive shifts naturally follow.
This approach is especially supportive for those who feel overwhelmed by traditional talk therapy or who sense that their healing needs to happen on a deeper, embodied level.
Exploring Somatic EMDR Therapy
If you’ve noticed that your body seems to react before your mind can catch up—or that healing feels incomplete despite understanding your experiences—Somatic EMDR may be a meaningful next step.
At CARE Counseling, our clinicians are happy to help you explore whether Somatic EMDR fits your needs and how it may be integrated into your care.
Illinois - Naperville, Plainfield, Aurora, Bolingbrook, etc.
630-791-0444
https://carecounseling.healthcare/about-care
