Somatic Support ~ when you just can't talk about it anymore!

Somatic Support provides various forms of body-centered modalities that look at the connection of mind and body for holistic healing. The approach is based on the belief that thought, emotions, and sensations are all believed to be interconnected and influence one another. Instead of traditional talk therapy, somatic support uses mind-body exercises and other physical techniques to help release the pent-up tension that negatively affects a client's physical and emotional well-being.

The body has a profound wisdom to guide people to healing simply from what can be learned from one’s gestures, posture, facial expressions, eye gaze, and movement. In somatic support, different techniques such as yoga therapy, meditation, breathwork, and mindfulness are used and taught to a client so as to create a map of the body's pathway toward healing by undoing the old patterns of tension and stress. 

Somatic Support can also include a hands-on approach using the method of John. F. Barnes Myofascial Release. You can learn more about this work here. The way it is integrated into a Somatic Support session is a client will lay on a massage table clothed, usually on their back, and Kate will use an intuitive approach to start on a specific area of the body that seems to be holding tension or go off of the feedback of the client as far as where tension or pain is living in their body. This method includes light touch, gentle stretching, and sometimes gentle rocking of the body to help it release what it needs to. Why this approach is so powerful is the intention to follow the lead of the body. This is not a typical massage as there is no agenda to manipulate the tissue but instead to follow its guidance towards release. There is some conversation during the session as to what the client is feeling in their body and where the sensation is specifically to make sure the client and Kate are working together to listen to and follow the feedback of the body. Since the body is made of energy, another guidance system the body will offer is a change in temperature such as getting warm, hot, or cold. Knowing every body and experience will be different this type of session leans on being present in the body and it is suggested to those who have had previous experience with other mind-body modalities.