Somatic Therapy in Encinitas, CA

Somatic Therapy in Encinitas is a body-based therapeutic approach that supports healing from anxiety, stress, and trauma by working directly with the nervous system. Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy goes beyond cognitive insight to help you reconnect with your body’s wisdom and process emotions stored at a physiological level. This holistic therapy in Encinitas is designed to gently release trauma responses that leave you stuck in chronic fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown states.

Whether you're local and seeking in-person therapy in Encinitas or looking for virtual somatic therapy in California, this compassionate, integrative approach can help restore your sense of safety and ease. It’s especially supportive for those navigating nervous system dysregulation, high-functioning anxiety, or the lingering effects of complex trauma. Somatic therapy helps increase your resilience, deepen your connection to self and others, and create lasting nervous system shifts—so you can feel more grounded, present, and alive. If you’ve felt limited by traditional talk therapy and are ready to explore body-oriented trauma therapy, this may be the next step on your healing path.

We utilize an integrative model that weaves together traditional evidence-based approaches with modern perspectives drawn from neuroscience and neurobiology, polyvagal theory, attachment theory, somatic psychology, and traumatology.

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holistic mental wellness

Somatic Therapy in Encinitas

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what is it?

Somatic therapy is a body-based, nervous system-informed approach that helps release stored stress and trauma by working with physical sensations, not just thoughts. At Nourished Wellness Group, we offer somatic therapy in Encinitas and virtual somatic therapy across California for those seeking holistic, mind-body healing. This approach supports emotional regulation, reduces anxiety, and restores a sense of safety by helping clients reconnect with their bodies. Unlike traditional talk therapy, somatic therapy taps into the wisdom of the nervous system to process what’s been stuck or overwhelming. Many of our clients come to us feeling burnt out, disconnected, or dysregulated—ready for a more integrated path to healing. Whether in person or online, our trauma-informed somatic therapists in North County San Diego create a supportive space for deep transformation.

how does it work?

We’ll begin with an initial intake session to clarify your goals and ensure we’re aligned in focus and approach. From there, we’ll collaborate on an individualized plan that incorporates somatic therapy techniques tailored to your unique needs, experiences, and nervous system. This plan serves as a flexible guide to support your healing journey with intention and care.

Typical session

We will briefly discuss recent experiences thoughts, and feelings. With a specific focus in mind, we will then move into body-tracking, following body impulses especially those that are defensive or protective. We’ll move in and out of feeling difficult sensations while taking frequent pauses to ground. Sessions range from 50 minutes to 90 minutes in length depending on your need.

The Benefits of Somatic Therapy for Trauma and Anxiety

  • Process Trauma

    We have more evidence than ever that our bodies serve as a home for our traumatic experiences. Talk Therapy, while supportive, sometimes is not enough (for some individuals) to dive beneath our conscious awareness and into the trauma stored in the body. Somatic Experiencing supports clients as they begin to understand and befriend their body's response to trauma and work through a “body-first” approach to healing.

    To learn more, here’s our blog post about the impacts of trauma on our mind and body.

  • Nervous System

    Many individuals who have experienced trauma live with a chronically dysregulated nervous system. This might mean constant hyperactivity (fight-or-flight response) or frequently moving through shut-down (freeze.)

    Somatic Therapy helps us not only understand the “why” behind our nervous system response but also that our nervous system has been trying to protect us all along. As we work with the body, we can change the conversation with our nervous system, engaging in compassionate, bi-directional communication.

    To learn more about the nervous system, click here.

  • Release Symptoms

    We carry our experiences with us and at some point, they begin to feel heavier than we can manage. Somatic Therapy has been shown to have a positive impact on both individuals with and without trauma, reducing affective (emotional) and somatic (body-based) symptoms (Kuhful, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N., 2021).

    You deserve healing. You deserve peace. You deserve relief.

 Not sure where to start?
Let us help.

FAQs About Somatic and Holistic Therapy in San Diego, CA

  • Somatic therapy in San Diego is beneficial for many individuals, especially those looking to address trauma, stress, anxiety, nervous system dysregulation or chronic pain through a body-centered approach. However, the suitability of somatic therapy depends on each person’s unique needs and comfort level with focusing on physical sensations and emotions within the body. Our therapists in San Diego can help assess whether this approach is right for you through an initial consultation, ensuring it aligns with your healing journey. You can often find an ideal fit by searching for somatic therapy near me.

  • Unlike traditional talk therapy, which focuses on verbal expression and cognitive processing, somatic therapy in San Diego takes a "bottom-up" approach by emphasizing the connection between the body and mind. Bottom-up processing means that healing begins with the body’s sensations, movements, and physical experiences, rather than starting with thoughts or talking through emotions. By engaging the body first, somatic therapy helps release stored trauma and emotional tension that may be trapped in the nervous system. This allows clients to process feelings not just intellectually, but physically, leading to deeper and more transformative healing.

  • The number of sessions needed for somatic therapy varies depending on the individual and the issues being addressed. Some clients may begin to notice significant shifts after a few sessions, while others may require longer-term treatment to fully process deeper traumas or chronic stress. Your therapist will work with you to determine the right pacing and duration for your specific needs as you engage in somatic therapy in San Diego.

  • Yes, somatic therapy can be seamlessly combined with other forms of treatment, such as traditional talk therapy, EMDR, or mindfulness-based practices. At our practice in San Diego County, CA, our foundational approach is rooted in an integrative lens, where we assess each client’s unique needs and intentionally design a treatment plan using a variety of modalities. By blending somatic therapy with other therapeutic techniques, we create a holistic plan that addresses both the mind and body, supporting our goal of fostering a more balanced, comprehensive, and complete healing experience for each client.

  • The cost of somatic therapy in San Diego can vary depending on factors such as the therapist's expertise and the length of each session. We are happy to discuss pricing during your consultation. Somatic therapy is an approach or style of therapy, rather than a separate service, so it is typically priced similarly to traditional therapy. Our practice is deeply rooted in the mind-body connection and informed by a nervous system-based lens, meaning we integrate varying levels of somatic work into our treatment with most clients.

  • Somatic therapy may be covered by some insurance plans, as it is often billed under traditional therapy services. However, it’s important to confirm your specific coverage with your provider. Our team is happy to assist you in verifying your benefits to determine if your plan includes somatic therapy in San Diego. Additionally, we offer courtesy billing to alleviate the stress of submitting insurance claims yourself. Feel free to ask your therapist for more details on how we can support you in this process.