Why Incorporating the Body Matters in Mental Health Care

Somatic Therapy in Fort Collins, Colorado

I could talk to you about this topic all day. As a licensed therapist, I’ve seen how often people arrive in therapy with a strong understanding of why they feel the way they do, yet continue to feel stuck in familiar patterns. They’ve reflected, analyzed, and gained insight (sometimes for years) while their bodies still respond with anxiety, shutdown, or overwhelm. This disconnect is not a failure of insight or effort; it reflects the important role the nervous system plays in mental health.

Many traditional approaches to mental health therapy, such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), focus primarily on talk-based methods. In this work, we explore thoughts, emotions, and belief systems to better understand challenges and create meaningful change. This approach can be incredibly helpful for building insight and shifting unhelpful patterns. You might think of it as “above-the-neck” or cerebral work.

Somatic psychotherapy offers a complementary, body-based approach to mental health care. Often referred to as somatic therapy or body-based therapy, this method intentionally includes the body in the healing process. Rather than only talking about experiences, somatic therapy invites you to gently notice physical sensations, emotional responses, and nervous system patterns as they arise in the present moment.

This approach is especially effective for nervous system regulation, stress reduction, and trauma-informed care. By cultivating curiosity and awareness of the body’s responses, you can start to honor the body’s innate wisdom. Many people experience somatic work as the “heart” work of therapy.

In my Fort Collins, Colorado therapy practice, I integrate both talk therapy and somatic psychotherapy because focusing on only one can limit the depth of healing. Our thoughts, emotions, and bodies are deeply interconnected. While insight and cognitive understanding are important, lasting change often happens when we also learn how to be with our bodies through difficult emotions.

If you’re curious about somatic therapy in Fort Collins, Colorado, I invite you to schedule a free consultation call with me. A consult call is a low-pressure space to ask questions, share what you’re hoping for in therapy, and see if working together feels like a good fit.

You don’t have to have it all figured out—just a willingness to begin.

Schedule your consultation call today and take the first step toward more integrated, whole-person healing.