What is safe somatic touch?

Touch can be a very powerful deep way of healing while combined with talk therapy. Some say touch is our first language. It is especially beneficial when treating developmental and relational trauma, and preverbal attachment wounds.

Using a massage table, safe somatic touch includes embodied holding with a combination of psychological and attachment inquiries. You will be fully clothed and with your participation, I will use gentle light touch to hold places on the body that feel safe. Places of holds can vary from one person to another. Some examples of holds are shoulder and knee, the feet, the diaphragm, sacrum, kidneys, head, heart, chest and belly. The purposes of the holds are to attend to the body on a somatic level, to allow resources in, to regulate, to slow down, to relearn how to breath, to feel more connected to parts of the body that aren’t in connection and to create co-regulation. It is collaborative work.

Sexual touch will never be part of our work. We can talk about the differences of sexual touch and non-sexual touch. We can also discuss the differences between safe touch and non-safe (intrusive, harmful touch).

When appropriate and according to my clinical judgment, with your approval, I can use touch in our work together. It is however, an option, and your therapy can proceed effectively without it.

I trained with Relational Somatic Healing in psychotherapeutic touch. The foundations of Breema also inform how I offer touch.