Somatic Therapy and Psychedelic Integration

Somatic techniques can help bridge the gap between psychedelic states and everyday life, allowing clients to embody their transformative experiences and find grounding, meaning, and wholeness in the integration process. This article dives into the role of somatic therapy in psychedelic integration.

“It is helpful to recognize the experience of psychological difficulties in terms of stress felt in the body. As such, the embodiment and integration of a psychedelic experience involves the incorporation of somatic work [which]…enables patients to safely process their emotional, physiological, and psychological responses without judgment or overemphasis on the cognitive aspects of psychological distress.”

— Ingmar Gorman, PhD

What is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy is a body-centered, holistic approach in psychotherapy that integrates the mind and body to help process and release emotional and psychological challenges for recovery and change. 

Indigenous healing practices are rooted in connecting the mind, body, and spirit. In the early 20th century, Wilhelm Reich explored how emotions and mental well-being manifest physically and developed the basis of modern somatic therapy. Through the work of Dr. Peter A. Levine, Somatic Experiencing became a mainstream practice for trauma treatment.

Healing Trauma with Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy can be particularly effective for trauma because trauma often gets “stuck” in the body as physical sensations, muscle tension, or chronic pain. Therefore, somatic techniques help clients become more aware of these physical symptoms and guide them to release stored tension or emotions in a safe, therapeutic context.

Beyond trauma, somatic therapy can enhance general emotional resilience, reduce chronic stress, improve self-awareness, and foster a deeper connection between mind and body. It’s especially beneficial for clients who struggle to verbalize their emotions or feel disconnected from their bodies, offering a holistic way to process and integrate past experiences.

Specific Techniques in Somatic Therapy

Each somatic therapy technique addresses the body’s role in processing emotions, trauma, and stress, helping clients feel more connected and resilient.

Here’s a closer look at some key techniques:

• Grounding: Grounding techniques help clients stay present and connected to the present, which is especially helpful when feeling overwhelmed. Breathing exercises involve taking slow, deep breaths to anchor attention to the body. Sensory focus allows individuals to pay attention to their physical environment, like the texture of an object or the feel of their feet on the ground. Self-contact can mean putting the hands on the chest or stomach to promote mindfulness and establish a sense of safety.
• Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR): PMR is a technique where clients tense and then release different muscle groups throughout the body. This practice helps increase awareness of muscle tension, relieve stress, and signal to the nervous system that it’s safe to relax. PMR usually progresses from head to toe or vice versa, helping release areas where tension might be stored.
• Pendulation: A concept from Somatic Experiencing, pendulation involves moving between memories of distress (trauma vortex) and those of joy or calm (healing vortex). This back-and-forth process allows the nervous system to build tolerance for uncomfortable sensations by reorienting it to a state of safety. The technique can help clients gradually release trauma without becoming overwhelmed.
• Sensory Awareness: Sensory awareness involves paying close attention to physical sensations, whether subtle (a tingling sensation) or obvious (tightness in the chest). Clients are encouraged to “track” these sensations, noticing their qualities (e.g., temperature, texture, movement) and how they change over time. This awareness can be a gateway to accessing and processing stored emotions or trauma.
• Movement-Based Practices: Moving the body, like dance and yoga, encourages the expression of emotions through free or guided movement. Clients can embody emotions (e.g., stomping for anger or swaying for sadness) and move intuitively to release tension and connect with their bodies. Dance can also foster a sense of play and self-acceptance, helping clients experience joy and agency in their bodies.

Somatic Therapy and Psychedelics

It is common for people to involuntarily shake, cry, tremble, sway, and shiver during psychedelic experiences. Somatic therapy can help individuals understand these physical responses are safe and effective ways to regulate emotions during a psychedelic experience.

These somatic reactions can arise spontaneously, often becoming intense and prolonged in a non-ordinary state of consciousness. This unique aspect of the psychedelic experience holds particular promise in somatic therapy, as it allows for an organic, embodied release that may feel restorative and freeing.

Somatic Psychotherapeutic Work in Psychedelic Psychotherapy with Dr. Keren Tzarfaty

The video features Dr. Keren Tzarfaty discussing the integration of somatic (body-centered) approaches within psychedelic psychotherapy. She explores how somatic practices support healing by helping clients connect more deeply with their body sensations, memories, and emotions during therapeutic sessions with psychedelics.

Dr. Tzarfaty highlights the importance of body awareness in processing trauma and in creating a holistic approach to therapy, especially in settings involving altered states of consciousness. This combination aims to promote profound emotional release, clarity, and lasting psychological growth.

Dr. Tzarfaty speaks about an embodied therapeutic presence and being connected and mindful to the inner experience in the moment.

“[On one hand], we want to be resting as awareness or being open to what’s there and allow a wide mysterious space to just be there…but we also want to start noticing in a focused way of what’s happening with our breath and body sensation, emotions and heart center.”

Dr. Tzarfaty describes somatic tracking and how she encourages therapists to be like detectives but in a very loving, present, and kind way:

“[I] want to notice not the story of what the participant is bringing, not the words and the expression of the thoughts that he or she has…I want to notice what’s happening in the inner experience of my participants as they talk to me. I want to notice their emotions, level of energy, and the way they hold their body.”

Dr. Tzarfaty emphasizes the healing power of being present in our mind and body when inviting the participant to stay connected to their inner experience. 

“[In the Somatic Universe], we know that the third sense and the way it’s being experienced in the present moment is really like a gateway to unconscious material, to the wounds of the trauma of the attachment psychological developmental wound…this experience is a major step towards healing and growth.” 

Somatic Aspects in Psychedelic Integration

A 2022 paper analyzed the concept and practice of psychedelic integration and summarized its definitions and models. The researchers found 24 definitions of psychedelic integration and synthesized their common elements into the following:

“Integration” is a process in which a person revisits and actively engages in making sense of, working through, translating, and processing the content of their psychedelic experience. Through intentional effort and supportive practices, this process allows one to gradually capture and incorporate the emergent lessons and insights into their lives, thus moving toward greater balance and wholeness, both internally (mind, body, and spirit) and externally (lifestyle, social relations, and the natural world).”

The paper reviewed integration models and found that somatic approaches and aspects were a common theme.

Westrum and Dufrechou published The Psychedelics Integration Handbook in 2019 and presented a model based on Transpersonal Psychology. The approach focuses on integration’s somatic, spiritual, existential, psychological, ritual, and social aspects.

Gorman et al. developed the Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration Model (PHRI). The model references the benefits of using somatic approaches when appropriate.

“It is helpful to recognize the experience of psychological difficulties in terms of stress felt in the body. As such, the embodiment and integration of a psychedelic experience involves the incorporation of somatic work…Somatic work enables patients to safely process their emotional, physiological, and psychological responses without judgment or overemphasis on the cognitive aspects of psychological distress.”

Benefits of Somatic Therapy in Psychedelic Integration

Somatic therapy can support psychedelic integration because it provides a structured way to process and embody insights or deeply rooted emotions that come up during psychedelic experiences.

Embodying Psychedelic Insights

Psychedelic experiences often bring vivid insights, emotions, or visions that feel powerful in the moment but can fade over time. Somatic therapy helps clients embody these experiences through physical awareness, anchoring them in the body so they become a lasting part of their lived experience.

Processing Intense Emotions

Psychedelics can bring up overwhelming feelings, from joy to grief to fear. Somatic techniques like grounding, progressive muscle relaxation, and sensory tracking allow clients to explore these emotions in a safe, structured way. This approach helps them move through and release intense emotions rather than suppressing them.

Integrating Traumatic Memories

Psychedelic experiences can sometimes reveal traumatic memories that have been suppressed or forgotten. Somatic therapy’s focus on safety and pacing is invaluable here. Techniques like pendulation (moving between comfort and discomfort) help clients process these memories without re-traumatizing, supporting gradual integration.

Juliana Mulligan, an ibogaine integration specialist, spoke with Psychable about somatic experiencing as an integration tool in ibogaine treatment:

“Ibogaine treatment can begin a process of reconnecting to the body, but traditional therapy used post-ibogaine is often unable to fully support this process. Modern mental health treatment focuses on the mind and emotions as if they were a separate entity from the physical body. While working with a traditional therapist post-ibogaine can be immensely helpful, there must be some kind of work on the body and on the places in the body where trauma and emotions are stored. Somatic experiencing therapy is one technique that supports bridging this gap through the simultaneous use of talk and touch.”

Supporting Nervous System Regulation 

Psychedelic experiences can profoundly impact the nervous system, sometimes resulting in intense highs or residual anxiety. Somatic therapy helps clients learn techniques to regulate their nervous system and return to a baseline state. Practices like grounding, breathing, and trauma release exercises can be calming, helping the body integrate these shifts.

Strengthening Self-Awareness and Resilience

Somatic practices cultivate a deep mindfulness of one’s bodily sensations and emotional responses. This awareness helps clients stay connected to their inner landscape, which is valuable when translating profound experiences into our whole being. Increased bodily awareness also improves emotional resilience, allowing clients to respond more flexibly to triggers or challenging situations.

Shifting to New Ways of Being

Psychedelics can reveal patterns that no longer serve the individual and new possibilities for growth and self-expression. Somatic therapy helps clients consciously shift from old, restrictive patterns to new, improved ways of being. For example, movement and dance can help someone explore a more authentic, uninhibited self-expression, while progressive muscle relaxation helps release the habitual tension of certain “holding patterns.”

Connecting with Transpersonal Experiences

Spiritual or transpersonal experiences often come up during psychedelic states, which can be hard to process cognitively. Somatic therapy allows clients to stay grounded in their bodies while integrating these experiences in safe, connected, and meaningful ways.

It’s essential to work with a therapist who is trained in psychedelic integration because they can provide a safe, supportive space to process trauma and emotional challenges. They can help you understand the experience, which can lead to lasting change and healing.

Find a Licensed Provider in our leading vetted psychedelic therapy directory today!

References

Anxiety Canada Staff. (2024, February 29). How to do Progressive Muscle Relaxation. Anxiety Canada. https://www.anxietycanada.com/articles/how-to-do-progressive-muscle-relaxation/.

Bathje, G. J., Majeski, E., & Kudowor, M. (2022). Psychedelic Integration: An Analysis of the Concept and Its Practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.824077.

Elbrecht, C. (2024, March 28). Stabilization, Pendulation and Titration. Institute for Sensorimotor Art Therapy & School for Initiatic Art Therapy by Cornelia Elbrecht. https://www.sensorimotorarttherapy.com/blog/stabilization-pendulation-and-titration.

Gorman, I., Nielson, E. M., Molinar, A., Cassidy, K., & Sabbagh, J. (2021). Psychedelic Harm Reduction and Integration: A Transtheoretical Model for Clinical Practice. Frontiers in Psychology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.645246.

Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic Experiencing — Effectiveness and Key Factors of a Body-Oriented Trauma Therapy: A Scoping Literature Review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023.

MIND Foundation. (2023, December 23). Somatic Psychotherapeutic Work in Psychedelic Psychotherapy — Dr. Keren Tzarfaty. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aIWnuSwvBjk.

Prueger, S. (2023, June 29). Somatics and Psychedelic Therapy in the Treatment of PTSD. Psychable. https://psychable.com/ptsd/somatics-and-psychedelic-therapy-in-the-treatment-of-ptsd.

Pufnock, J. (2024, January 8). Unlocking Transformation: The Powerful Benefits of Somatic Therapy for Psychedelic Integration. Embodied Wholeness. https://embodiedwholeness.org/blog/benefits-of-somatic-therapy-for-psychedelic-integration.

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