What is somatic therapy?

Somatic therapy is a body-based approach that focuses on the nervous system rather than only thoughts or emotions. It recognizes that stress, fear, and emotional patterns are stored in the body through muscle tension, breath patterns, posture, and physiological responses. Attention is placed on sensation, awareness, and regulation so the nervous system can release what it has been holding.

How is somatic therapy different from talk therapy?

Talk therapy primarily works through conversation, insight, and cognitive understanding. Somatic therapy works at the level of the nervous system and body, where many stress and emotional patterns originate. Rather than analyzing experiences, somatic therapy supports the body in reorganizing itself through safety, pacing, and presence.

Is somatic therapy helpful for anxiety, stress, or burnout?

Yes. Somatic therapy is especially effective for anxiety, chronic stress, and burnout because these conditions are rooted in nervous system dysregulation. By working directly with the body's stress responses, somatic therapy helps restore the nervous system's capacity to regulate, leading to lasting relief rather than temporary coping.

What happens in a somatic therapy session?

Sessions involve guided attention to body sensations, breath patterns, and nervous system states. Through gentle awareness practices, the body begins to release stored tension and reorganize toward safety. Sessions are conducted virtually, creating a comfortable environment for deep nervous system work.

Who is somatic therapy for?

Somatic therapy is for anyone experiencing chronic stress, burnout, anxiety, or nervous system dysregulation. It is particularly effective for high-performing individuals who have tried talk therapy but still feel stuck in patterns of tension, overwhelm, or emotional reactivity.

How many somatic therapy sessions will I need?

Most clients begin to notice shifts within the first 3-5 sessions. The total number varies depending on your history and goals, but many people work with a somatic therapist for 8-16 sessions. Nervous system patterns that developed over years take time to rewire, and the process is designed to be gradual so your body can integrate each shift at its own pace.

Is somatic therapy covered by insurance?

Somatic therapy may be covered by insurance depending on your provider and plan. Sasha Felix provides superbills that you can submit to your insurance company for out-of-network reimbursement. Contact your insurance provider directly to ask about coverage for out-of-network somatic therapy or psychotherapy services.

Can somatic therapy be done virtually?

Yes. Somatic therapy is highly effective in a virtual format. Because the work centers on body awareness, breath, and nervous system regulation rather than hands-on techniques, virtual sessions allow you to practice in your own environment where you feel most comfortable. All sessions with Sasha Felix are conducted online, accessible from anywhere in the United States.

Do I need to relive my trauma during somatic therapy?

No. Somatic therapy does not require you to relive or retell traumatic experiences in detail. The focus is on what your body is holding right now - tension patterns, breath restriction, and nervous system activation. By working with sensation rather than story, somatic therapy allows healing without re-traumatization.

What does nervous system dysregulation feel like?

Nervous system dysregulation often shows up as persistent anxiety, difficulty relaxing, chronic fatigue despite adequate sleep, irritability, brain fog, or feeling wired but tired. You may also notice muscle tension, digestive issues, shallow breathing, or an exaggerated startle response. These are signs your nervous system is stuck in a protective mode.

Can somatic therapy help with anxiety?

Yes. Anxiety is one of the most common reasons people seek somatic therapy. Because anxiety is fundamentally a nervous system response, somatic therapy addresses it at the source. By helping your body shift out of chronic activation and into safety, somatic therapy reduces anxiety symptoms in a lasting way.

Is somatic therapy evidence-based?

Somatic therapy is supported by a growing body of research in trauma recovery, stress reduction, and nervous system regulation. Studies have found somatic approaches can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms and chronic stress. The approach is grounded in established neuroscience, including polyvagal theory and neuroplasticity.

How do I know if somatic therapy is right for me?

Somatic therapy may be a good fit if you have tried talk therapy but still feel stuck in patterns of tension, overwhelm, or emotional reactivity. It is particularly effective for people who experience stress in their body - tightness in the chest, a clenched jaw, shallow breathing, or chronic fatigue.

What should I do to prepare for my first somatic therapy session?

No special preparation is needed. Wear comfortable clothing, find a quiet space where you will not be interrupted, and bring an open willingness to notice what your body is experiencing. Your first session includes time to share what brought you to somatic therapy and to begin noticing how your body responds.

Can somatic therapy help with people-pleasing or perfectionism?

Yes. People-pleasing and perfectionism are often rooted in nervous system patterns developed early in life as strategies for safety and connection. Somatic therapy helps you recognize where these patterns live in your body and supports lasting change that goes deeper than cognitive insight alone.

How is somatic therapy different from somatic experiencing?

Somatic therapy is a broad category of body-based therapeutic approaches. Somatic Experiencing is one specific method within that category, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, focusing on resolving trauma by tracking bodily sensations. Sasha Felix draws from somatic therapy principles including nervous system regulation, body awareness, and trauma-informed care.

What is the difference between somatic therapy and traditional massage or bodywork?

Somatic therapy is a therapeutic modality focused on healing emotional and psychological patterns through body awareness and nervous system regulation. It is not massage or physical manipulation. While bodywork addresses muscular tension, somatic therapy works with the underlying nervous system patterns. Sessions involve guided awareness, breath work, and gentle attention to sensation.

Nervous System Regulation: How to Stop Living in Fight or Flight

May 28

Written By sasha felix

What Is Nervous System Regulation?

Nervous system regulation refers to your body's ability to shift fluidly between activation and rest, between mobilization and recovery. A healthy, regulated nervous system responds appropriately to challenges—activating when you need focus and energy, and downshifting into rest when the challenge has passed. Nervous system regulation is the foundation of resilience, emotional balance, and genuine wellbeing.

When your nervous system is regulated, you feel present and capable. You can handle stress without becoming overwhelmed. You can rest deeply when it's time to rest. Your emotions feel accessible and balanced rather than extreme or numb. Your body feels like home rather than like a threat. For many high-achieving women, this regulated state has become unfamiliar—your nervous system has been in an activated, protective mode for so long that you may not even remember what regulation feels like.

What Is Nervous System Dysregulation?

Nervous system dysregulation occurs when your nervous system gets stuck in activation mode—living primarily in what's often called the "fight or flight" response. In this state, your body perceives threat and prepares for survival, even when there's no actual threat. Your nervous system has learned, through experience or through sustained high-stress living, that safety is not available, so it remains on high alert.

Living in chronic fight or flight is exhausting. When your nervous system stays activated, your body produces elevated levels of cortisol and adrenaline, your breathing becomes shallow, your muscles remain tense, and your mind tends toward vigilance and worry. Over time, this state of nervous system dysregulation becomes your baseline—you don't even notice that you're dysregulated anymore because it's just how you've learned to live.

Some people experience nervous system dysregulation as constant anxiety and hypervigilance—the fight or flight response in its activated form. Others experience it as shutdown or freeze, a protective state where you feel numb, disconnected, or unable to access your emotional life. Many people move between these states, sometimes hyperactivated and sometimes collapsed, neither of which is a regulated nervous system state.

What Are the Signs of a Dysregulated Nervous System?

Understanding whether your nervous system is dysregulated is the first step toward healing. There are many signs that your nervous system is not in a regulated state, and they often show up physically before you notice them mentally or emotionally.

Chronic muscle tension is one of the most common signs. If you're always holding tension in your shoulders, jaw, chest, or neck, your nervous system is likely in a protective posture. Shallow breathing is another indicator—dysregulated nervous systems often breathe high in the chest rather than from the belly, which actually perpetuates the feeling of threat. If you notice you're frequently holding your breath or can't seem to breathe deeply, your nervous system dysregulation is likely contributing.

Sleep disturbances are nearly universal with nervous system dysregulation. Whether you struggle to fall asleep because your mind won't quiet, wake repeatedly throughout the night, or feel unrefreshed even after sleep, your nervous system's dysregulation is affecting your capacity for restorative rest. Anxiety and racing thoughts, especially when you're trying to rest, are classic signs that your nervous system is stuck in activation.

Many people with dysregulated nervous systems experience emotional reactivity. Small things feel huge. You might snap at people you love over minor issues, or find yourself crying more easily than you used to. Conversely, some people experience emotional flatness or numbness—a disconnection from their feelings as a protective mechanism. Difficulty concentrating, forgetfulness, or brain fog often accompany nervous system dysregulation because your nervous system's resources are directed toward threat detection rather than cognitive tasks.

Physical symptoms are also common signs of nervous system dysregulation. Chronic pain, headaches, digestive issues, and hormonal imbalances often correlate with a dysregulated nervous system. Many women experience worsening of PMS or menstrual irregularities when their nervous system is dysregulated. Some people feel a constant sense of restlessness or agitation, while others feel perpetually exhausted. The common thread is that your body feels out of sync, uncomfortable, or unsafe.

How Does Somatic Therapy Help Regulate Your Nervous System?

Somatic therapy works with nervous system regulation by inviting your body to gradually learn that safety is possible. At the foundation of nervous system dysregulation is often the belief—held not consciously but in the body—that safety is not available. Somatic therapy doesn't argue with your nervous system. Instead, it gently provides experiences of safety until your nervous system learns, through direct experience, that downregulation is possible.

A key tool in somatic therapy is breath work. Your breathing directly influences your nervous system. When you breathe slowly and deeply from your belly, you activate your parasympathetic nervous system—the part of your nervous system that supports rest and recovery. A somatic therapist guides you to explore your breath, to notice how you habitually breathe, and to experiment with breathing patterns that help your nervous system shift into a more regulated state. Over time, these new breathing patterns become integrated into your daily life.

Movement is another powerful tool in somatic therapy for nervous system regulation. Dysregulation often involves trapped energy in your body—movements your nervous system was preparing to make during times of stress but never completed. Gentle, guided movement in somatic therapy allows your body to complete these patterns, discharging the held tension and allowing your nervous system to begin to relax. This isn't exercise—it's slow, mindful, attuned movement that helps your body find ease.

Somatic therapists also work with awareness and sensation. By bringing gentle, non-judgmental awareness to your body, noticing areas of ease and areas of tension, you create a dialogue with your nervous system. Your therapist guides you to find small moments of safety in your body—a place where you feel slightly more at ease—and from that foundation, you gradually expand your capacity for regulation. This is deeply different from forcing yourself to relax.

Touch can also be part of somatic therapy for nervous system regulation. Not invasive touch, but gentle pressure on areas of tension, or grounding touch that helps your body feel more present and anchored in the moment. Some people find that this physical connection helps their nervous system believe that they are safe and not alone.

Over time, as you work with somatic therapy, your nervous system learns new patterns. You begin to experience moments of genuine calm and presence. Your capacity to handle stress without becoming dysregulated expands. Your emotional life becomes more accessible and balanced. Most importantly, you develop a felt sense that your nervous system is capable of regulation, that safety is possible, and that you don't have to live in constant fight or flight.

What Does a Regulated Nervous System Feel Like?

If you've been dysregulated for a long time, you may not remember what regulation feels like. A regulated nervous system feels fundamentally different. You feel present in your body and in your life. You can access your emotions without being overwhelmed by them. Your mind is relatively quiet—not thought-free, but without the constant loops of worry and planning that dysregulation creates.

Physically, a regulated nervous system feels spacious in your chest. Your breathing is natural and deep. Your body feels relatively relaxed without effort. You can move and respond to challenges, but you're not in a perpetual state of bracing. You feel capable rather than threatened. You can rest deeply when it's time to rest, and activate appropriately when you need to.

Emotionally and relationally, a regulated nervous system allows you to be present with people you care about. You can listen without planning what you'll say next. You can be vulnerable without feeling like it's dangerous. You experience joy and pleasure more readily. Your emotional responses feel proportionate to what's actually happening rather than colored by old fears and threat patterns.

A regulated nervous system also brings a sense of groundedness and trust. There's a felt sense that you can handle what comes, that you're resourced, that you're not alone. This doesn't mean you never feel anxious or stressed—regulated people still experience normal stress responses to actual challenges. But you trust your capacity to work through it, and you're not constantly preemptively defending against threat.

Practical Self-Awareness Tools for Nervous System Regulation

Beyond working with a somatic therapist, there are practices you can begin right now to increase awareness of your nervous system and support its regulation. The first step is always awareness—noticing where you are on the spectrum from activation to shutdown.

Throughout your day, pause and ask yourself: Where am I right now? Am I feeling activated and hyper-vigilant, calm and present, or somewhere in between? You can develop a simple scale in your mind—perhaps 0-10, where 0 is deep sleep and 10 is panic. Most dysregulated people operate somewhere between 6-8, rarely dropping below 5 or rising above 8 in a healthy way. Notice, without judgment, where you tend to live.

Bring awareness to your breathing. Several times a day, place your hand on your belly and notice: Am I breathing shallowly from my chest, or deeply from my belly? Shallow breathing actually reinforces dysregulation, while belly breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system. You don't need to force change yet—just notice.

Notice where you hold tension. Scan your body and identify your personal tension signature. Do you clench your jaw? Raise your shoulders? Tighten your belly or chest? When you notice these patterns, you're creating the foundation for change. Somatic therapy will help you work with these patterns more deeply, but noticing them is where it all begins.

Pay attention to what activities actually help your nervous system downregulate. Not what you think should help, but what actually shifts how you feel in your body. For some people it's walking in nature, for others it's creative expression, time in water, or simply quiet alone time. As you notice what genuinely helps, you can intentionally include more of these practices in your life.

Beginning Your Nervous System Regulation Journey

If you recognize dysregulation in your nervous system—the chronic activation, the difficulty resting, the constant vigilance—nervous system regulation through somatic therapy offers a genuine path out. This isn't about controlling your nervous system or white-knuckling your way to calm. It's about creating the conditions for your nervous system to remember its capacity for healthy regulation, where you can activate appropriately for challenges and downshift into genuine rest and recovery.

About the Author

Sasha Felix, M.Ac., is a somatic therapist specializing in nervous system regulation for high-achieving women. Through body-centered somatic therapy, Sasha helps women move out of chronic fight-or-flight activation and into states of genuine calm, presence, and resilience. Offering virtual sessions nationwide, her approach is warmly authoritative, evidence-based, and designed to help your nervous system learn that safety and regulation are possible.

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