How Somatic Therapy Can Help Heal Depression
Depending on your circumstances, depression can creep into your life slowly.
You may notice one day you’ve stopped doing a lot of the things you’ve previously loved and don’t feel like yourself anymore, or depression can wreck its way into your life quickly, and maybe you know the cause of your depression symptoms. Regardless of where you fall into this category, one thing is the same: depression can be all-consuming and it can be hard to get ourselves out of this space alone.
When depression happens, a lot of the energy we have (and it may be stunted at this point) is used to try to understand what caused the depression or figure out how to get out of it.
If we can’t get the answers or make effective changes right away, we may be left feeling hopeless and unmotivated. Over a period of time, a repetitive pattern of this may cause our bodies to dissociate and avoid any intense emotions, whether they’re pleasant or unpleasant feelings to us - maybe this looks like mindlessly scrolling on Tiktok or Instagram reels, watching 3 seasons of FRIENDS, or playing hours of role-play games to take the mind off of the unchanging reality (Side Note: I’m not against these things, and I myself can be guilty of them from time-to-time, but remember all of these things are OK and fine in moderation, but not when it’s taking up your everyday life). Dissociation can be mistaken for processing, but in reality, it’s a form of engagement in maladaptive (or negative) coping skills. This might explain why it feels like you’re “existing but not living,” and you lose the connection to the present and your present body. You might be feeling numb.
How Can Somatic Therapy Help?
While things like traditional “talk therapy,” can be helpful to help you process your situation, we may need to take this a step further depending on the severity of the dissociation feelings you’re experiencing as the goal would be for you to re-establish a connection with your body and your emotions. This is where Somatic Therapy comes in. Somatic refers to your physical body, so somatic therapy focuses on the connection between the mind and body in relation to wellness and well-being. This means through somatic therapy, you’ll be working on strategies that promote gaining awareness back to what’s being numbed.
This can be unpleasant for a lot of people, so it may be surprising (but it’s normal!) for many people to at first feel extremely uncomfortable to face feelings you’ve been avoiding. The point of somatic therapy is for you to face these feelings with a trusted therapist to guide you through the management, and eventual release, of these emotions. I’ll provide a metaphor and imagery to help explain this concept.
Imagine you’re a little kid again afraid of the dark and hiding under the covers so you don’t see the scary “monster” in your closet. Hiding from the monster may make you feel as though you’re “safe,” but the fear still exists. And you know it does, but you’re avoiding it. If you could just take the courage to get out from underneath the covers and turn the closet light on, you’d see that the scary monster is just a shadow from the moon reflecting off of one of your jackets. Sometimes the courage we need is calling out for mom or dad to help us turn on the light; so in this metaphor, perhaps your therapist is that trusted person to help you turn that light on again and see that the scary monster isn’t actually so scary anymore.
Start Working With a Depression Therapist in Miami, FL
If you’re ready to try a different approach to healing your depression, anxiety, or other mental health ailments, reach out to us to give Somatic Therapy a try! Our team of caring therapists would be happy to offer support with Somatic Therapy and a variety of mental health services. You can also start your therapy journey with Miami Vibes Counseling by following these simple steps:
Contact us to schedule a session
Meet with one of our caring therapists
Start creating new, healthier routines!
Other Services Offered With Miami Vibes Counseling
Depression therapy isn’t the only service that Miami Vibes Counseling offers. Other mental health services include CBT, ACT, TF-CBT, and parenting support. In addition, we are happy to offer treatment for stress, trauma, grief, and anxiety therapy. Our team is happy to provide support for couples, infidelity, children, and families. Learn more about our other services including ESA letters, support for business or employment stress, spirituality, and online therapy. Visit our blog or FAQs page for more helpful info today!
