Grigore Counselling & Associates
Somatic Therapy
Somatic Therapy
Releases stored trauma through body awareness: Helps process and release unresolved stress and trauma held in the body, not just the mind.
Supports emotional regulation: Enhances your ability to recognize, understand, and manage emotional responses in daily life.
Complements talk therapy: Offers a powerful alternative or addition to traditional therapy, especially for those who feel disconnected from their emotions or overwhelmed by verbal processing.
Body
Awareness
Learn to tune into physical sensations as signals of emotional and psychological states.
Self-
Regulation
Develop tools to calm the nervous system and manage stress or overwhelm more effectively.
Mind-Body
Connection
Build a deeper sense of presence, grounding, and integration between thoughts, feelings, and bodily experiences.
Enhanced
Resilience
Gain the ability to recover more quickly from emotional triggers and challenging life experiences.
How Does Somatic Therapy Work?
Somatic Therapy is a body-oriented, evidence-informed approach that supports healing from trauma, stress, and emotional dysregulation by working directly with the nervous system and bodily sensations.
Somatic Therapy helps clients access and release unresolved trauma held in the body through mindful awareness, movement, breathwork, and grounding techniques that promote nervous system regulation and emotional resilience.
Clients typically begin by developing awareness of physical sensations and patterns of tension, followed by gentle, guided interventions that support the body’s natural capacity to release and integrate difficult experiences.
Somatic Therapy is most often delivered in individual sessions but can also be incorporated into group or integrative therapy settings. The pace is individualized, but many clients report noticeable shifts in emotional awareness, stress reduction, and overall well-being within several sessions.
Somatic Therapy helps clients reconnect with their bodies and restore a sense of safety and wholeness:
Interoceptive Awareness: Cultivates sensitivity to internal body signals as a foundation for emotional insight.
Grounding & Centering: Promotes a sense of physical and emotional stability during moments of distress.
Titration & Pendulation: Introduces trauma gently and in manageable doses to prevent overwhelm and support integration.
Nervous System Regulation: Builds capacity to move between states of arousal and calm, fostering resilience and healing.
Somatic Therapy Can Help With...
Trauma
& PTSD
Anxiety
Depression
Chronic Stress
Grief & Loss
Attachment &
Relationships
Panic Attacks
Body Image
Sexual Trauma
Dissociation
Chronic Pain
Emotional
Regulation
Somatic Therapy Fast Facts
Pricing Options
We carefully hand-select our therapists to provide the highest level of evidence-based care for our clients.
Working together as a collective, each case could be overseen by the entire group. It’s like paying for one therapist but having 10+ therapists with over 50+ years of clinical experience.
Your wellbeing is our primary objective, so our goal is to help you reach your goal(s) as soon as possible.
Student / Jr therapist
- Supervised by Robert Grigore
- Extended Benefits Covers All
- Safe & Accepting Environment
- Masters-Level Student
Registered Therapist
- Evidence-Based Treatments
- Extended Benefits Covers All
- Safe & Accepting Environment
- Specialized Training
FAQ
Most frequent questions and answers
Somatic Therapy is most commonly used to treat trauma-related conditions, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, and physical symptoms linked to emotional distress—especially when talk therapy alone hasn’t led to lasting change.
Somatic Therapy helps clients reconnect with their bodies to process and release stored tension and trauma, promoting deeper healing, improved emotional regulation, and a greater sense of safety and presence.
Most of our therapists provide both in-person and virtual therapy. It is best to check with your desired therapist to find out what they offer. Discover your next therapist here.
Somatic Therapy differs by focusing on the body as a gateway to healing—it emphasizes awareness of physical sensations and the nervous system, helping clients release trauma physically rather than just cognitively or emotionally.
You’ll know therapy is working when you notice positive changes, such as improved coping skills, better relationships, reduced symptoms, and increased self-awareness. Additionally, if you feel heard, supported, and confident in applying what you’ve learned outside of sessions, therapy is likely making a difference.
While therapy itself doesn’t typically have physical side effects, emotional discomfort can arise as you work through challenging issues. However, most people experience relief, growth, and improved well-being over time.
It depends on the therapist’s training, the client’s consent, and the specific somatic therapy modality being used.
Touch in Somatic Therapy:
In some forms (like Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, or Hakomi), touch may be used — but it’s never automatic.
Touch is only introduced with clear, informed consent and when it is therapeutically appropriate.
The therapist will typically discuss the purpose of touch ahead of time, and clients always have the right to say no or stop at any time.
No-Touch Somatic Therapy:
Many somatic therapists never use touch at all, and instead work through:
Breathwork
Guided movement
Noticing internal sensations
Visualization
Grounding and resourcing techniques
Touch can be a part of somatic therapy, but it is not required or typical in all cases. Ethical, client-centered somatic therapists prioritize safety, consent, and empowerment above all.
Please ask your therapist to explain how touch may or may not be involved in your Somatic Therapy.
Most likely. It’s important to check with your insurance carrier to determine if they cover “Registered Clinical Counselling,” “Clinical Counselling,” “Counselling,” “Mental Health Counselling,” “Psychotherapy,” “Psychological Services.”
Some carriers only cover services from Psychologists, Psychiatrists, or Social Workers. Others accept Registered Clinical Counsellors (which is our designation).
We have conveniently included all insurance carriers where our services are accepted (although others who have not been included may still provide reimbursement if they cover Registered Clinical Counsellors).
If you determine your carrier will accept our services in full or in part, you are required to pay in full for our services, and then seek reimbursement from your insurance carrier.
It’s confusing isn’t it? Let’s bring some clarity here.
Psychiatrists are medical doctors (MD’s) with a focus on mental health. They can formally diagnose and prescribe medications.
Psychologists are “doctors of psychology” but are not medical doctors. They have a PhD. They are allowed to diagnose mental health conditions, conduct psychological assessments, but cannot prescribe medications.
Psychotherapists and Clinical Counsellors are interchangeable designations where each province will have certain protected rights to use a particular designation. For example, in British Columbia, we are called either Registered Clinical Counsellors or Certified Clinical Counsellors; in Ontario the term used is Registered Psychotherapist. Counsellors/Psychotherapists (whichever term is used) generally have a MA level degree, are able to conduct psychological /counselling services but are not able to formally diagnose, assess, or prescribe medication.
Social Workers are able to conduct counselling sessions and are governed by the College of Social Workers. They may also belong to other professional associations and conduct therapy/counselling/psychotherapy within those guidelines.
Social workers most often have a MA level degree, and like Clinical Counsellors/Psychotherapists, cannot formally diagnose, assess, or prescribe medication.
Hope that helps!
