No. Massage relaxes the muscles physically. It brings temporary relief, but the habitual way the body holds tension does not change, and the tension returns. In somatic therapy, touch is a tool, not the point of the work: the therapist works not with the muscle itself, but with the reaction behind it. The result is a changed response pattern, not muscles that stay relaxed for a couple of days.
Psychotherapy works through words and awareness. Somatic therapy works where reactions form before you have had a chance to become aware of them, with preverbal childhood experiences and with body memory that cannot be put into words. At the same time, emotions, their meaning, and their connection to your history are woven into the process: this is full-fledged therapy, not just work with the body.
No, not if you don't want to. The therapy works first and foremost with the bodily patterns that formed as a result of lived experience, in many cases without needing to recall or relive it.
You remain in full control of the process: at any moment you can stop working with any area of the body or any emotional experience. There is no need to endure discomfort for the sake of a result. We can always adjust the intensity or the way we are working, find a different approach to the same block, or come back to it later. Any reactions triggered by the therapy can be dialed back to a level that feels comfortable to you.
In most cases, releasing tension feels pleasant, rather like stretching after waking up. Some chronically tense areas can be sensitive or tender, especially during the first sessions, but the intensity of the work is chosen individually and is always adjusted based on your feedback. As the work progresses, sensitivity usually decreases along with the level of chronic tension.
Yes. Nothing is expected of you: you don't need to know how to feel your body, relax, concentrate, know exactly what is behind your difficulties, or articulate what you want to achieve. All of that becomes part of the work, not a condition for starting it.
No. There are no exercises and no homework. The only thing asked of you is to notice your bodily and emotional states between sessions and talk about them at our next session. It's all useful material.
No. The method works with bodily patterns, not beliefs, so you don't need to believe in it. All it takes is a willingness to notice what you feel and talk about it.
There's no way to know the exact number in advance; it depends on your concerns and how deeply ingrained the patterns are. Here are some reference points: short-term work is 8–15 sessions, the most common format is 20–40 sessions, and longer-term work runs from six months to a year. For more details, see the Sessions & Pricing page.
More than the length of the session itself: before it, you need time to change and settle in; after it, you need time to freshen up and gather yourself without rushing. A diagnostic session takes longer: the work itself lasts 75–100 minutes, plus a discussion of the results that takes up to half an hour, so set aside 2 to 2.5 hours for your first visit. Best to pick a time when you won't have to rush anywhere afterward.
Let me know no later than 48 hours in advance, and you can cancel or reschedule free of charge. If you let me know later, the session is charged: that time was reserved for you, and another client can't take that slot on a few hours' notice.
The method is not a substitute for psychiatric care or crisis treatment; it is not suitable if the tension or pain is caused by physical illness; and it's not a fit if being touched by a therapist is not okay with you.
Start with a diagnostic session, a full session in which the therapist carefully reads the whole body, finds areas of tension and blocks, and connects them with your emotional states. It usually takes 2–3 sessions to find out whether this method is right for you: a diagnostic session and one or two therapy sessions. Book →