Somatic Psychotherapy in Toronto, Richmond Hill & Vaughan

Because the Body Remembers What the Mind Can’t Explain

You’ve tried to talk it through. But something still doesn’t feel right.

Maybe it’s the racing heart before a meeting. Or the tension that never leaves your shoulders. Maybe you feel disconnected from your body, like you’re floating through life on autopilot.

You’ve read the books, done the journaling, tried traditional talk therapy—and while it helped in some ways, it didn’t reach the places where your pain actually lives.

That’s where Somatic Psychotherapy begins.

Emotional trauma and stress don’t just affect the mind—they live in the body too.

What is Somatic Psychotherapy?

Somatic Psychotherapy is a trauma-informed, body-based approach to therapy that helps you heal not just through insight—but through your nervous system.

While traditional therapy focuses on thoughts and emotions, somatic therapy understands that trauma, stress, and emotional pain are often stored in the body—manifesting as tension, chronic illness, fatigue, or disconnection.

In a somatic session, you might be invited to gently explore sensations, breath, posture, or movement. These subtle cues are doorways into deeper healing—often where words fall short.

Because healing isn’t always about rehashing the story. It’s about giving your body the chance to complete the survival responses it never got to finish.

Why This Matters: When Talk Isn’t Enough

Our bodies hold memories in ways the mind can’t always name.

• • A clenched jaw from years of holding back
  • A collapsed chest from repeated heartbreak
  • A numb belly from childhood survival mode

Somatic Psychotherapy helps you make sense of these physical signals—and slowly unwind them in a safe, supported space.

This approach is especially effective for:

• • Complex PTSD and developmental trauma
  • Chronic stress and anxiety
  • Somatic symptoms (like fatigue, pain, or digestive issues)
  • Emotional numbness or dissociation
  • Overwhelm, burnout, or nervous system dysregulation

When we invite the body into therapy, we access a deeper layer of truth—and a gentler path to healing.

Healing doesn’t always begin with words. Somatic therapy helps you listen to what your body’s been trying to say all along.

How Somatic Therapy Works

Somatic therapy is gentle, collaborative, and rooted in present-moment awareness. You don’t need to “go deep” right away. You just need to show up as you are.

In a session, your therapist may guide you to:

• • Notice sensations in specific areas (like the chest, stomach, or throat)
  • Track breath or posture shifts as you speak
  • Explore grounding, orienting, or movement as tools for regulation
  • Name emotional states as they show up physically

We go slow. We stay curious.

We don’t force anything—you and your body set the pace.

This is not about “fixing” you. It’s about helping your nervous system remember what safety feels like.

What Makes Somatic Therapy Different

While talk therapy works from the top down (thoughts to feelings to body), somatic therapy starts from the bottom up—working directly with your body’s patterns to create emotional and mental change.

 

Somatic therapy doesn’t just help you understand why you’re struggling—it helps you feel what it’s like to move through it.

You don’t have to explain it all. Sometimes healing begins by simply noticing what your body is already trying to tell you.

Who Is Somatic Therapy For?

Somatic Psychotherapy is especially helpful if you:

• • Feel disconnected from your body or emotions
  • Have done talk therapy but feel something is still “stuck”
  • Experience physical symptoms with no clear medical cause
  • Live with chronic stress, anxiety, or burnout
  • Struggle with boundaries, dissociation, or feeling “too much”

Whether you’re navigating trauma, high sensitivity, or emotional overload, somatic therapy offers a path that honors your body’s wisdom.

What To Expect

Somatic therapy is gentle and collaborative—and while every session is unique, here’s what you can generally expect.

• • 60-minute sessions, in-person or virtual
  • Consent-based, attuned pacing—no pressure or agenda
  • Gentle, collaborative work with both mind and body
  • Tools you can use between sessions to support your nervous system
  • A space where all parts of you—physical, emotional, intuitive—are welcome

Above all, you can expect a therapy experience that honours your pace, your body, and your capacity to heal.

“My body held the grief before I even knew what I was grieving. Somatic therapy helped me finally feel safe again—without needing the right words.”

The Outcome: Embodied Healing, From the Inside Out

After working with somatic therapy, clients often describe:

• • Feeling calmer without needing to “think their way there”
  • Less tension, fewer flare-ups of stress or illness
  • Reconnection to body, emotion, and intuition
  • Feeling whole—not just functional
  • A deeper trust in themselves and their resilience

This is healing that doesn’t just happen in your head—it happens in your whole system.

Meet Our Somatic Psychotherapists

At Inner Summits, our team of registered psychotherapists is trained in somatic approaches including:

• • Somatic Experiencing (SE)
  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
  • Polyvagal-informed therapy
  • Deep Brain Reorienting and parts work (IFS)

We believe in integrating neuroscience, compassion, and body wisdom to create sustainable healing.

Below are just a few of our friendly faces, and you can learn more about us on Our Team page.

You don’t have to do this alone. Healing is possible—and it begins with listening to your body.

Our Locations: Toronto, Vaughan & Richmond Hill

We offer Somatic Psychotherapy at both our Toronto, Vaughan and Richmond Hill locations—as well as anywhere across Ontario, virtually—with flexible scheduling for in-person or virtual sessions. Whether you’re healing from trauma, anxiety, or chronic stress, we’re here to support your mind and body in the healing process.

This is healing from the inside out—not just coping, but coming back home to yourself.

FAQs 

What is somatic psychotherapy and how does it work?

Somatic Psychotherapy focuses on the connection between the mind and body. It uses techniques like body awareness, movement, and breathwork to help release stored emotions and trauma that are physically held in the body, providing deeper emotional healing.

Is somatic therapy effective for trauma?

Yes! Somatic Therapy is especially effective for trauma because it addresses both the emotional and physical aspects of trauma. This helps to release stored tension and promote healing at a deeper level.

Do I need to be “in touch with my body” to do somatic therapy?

Not at all. Many people start therapy feeling disconnected from their body. We go slowly, and your therapist helps guide the process safely.

Will I have to move or do physical exercises?

You never have to do anything. Sometimes somatic therapy may explore movement, but just as often somatic therapy can involve subtle awareness (like breath or sensation). There’s no pressure to move, and all exploration is consent-based.

Can this be done virtually?

Yes. Many clients find virtual somatic therapy highly effective. Our therapists offer grounding, regulation, and presence through secure online sessions.

Is this the same as massage or bodywork?

No. Somatic Psychotherapy is a mental health modality—it involves talking, reflecting, and feeling, not physical touch.

Ready to Reconnect with Your Body and Heal from Trauma?

You don’t need to know what’s wrong. You don’t even need the words.

You just need to want something more—and be willing to listen to the wisdom already inside you.

Book A Free Consultation

Get in touch. Let’s begin the journey back to yourself.