How Somatic Therapy Enhances EMDR for Trauma Recovery

Healing from trauma requires more than just talking about what happened. It asks us to process the emotional residue that lingers not only in our thoughts, but also in our bodies. That’s why trauma-focused therapists are increasingly blending EMDR therapy with somatic therapy, creating a powerful, integrative approach to recovery.

At Inner Summits, we support individuals in navigating their healing journey through methods that treat the whole person—mind, body, and nervous system. If you’re curious about how somatic therapy complements EMDR therapy, this article explores their unique roles, how they interact, and why combining them often leads to more sustainable, embodied healing.

Understanding EMDR Therapy: A Proven Path to Emotional Processing

EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a structured and evidence-based therapy developed in the late 1980s. It’s designed to help people process traumatic memories that haven’t been fully integrated or resolved. During EMDR sessions, therapists guide clients through bilateral stimulation—often eye movements, tapping, or audio tones—while focusing on distressing memories. This process supports the brain’s natural ability to reprocess and reframe emotional experiences.

EMDR has been extensively studied and is recognized as one of the most effective treatments for trauma and PTSD. It’s endorsed by organizations like the American Psychological Association, the World Health Organization, and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

What sets EMDR apart is its ability to help clients reprocess trauma without needing to discuss every painful detail out loud. This makes it especially helpful for individuals who find traditional talk therapy emotionally taxing or retraumatizing.

However, for some clients, EMDR can stir up intense sensations or emotional flooding—especially when the body’s stress response is already on high alert. This is where somatic therapy becomes a powerful addition.

What Is Somatic Therapy and Why Is It Important?

Somatic therapy is a holistic approach that focuses on the connection between the body and mind. It’s grounded in the understanding that trauma isn’t just stored in memory—it’s held physically in the nervous system. Even long after an event has occurred, the body may continue to operate as though the threat is still present.

Through body awareness, grounding techniques, breathwork, and gentle movement, somatic therapy helps individuals release the tension and survival energy that gets stuck in the body. Instead of just talking about trauma, clients are guided to feel into their bodies and develop a sense of safety, regulation, and presence.

This body-based approach is rooted in the principles of polyvagal theory, which explains how our nervous system responds to stress, and somatic experiencing, a method that supports the discharge of fight, flight, or freeze responses.

While EMDR targets the cognitive and emotional layers of trauma, somatic therapy works with the physiological imprint—allowing both mind and body to come into alignment.

Why Combine EMDR with Somatic Therapy?

Trauma manifests in many forms—panic attacks, chronic anxiety, emotional numbness, dissociation, or even physical pain. While EMDR can effectively help reprocess traumatic memories, the body often needs a different kind of attention to truly let go.

By integrating somatic therapy into EMDR, clients can experience deeper, more regulated healing. Here’s how the two therapies complement each other:

1. Grounding and Resourcing
Somatic techniques like breath awareness, body scanning, and orienting help clients feel more grounded before and after EMDR sessions. This prepares the nervous system for reprocessing work and helps reduce overwhelm.

2. Enhanced Awareness of Sensations
During EMDR, clients often notice physical sensations that carry emotional meaning. A somatic approach encourages them to pay attention to these sensations rather than ignore or suppress them. This awareness deepens the therapeutic process and often reveals layers of trauma that aren’t accessible through words alone.

3. Nervous System Regulation
Somatic therapy teaches clients how to recognize when they’re moving outside their “window of tolerance”—the zone in which emotional processing can occur without flooding or shutting down. When combined with EMDR, this regulation helps clients stay present and engaged in their healing process.

4. Physical Release of Trauma
Sometimes, emotional release is accompanied by physical sensations—shaking, sighing, muscle twitching, or changes in posture. These are signs that trauma is moving out of the body. A somatic-informed therapist understands and supports these processes, allowing the body to complete what it couldn’t during the original traumatic event.

5. Integration and Embodiment
After EMDR reprocessing, somatic therapy helps clients integrate the experience at a bodily level. They begin to feel safer in their own skin, develop resilience, and experience increased capacity for joy, connection, and calm.

Who Benefits Most from an Integrated Approach?

Combining somatic therapy and EMDR is especially beneficial for individuals dealing with:

• Complex trauma or developmental trauma

• Chronic anxiety, hypervigilance, or emotional reactivity

• Feelings of disconnection or numbness

• PTSD symptoms that haven’t improved with talk therapy alone

• Physical symptoms with no medical explanation, often linked to stress or trauma

When a person’s nervous system is constantly in fight, flight, or freeze mode, traditional cognitive therapies may not reach the deeper layers where healing needs to happen. An integrated EMDR and somatic approach speaks to both the psychological and physiological components of trauma.

Healing Is Not Just About Remembering—It’s About Reconnecting

What makes the combination of EMDR and somatic therapy so effective is that it honors the full experience of being human. Trauma doesn’t just impact thoughts—it affects how we breathe, how we hold ourselves, how we sleep, how we relate to others, and how we feel in our own bodies.

When people begin to reconnect with their bodies during therapy, they often discover a greater sense of agency, safety, and calm. This embodied sense of healing helps prevent retraumatization, reduces symptoms, and increases long-term resilience.

At Inner Summits, we’ve seen how powerful it is when clients not only process what happened but also feel different in their bodies. They’re not just thinking new thoughts—they’re experiencing life differently.

Finding the Right Support for Your Healing Journey

Choosing a therapist who understands both EMDR and somatic therapy is essential. This integrated work requires a deep understanding of trauma physiology, as well as the skills to help clients navigate intense emotional and physical experiences safely.

If you’re considering therapy for trauma or stress-related symptoms, ask your provider about their training in somatic approaches. Look for signs that they prioritize nervous system regulation, body awareness, and trauma-informed care.

The therapeutic relationship is also key. Feeling safe, seen, and supported is the foundation of any successful healing journey.

Begin the Journey Back to Yourself

Lasting trauma recovery happens when the mind and body are both invited into the healing process. EMDR helps untangle the past, while somatic therapy brings presence and peace into the now. Together, they create a deeply transformative experience that helps people feel whole again.

If you’ve been stuck, overwhelmed, or feeling like traditional therapy isn’t getting to the root of things, it may be time to try an integrative approach.

Explore how somatic therapy and EMDR therapy can unlock deeper healing.
Reach out to Inner Summits to connect with a trauma-informed therapist who understands the power of working with the body and mind together.

Take the first step toward embodied trauma recovery—your healing starts here.