How to Find a Somatic Therapist Near Coral Gables

A somatic therapist near Coral Gables can help you release stress and trauma held in your body through gentle attention to sensation, breath, and movement. I'm a somatic therapist with an office in Coral Gables, and I also offer virtual somatic therapy anywhere in Florida. Here's how to tell whether somatic therapy, and a particular therapist, is right for you.

What does a somatic therapist do?

A somatic therapist helps you notice what's happening in your body while you talk about what's happening in your life. That might be a tight chest, a clenched jaw, or feeling far away from yourself. Then you work with those sensations so your nervous system can settle instead of staying on alert.

Somatic therapy meets you where words run out.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, the goal isn't only to understand your reactions. It's to help your body learn, through experience, that it's safe now. Over time, many clients notice they react less intensely and recover faster after stress.

Who is somatic therapy a good fit for?

Somatic therapy can help if you understand your patterns but still feel anxious or stuck. It also helps if you carry tension or chronic symptoms that get worse with stress, or if you feel numb and disconnected most of the time. Many people who seek it out find that rest and calm feel strangely uncomfortable.

Many of my clients have tried talk therapy before. They come to me because they want their body to feel the change their mind already understands.

What should I ask a somatic therapist before starting?

Ask how they pace the work and what a session actually looks like. A trauma-informed somatic therapist will go slowly and let you stay in control. It's also fair to ask whether sessions involve touch.

In my practice, there's no physical touch, and you never have to do anything that doesn't feel right. I often combine somatic work with Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR) for specific memories and DBT skills for everyday coping.

A good somatic therapist also checks in often about how you're feeling and slows down when something feels like too much. If a therapist rushes you or pushes you past your comfort zone, that's a sign to keep looking.

Is in-person or virtual somatic therapy better?

Both can work well. In person, some clients like leaving home and sitting in a calm room with someone present. Online, others find it easier to relax in their own space, especially with ADHD or a chronic illness.

You can also switch between the two. Sessions range from $200 to $400 depending on length, and I recommend 80-minute sessions for most clients. All sessions are private pay, in English or Spanish.

If you're near Coral Gables, or anywhere in Florida, and want therapy that works with your body instead of against it, I'd love to hear from you. Book a free 15-minute intro call to see if we're a good fit.

Nicole San Martin, Registered Mental Health Counselor Intern, Casa Sol Psychology

Research

• Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., et al. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189

• Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023