Treatment Approaches for Somatic Symptom Disorder: Therapy for Somatic Disorders

Living with ongoing physical symptoms can be confusing and distressing, especially when the reasons behind them are unclear. In fact, for many people, worries about the symptoms can become just as disruptive as the pain, fatigue, or other sensations they experience day after day.

If you’re experiencing issues similar to those described, you may have somatic symptom disorder (SSD). SSD is a condition in which a person experiences a physical issue that may or may not have a medical explanation. Regardless, their fear, anxiety, and time spent focusing on symptoms significantly affect daily life. What matters most with SSD is not whether there’s a medical diagnosis, but how much the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors around the condition create suffering.

If you think you or a loved one might have SSD, a mental health professional can talk to you about potential causes and options for therapy for somatic disorders. This page can also help, as it explores what SSD is and different treatment approaches that can be used for coping with it by covering:

What somatic symptom disorder is
How SSD gets diagnosed
Therapeutic approaches and coping strategies for somatic disorders
Where to find professional support for SSD
Answers to common questions about psychosomatic disorder treatment

What Is Somatic Symptom Disorder?

Somatic symptoms disorder (SSD) is a mental health condition where physical symptoms and emotional distress become deeply intertwined. In SSD, a person may experience pain, dizziness, fatigue, or some other physical concerns that are very real and disruptive. Sometimes, these symptoms are linked to a medical condition, but other times, doctors cannot find a clear medical explanation.

What defines SSD is not whether the medical condition exists – it’s the excessive worry, fear, and preoccupation with the symptoms.¹ This is because people with SSD often find themselves in a cycle of checking, monitoring, and seeking reassurance about their health. This can lead to:

Constant thoughts that symptoms signal something serious
Heightened sensitivity to normal sensations in the body
Frequent medical tests, exams, or visits, even if the results from tests are normal
Not believing a doctor when they claim nothing is wrong or feeling any relief after exams
Spending large amounts of time and energy managing fears about health

It’s important to remember that these somatic symptoms are not “all in your head.” The pain, fatigue, or other sensations are real and can greatly affect daily life. However, what SSD adds is a layer of overwhelming worry and the feeling of being trapped by thoughts and fears about the body.

How Is Somatic Symptom Disorder Diagnosed?

Getting the right diagnosis is a crucial step in getting somatic disorder support. Because SSD presents with physical symptoms, people mainly seek help from medical providers rather than a therapy program or mental health support.² Therefore, it’s common to go through tests, lab work, or imaging, only to be told that results don’t fully explain what you’re experiencing. This experience can be discouraging, but it’s also the point where a mental health evaluation becomes especially valuable.

The diagnostic process for somatic symptom disorder often includes:

Ruling out medical conditions: Doctors will complete exams and testing to be sure that symptoms are not caused by another health issue.
Using standardized screening tools: Questionnaires such as the Patient Health Questionnaire-15 (PHQ-15) or the Somatic Symptom Scale-8 (SS-8) can help measure the severity of somatic symptoms.³
Exploring emotional and situational factors: Clinicians consider how stress, trauma, or significant life events may contribute to symptoms.
Working with other providers: Mental health professionals often work alongside primary care doctors or specialists to get a complete picture of what’s going on.

A clear diagnosis of SSD doesn’t dismiss what you feel — it can actually validate your experience and helps reduce unnecessary testing. Plus, once you have a better understanding of what’s going on, you can focus on somatic disorder care. We cover some of the treatment options for SSD next.

Treatment and Therapy for Somatic Disorders

Because somatic symptom disorder affects both physical and mental health, effective treatment often takes a mind-body therapy approach. The goal of somatic symptom disorder counseling isn’t to deny or minimize symptoms, but to help you manage the distress they cause, reduce anxiety, and improve your quality of life.

The following are several effective, evidence-based treatment approaches:

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

CBT is one of the most well-researched approaches for somatic disorder recovery.⁴It helps by identifying unhelpful thought patterns, such as assuming every sensation signals a serious illness. By gently challenging these thoughts, CBT reduces health-related anxiety and allows clients to focus on what truly supports their well-being. Over time, this approach can help people build healthier ways to cope with both the symptoms and the emotions they bring up.

Somatic Experiencing and Body-Focused Therapies

For many people with SSD, the body feels like an unpredictable or unsafe place. Somatic experiencing therapies aim to change this relationship. Through guided awareness exercises, breathing, and gentle movement, you’ll learn to notice sensations without fear. This process can also help release unresolved trauma or stress that may be contributing to your body’s heightened responses.⁵

Mind-Body Practices

Mind-body approaches like mindfulness, meditation, or yoga can give people with SSD the tools to calm the nervous system and notice sensations without judgment. These practices encourage you to stay in the present moment instead of spiraling into the “what ifs” about your symptoms. Over time, these practices can reduce anxiety, build resilience, and help restore a sense of calm within the body.⁶

Medication Management

Medication management for somatic disorders is not always necessary, but can help some people ease the depression or anxiety fueled by health concerns. When paired with therapy, medication can provide relief and make it easier to engage in your somatic symptom therapy plan.

Group and Peer Support

Isolation is common for people living with SSD. Group therapy or support groups offer a reminder that you are not alone. Hearing from others with similar struggles can normalize the experience, reduce shame, and provide encouragement.

The right form of treatment for you may depend on your specific needs and situation. However, with the right guidance, you can learn to relate to your symptoms with greater understanding and less fear—opening the door to a healthier, more balanced life.

What To Expect From Somatic Symptom Disorder Recovery

Recovery from SSD is not about making every physical sensation disappear. Instead, it’s about changing the way you experience and respond to these sensations. With therapy, many people notice small but meaningful changes, such as feeling less anxious about body sensations, needing fewer reassurances, fewer medical visits, and enjoying daily life again.

Treatment also helps restore control. As you step out of the cycle of worry, you begin noticing patterns, using coping skills, and trusting your ability to navigate challenges. Progress may be gradual, but even small steps forward can bring real relief and hope.

It’s also important to remember that healing doesn’t happen in isolation. Having support – from therapists, peer groups, or loved ones – can make the process less overwhelming and more sustainable. With compassionate care and practical tools, recovery becomes a journey of resilience, connection, and rediscovering what makes life meaningful.

Mission Connection: Professional Support for Somatic Disorders

Living with somatic symptom disorder can feel exhausting, especially when symptoms don’t have a clear medical explanation. It’s common to feel frustrated, worried, or even dismissed after repeated medical visits and tests don’t provide concrete answers. But your symptoms are real, and you deserve compassionate, effective care.

At Mission Connection, we understand the challenges that come with somatic disorders. Our team blends together evidence-based therapies like CBT, DBT, EMDR, and mindfulness with body-focused practices that help you feel safer and more connected to yourself.

Whether you’re struggling with ongoing health worries, persistent physical symptoms, or the emotional toll of medical uncertainty, we honor your experience and support your goals. Contact Mission Connection today to learn more about how we can walk alongside you in your healing journey and help you find relief, connection, and lasting change.

FAQs About Treatment for Somatic Symptom Disorder

While we hope that this page helped increase your awareness of treatment approaches for somatic symptom disorder, we’re aware that you may still have some remaining concerns. If this is the case, the following responses to FAQs about therapy for somatic disorders may help.

Is There a Cure for Somatic Symptom Disorder?

There may not be a single “cure,” but SSD is very treatable. Many people experience significant relief through therapy, mind-body practices, and supportive care. Treatment can help reduce the distress around symptoms, improve daily functioning, and restore a sense of control.

How Is Somatic Symptom Disorder Different From Medical Conditions?

SSD can occur with or without an underlying medical condition. The key feature is the level of fear, anxiety, and time spent focusing on symptoms. Even if medical tests come back normal, the symptoms are real and can cause serious disruption in daily life.

Can Therapy Really Help With Physical Symptoms?

Yes. Therapy may not take away physical sensations, but it can change how you relate to them. Approaches like CBT, mindfulness, and somatic therapies can reduce anxiety, lower stress responses in the body, and make symptoms feel more manageable.

Are the Symptoms All in My Head?

No. The symptoms of SSD are not imagined or fake. Pain, fatigue, and other sensations are very real. What makes SSD unique is the emotional response to those symptoms, which creates additional suffering. Compassionate care focuses on validating your experience, not dismissing it.

Does Mission Connection Treat Somatic Symptom Disorder?

Yes. Mission Connection provides personalized, trauma-informed care for clients experiencing SSD. Our team uses evidence-based approaches – including CBT, DBT, EMDR, and mindfulness – while also offering support. We focus on building resilience, reducing distress, and helping you reconnect with your life in meaningful ways.

References

Mayo Clinic. (2018, May 8). Somatic symptom disorder – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/somatic-symptom-disorder/symptoms-causes/syc-20377776
Muskin, P. R. (2024, July). What is somatic symptom disorder? American Psychiatric Association. https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/somatic-symptom-disorder/what-is-somatic-symptom-disorder
Levenson, J. (2025, January 23). Somatic symptom disorder: Assessment and diagnosis. UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/somatic-symptom-disorder-assessment-and-diagnosis
Liu, J., Gill, N. S., Teodorczuk, A., Li, Z., & Sun, J. (2018). The efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy in somatoform disorders and medically unexplained physical symptoms: A meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Affective Disorders, 245, 98–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2018.10.114
Amft, T. B. (2024, February 7). How does somatic experiencing therapy work? Verywell Mind. https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-somatic-experiencing-5204186
Bandealy, S. S., Sheth, N. C., Matuella, S. K., Chaikind, J. R., Oliva, I. A., Philip, S. R., Jones, P. M., & Hoge, E. A. (2021). Mind–body interventions for anxiety disorders: A review of the evidence base for mental health practitioners. FOCUS: The Journal of Lifelong Learning in Psychiatry, 19(2), 173–183. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20200042