Somatic Therapy

Somatic Therapy for New Moms

Somatic Therapy at The Postpartum Den

Motherhood changes the body and the mind at the same time. For many mothers, postpartum anxiety, depression, intrusive thoughts, burnout, panic, irritability, and emotional numbness are not experienced as “just thoughts.” They show up physically. Tightness in the chest. A constantly activated nervous system. Exhaustion that never fully resolves. Feeling on edge for no clear reason. Difficulty relaxing even when the baby is asleep.

Somatic therapy helps address the physical side of emotional distress and is integrated into treatment based on each mother’s clinical presentation, symptoms, nervous system patterns, trauma history, and treatment goals. It is one of many evidence based tools used within care, alongside modalities such as CBT, DBT, attachment focused work, mindfulness, psychoeducation, interpersonal therapy, and trauma informed approaches.

What Is Somatic Therapy?

Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between the mind and body. Rather than working only through verbal processing, somatic approaches help clients notice and regulate physical sensations connected to stress, trauma, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.

Focus areas may include:

Nervous system regulation
Grounding exercises
Breathwork
Body awareness
Movement based interventions
Identifying physical stress responses
Learning to recognize activation and shutdown patterns
Developing safety and stabilization skills

This work can be especially postpartum important when the body itself has gone through pregnancy, birth, sleep deprivation, hormonal shifts, medical stress, or traumatic experiences.

Somatic Therapy for Postpartum Anxiety and Trauma

Many mothers describe feeling physically stuck in survival mode after having a baby. Even when they logically know they are safe, their nervous system continues reacting as if danger is constantly present. Somatic therapy can help mothers experiencing:

Postpartum anxiety
Birth trauma
Panic symptoms
Hypervigilance
Intrusive thoughts
Difficulty sleeping
Chronic overwhelm
Emotional shutdown or numbness
Trauma responses related to medical experiences, infertility, NICU stays, or loss

Somatic work is never used as a standalone therapy or wellness add on. It is incorporated thoughtfully within a broader clinical framework that considers the full picture of maternal mental health.

Somatic Healing in Nashville

Mothers searching for somatic therapy often want something beyond traditional talk therapy because they can feel the distress in their bodies every day. Somatic healing can help mothers:

Feel more regulated physically and emotionally
Increase awareness of stress responses
Reduce chronic nervous system activation
Improve emotional tolerance
Feel more present and connected
Rebuild a sense of safety in their body after difficult experiences

Since treatment planning is individualized, some mothers benefit heavily from somatic interventions, while others may respond more strongly to cognitive or relational approaches. Clinical care is built around what is most effective and appropriate for the individual mother, determined at intake.

Somatic Therapist Spotlight

Ashley Gift, LPC-MHSP
Perinatal Therapist, Som-X

If you’re looking for support that addresses more than thoughts alone, somatic informed therapy may be incorporated into treatment when nervous system activation, chronic stress responses, trauma related symptoms, or physical manifestations of anxiety are affecting daily life.

Ashley Gift is trained in Somatic Experiencing®, a body based therapeutic approach developed to help individuals process and regulate the effects of stress and trauma stored within the nervous system. This work focuses on increasing awareness of physical sensations, nervous system patterns, and the body’s responses to stress in order to support greater regulation, safety, and emotional stability.

Relief, right now.

Our clinical team uses a range of nervous system focused interventions to help mothers stabilize, regain functioning, and feel more like themselves again.