Somatic Therapy for PTSD & Anxiety: Benefits of Mind-Body Therapy for Mental Health

Living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or anxiety can feel like your mind and body are on constant alert. Even when the immediate danger has passed, your nervous system may stay in “survival mode,” leaving you feeling tense, restless, or disconnected from yourself. Many people find relief from somatic therapy techniques that include the body as well as the mind.

Somatic therapy focuses on how your body holds and stores trauma and anxiety, helping release tension, regulate your nervous system, and reconnect with the sense of safety within your body.

Therefore, for those looking for anxiety or PTSD recovery support, somatic therapy may be the answer. A mental health professional can help you better understand your symptoms and whether somatic therapy could benefit your needs.

This page can also work as a guide for understanding somatic therapy for PTSD and anxiety, as it covers:

What somatic therapy is
The effect of anxiety and PTSD on the body
Somatic therapy techniques that support healing
Benefits of mind-body therapy for mental health
Answers to commonly asked questions about somatic therapy for PTSD and anxiety

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy is a form of treatment that targets the mind-body connection. Rather than focusing only on thoughts and feelings, somatic approaches also pay close attention to physical sensations, breathing patterns, and the body’s automatic stress responses.¹ The idea behind this form of therapy is that trauma and anxiety don’t just live in the mind; they can also leave lasting impressions within the body.

Unlike more traditional talk therapies, somatic approaches don’t ask you to retell the details of what happened to you. Instead, mind-body techniques focus on helping you gently notice and release the body’s responses, like muscle tightness or a racing heartbeat. As a result, your nervous system can start to shift out of “fight-freeze-flight” mode.

To build a better awareness of how somatic therapy works, it can help to understand exactly how PTSD and anxiety affect the body, which we cover next.

How PTSD and Anxiety Affect the Body

PTSD and anxiety affect the body by activating the body’s natural stress response, also called the “sympathetic nervous system” (SNS).

When you perceive danger, the SNS prepares your body for fight, flight, or freeze. This means that it diverts energy away from non-essential functions, like digestion. Instead, it focuses on functions that support the brain and muscles, so you might be better able to deal with the perceived threat.²

For example, when the SNS is activated, you likely experience:

Increased heart rate
Shallow breathing
Dilated pupils
Elevated blood pressure
An increase in sweating

With both trauma and anxiety, your mind perceives a threat (real or imagined) and triggers your SNS to start working. This is your body’s response to protect you. Yet, even after the danger no longer exists, trauma and anxiety cause you to stay on high alert.

Staying in fight-flight-freeze mode can cause stress hormones, such as cortisol, to be released long-term. While short-term levels of these hormones can actually protect us from threats and motivate us to action, over drawn-out periods, they can cause the following physical effects.

The Effect of Chronic Stress on the Body

Over time, the chronic stress response can wreak havoc on your body.³ For instance, you might notice:

Difficulty sleeping or constant fatigue
Digestive issues, like stomach pain or nausea
Being sick more often
Chest pain or tightness
Pounding heart or shortness of breath

These symptoms aren’t “all in your head.” They are real responses that reflect your body’s attempt to stay safe after trauma or prolonged stress. It all comes down to how unresolved tension or hyperarousal can keep you feeling trapped in survival mode.

Trauma-focused somatic therapy directly addresses these bodily symptoms, helping you retrain your nervous system so it no longer interprets everyday life as a threat.

Techniques Used in Somatic Therapy

Mental wellness interventions, like somatic therapy, work off the idea that what happens in our lives gets stored not only in the mind, but also in the body. Therefore, the techniques used in somatic therapy provide practical tools to notice, release, and regulate what your body holds onto.⁴

Instead of only talking about your anxiety or trauma, through somatic techniques, you actively engage your body in the healing process. These strategies are typically best guided by a therapist, but can be practiced at home between sessions.

Some common stress management and somatic therapy techniques include the following.

Grounding Exercises

Grounding exercises help you focus on the present moment in order to reduce feelings of stress, anxiety, depression, or PTSD. They help you retrain your attention to distract yourself long enough for your body to get out of fight-or-flight mode.5

You place your attention on the present moment by doing things like noticing your breath, the feeling of your feet on the floor, or sounds in the room. Additionally, a useful common grounding technique is the 5-4-3-2-1 method.⁶ You do this by listing:

5 things you hear
4 things you see
3 things you can touch
2 things you can smell
1 thing you can taste.

These exercises help you interrupt spirals of fear or panic and bring your awareness back to the here and now. Over time, grounding helps you feel more stable and in control.

Body Scans

A body scan is a form of meditation that teaches you to recognize signs of stress before they build up. These meditations work by slowly bringing your awareness to different parts of the body and noticing tension, numbness, or other sensations without judgment. These benefits are backed up by science, as research shows that meditation, such as a body scan, has a lot of benefits for anxiety and trauma.⁷ Here’s how to do it:

Find a comfortable seated or lying position
Close your eyes or soften your gaze
Start by noticing your breath as it moves in and out
Bring your attention to the top of your head and slowly move downward
Pause at each area – forehead, jaw, shoulders, chest, stomach, legs, feet – and notice any sensations
If you feel tension, take a slow breath and imagine releasing it
Gently shift your focus until you’ve scanned your entire body

By learning to observe without reacting, you can create space for release and healing.

Breathwork

Breathwork, through techniques like deep breathing, allows you to learn intentional breathing patterns that can calm your nervous system, slow your heart rate, and reduce anxiety. A deep, steady breathing pattern signals safety to the body, which allows your SNS to switch off and your stress response to ease.⁸

An example of a breathwork technique is box breathing. Here’s how it works:

Breathe in slowly through your nose for four seconds
Hold for four seconds
Breathe out slowly for four seconds
Hold for four seconds
Repeat as needed

Consistently practicing these breathing techniques can strengthen your ability to self-regulate during stressful moments.

Gentle Movement

Movement encourages energy to flow instead of staying stuck in tension. It also helps restore a sense of agency, reminding you that you can guide how your body responds. However, exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous to release stress. You could stretch, shake out your limbs, or use practices like yoga or tai chi to release stored pressure and improve circulation.⁹

Each of these techniques can help you regulate your body’s stress response. By practicing them consistently, you can retrain your nervous system to return to balance more quickly after stress or triggering experiences.

Benefits of Somatic Therapy for PTSD and Anxiety

For anxiety therapy and PTSD treatment, somatic approaches address both the physical sensations and emotional patterns, so you can experience relief that feels deeper and longer-lasting than talk therapy alone.

The following are some benefits of somatic mental health care:

Reduces the physical symptoms of stress: Somatic therapy directly targets muscle tension, shallow breathing, and fatigue. As you practice grounding, breathwork, and body awareness, your body learns how to return to a calmer baseline instead of staying locked in survival mode.
Improves emotional regulation: By noticing sensations before they build into overwhelming emotions, you gain more control over how you respond.¹⁰ For example, many people find that flashbacks, worry spirals, or panic attacks feel less powerful when they can regulate their body first.
Encourages feelings of safety within the body: Trauma can make your body feel like an unsafe place. Somatic therapy helps you reconnect with your body so you feel less disconnected or “out of control.” This can help foster self-compassion and confidence.
Supports sleep and concentration: By calming down the nervous system, somatic therapy coping strategies for PTSD and anxiety can ease insomnia, nightmares, and difficulty focusing, which are common struggles after trauma.

An additional benefit is that a somatic therapy plan integrates well with other, more traditional therapies like CBT, DBT, and EMDR. By addressing the body’s role in recovery, somatic therapy can help you apply what you learn in other therapies more effectively.

Mission Connection: Finding Healing Through Somatic Therapy

PTSD and anxiety don’t just live in your mind – they affect your whole body. You may feel restless, on edge, or disconnected from yourself, even when you want nothing more than to feel calm and grounded. Recovery can feel out of reach when symptoms keep circling back, but change is possible with the right support.

At Mission Connection, we believe healing happens when care addresses the whole person. Our mental health clinic integrates somatic practices with evidence-based approaches like CBT, EMDR, and DBT to help you release the grip of trauma and reduce the intensity of anxiety. We focus on restoring balance to your nervous system while also strengthening your ability to cope with stress in everyday life.

If you’re tired of carrying the weight of trauma or anxiety alone, you don’t have to keep doing it by yourself. Mission Connection offers a safe, compassionate space where you can learn new skills, reconnect with your body, and take meaningful steps toward lasting relief. Reach out today to discover how our team can walk with you on your path to resilience and renewal.

FAQs About Somatic Therapy for PTSD & Anxiety

Is Somatic Therapy Good for PTSD?

Yes. Somatic therapy can be especially effective for people living with PTSD because it addresses how trauma affects both the mind and body. Instead of only processing memories or thoughts, somatic therapy helps you release the physical tension, hyperarousal, and body-based responses that often linger after trauma. As a result, many clients report fewer flashbacks, better sleep, and a stronger sense of safety after incorporating somatic work into their treatment.

What Does a Therapist Do in Somatic Therapy?

In somatic therapy, your therapist aims to help you tune into your body’s sensations in a safe and supportive way. Sessions often focus on noticing physical responses linked to stress or trauma and guiding your body toward release. To achieve this, you may practice grounding techniques, body scans, breathwork, or gentle movement to reduce tension and regulate your nervous system. The goal is to help you feel more present, calm, and connected to yourself.

What Type of Therapy Is Best for Anxiety?

There isn’t one single therapy that works best for everyone with anxiety. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely studied approaches.¹¹ But somatic therapy, mindfulness-based practices, and EMDR can also provide powerful relief. The most effective treatment often combines evidence-based talk therapy with body-focused techniques that help you manage both the mental and physical symptoms of anxiety.

Does Mission Connection Offer Somatic Therapy for PTSD and Anxiety?

Yes. Mission Connection provides somatic therapy as part of our integrative approach to mental health. Our team combines body-based practices with therapies like CBT, EMDR, and DBT to create a treatment plan tailored to your needs. Whether you’re working through trauma, panic attacks, or ongoing anxiety, we focus on helping you feel safer in your body and more confident in your ability to cope.

References

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