Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC
Holistic anxiety, attachment, and trauma therapist in Los Angeles.
things to know about somatic therapy in Los Angeles
What Is Somatic Therapy & Why Should You Care?
Have you ever wondered why your body seems to react to stress, anxiety, or triggers before your mind even catches up? That’s because your emotions aren’t just in your head—they’re stored in your body. Somatic therapy is a powerful way to release those emotions, helping you heal in a way that feels grounded, effective, and long-lasting.
In a fast-paced city like Los Angeles, where stress is practically a way of life, many people are turning to somatic therapy to address everything from anxiety and trauma to feelings of disconnection. Whether you’re someone who’s tired of repeating old patterns or you’re just curious about how this approach works, this blog breaks down 10 things I wish everyone knew about somatic therapy.
If you’re ready to better understand your body, your emotions, and how they work together, keep reading. By the end of this post, you’ll know why somatic therapy is one of the most effective tools for healing—and why it might just be the missing piece you’ve been searching for.
Trauma Therapy Los Angeles
1. Your Body Holds Onto Way More Than You Think
Let me just say this: your body is way smarter than you give it credit for. We like to think all our emotions live in our heads, but the truth is, your body is the one doing the heavy lifting. That tightness in your chest when you’re stressed? The knot in your stomach before a big meeting? The tension in your neck you can’t seem to get rid of? That’s your body holding onto a bunch of stuff—old wounds, stress, fears—that you may not have even realized you’ve been carrying around. It’s not just “in your head.” Your body’s been keeping score this whole time.
Here’s why this matters:
When something overwhelming or traumatic happens, your brain might try to push it aside, rationalize it, or even forget it completely. But your body doesn’t work like that. It’s like your emotional storage unit. Even if your mind thinks it’s moved on, your body is still hanging onto that experience in subtle ways—tensing up, shutting down, or getting stuck in fight-or-flight mode. That’s why you might feel on edge or anxious sometimes for no clear reason. Your body remembers, even when you don’t.
Somatic therapy is all about helping your body let go of the stuff it’s been holding onto for way too long. By noticing and working with those physical sensations, you’re giving yourself permission to release what’s no longer serving you. It’s not about forcing anything…it’s about listening to your body, trusting it, and letting it heal. And trust me, the relief that comes from finally feeling lighter—like you’re not carrying the weight of the world anymore? It’s a game changer.
| Learn more about how trauma therapy in Los Angeles can help you reconnect with your body and heal for good.
trauma-informed therapy los angeles
2. You’re Not Overreacting
Ever have a moment where you completely overreact, and then spend the rest of the day thinking, Why did I lose it over that? It’s frustrating, right? But here’s the thing—you’re not crazy. When you feel triggered by something small, it’s often because your body is reacting to something familiar from the past. Your brain might not connect the dots right away, but your body sure does.
Think of it like this:
Your nervous system is like a hyper-alert security guard, constantly scanning for danger. If it recognizes anything that feels remotely like an old wound—a tone of voice, a facial expression, even a smell—it flips the switch into survival mode. You feel the heat rise, your chest tighten, or the tears come out of nowhere. This reaction isn’t “dramatic” or “too much.” It’s your body’s way of protecting you, even if the danger isn’t real this time.
What somatic therapy does is help you notice these patterns and connect the dots between what your body is reacting to and what it’s actually remembering. Once you understand that your reactions are tied to past experiences, you can start to let go of the old hurt and teach your body it’s safe now. It’s not about fixing yourself—because you’re not broken—it’s about working with your body to heal and move forward.
| If this resonates, you might find attachment therapy helpful to explore how past experiences shape your triggers and reactions.
Counseling for Anxiety and Trauma in LA
3. You Can’t Think Your Way Out of Everything
We’ve all been there—spinning in our heads, trying to overanalyze or rationalize our way out of feeling like crap. It’s exhausting, isn’t it? Here’s the hard truth: no amount of thinking, overthinking, or “just trying to be logical” is going to get you out of the deep emotional stuff. Why? Because your body hasn’t caught up with your brain.
When something painful happens, your mind might be able to process it logically, but your body doesn’t work like that. It holds onto the emotions, stress, or fear from those experiences until you intentionally let them go. That’s why you can talk about a situation a hundred times in therapy, but still feel stuck. It’s not because you’re doing something wrong—it’s because your body hasn’t had the chance to release the physical tension and emotional energy tied to it.
Somatic therapy is the missing piece here. Instead of just trying to “think better” or push through, you work directly with your body to move through the stuck emotions. By focusing on how those feelings show up in your body—whether it’s a tight throat, a clenched jaw, or a buzzing in your chest—you start to process and release them in a way that talk therapy alone can’t always reach. This isn’t about giving up on logic, but about giving your body a chance to catch up to where your brain already is.
| Interested in learning more about anxiety therapy in Los Angeles? It’s a great way to support both your mind and body in the healing process.
somatic therapy for Nervous System Regulation
4. Grounding Is Your Superpower
I know, I know—“grounding” might sound like one of those fluffy wellness buzzwords that people throw around without really explaining. But let me break it down: grounding is basically the fastest way to get out of your head and back into your body. When you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or like you’re about to completely shut down, grounding is like hitting the reset button for your nervous system.
Here’s why it works:
When your brain is spiraling, your body gets stuck in fight-or-flight mode. That’s when you start to feel restless, panicked, or even totally numb. Grounding techniques—like focusing on your breath, feeling your feet on the floor, or naming things you can see and hear—help pull you out of the chaos and bring you back to the present moment. It’s not just about “calming down.” It’s about reminding your body that it’s safe right here, right now.
And the best part? You don’t need fancy tools or a ton of time to ground yourself. It can be as simple as pressing your palms together, taking a deep breath, or even stepping outside for a minute to feel the sun on your face. Somatic therapy teaches you how to incorporate these techniques into your daily life so that when things feel overwhelming, you’ve got something reliable to lean on.
Therapy for More Than Just Trauma
5. Somatic Therapy Is Not Just for Trauma
When people hear “somatic therapy,” they often assume it’s only for big, heavy trauma. And while it’s absolutely life-changing for healing deep wounds, let me be super clear: somatic therapy is for everyone. You don’t have to have a dramatic backstory or a major life event to benefit from it.
Stuck in a Rut?
Think about those times when you feel disconnected from yourself—like you’re stuck in a rut, repeating the same old patterns, or just feeling “off” for no clear reason. That’s where somatic therapy shines. It’s not just about addressing trauma… it’s about helping you feel more at home in your body and more connected to yourself. Whether it’s anxiety that won’t quit, perfectionism that keeps you running on empty, or just that nagging feeling of being out of sync, somatic therapy helps you get unstuck.
Los Angeles can be a place where the pressure to always be “on” can feel overwhelming.
And a lot of us carry “emotional weight” we don’t even realize. Somatic therapy gives you the space to slow down, listen to what your body is telling you, and work through what’s holding you back. Big or small, your experiences matter, and somatic therapy meets you exactly where you are.
Feeling Your Feelings Won’t Break You—It’ll Free You
6. Feeling Your Feelings Isn’t Going to Kill You
I know it can feel like if you let yourself feel the sadness, anger, or fear bubbling up inside, the world might just stop spinning. Trust me, it won’t. I get it, though—emotions can be big and overwhelming, and it’s scary to let them take up space. But here’s the thing: avoiding or stuffing those feelings down only keeps you stuck.
When you shove your emotions aside, they don’t just disappear—they sit there, simmering under the surface, waiting to pop up later (usually at the worst possible time). Somatic therapy gives you the tools to face those feelings in a safe, manageable way. You’re not letting them take over… you’re moving through them instead of getting stuck in them. You don’t have to be afraid of your feelings—they’re just signals from your body asking for attention and care.
Here’s the good news:
When you actually allow yourself to feel those emotions, they lose their grip on you. You might cry, shake, or even laugh during a session—and that’s your body’s way of releasing all the tension it’s been holding onto. Feeling your feelings doesn’t mean falling apart. In other words, it means giving yourself the chance to heal and move forward. And once you do, the weight you’ve been carrying? It gets so much lighter.
Help Your Body Release Emotions
7. You Don’t Have to Relive Everything to Heal
One of the biggest fears people have about therapy—especially if they’ve been through trauma—is the idea of having to rehash every painful detail to heal. Let me clear this up right now: somatic therapy isn’t about sitting in your pain or dragging you through all the tough memories. Healing doesn’t mean reliving everything.
Your body already knows what it’s been through.
You don’t have to retell the whole story for your body to let go of what it’s holding onto. Somatic therapy focuses on the physical sensations and emotions in the here and now. Instead of revisiting every moment of your past, we help your body release the energy it’s still carrying from those experiences—gently and without forcing anything.
This means you can heal without reopening every wound. Basically, you don’t need to suffer through the process for it to work. Therefore, the goal of somatic therapy is to help you feel lighter, freer, and more at peace with yourself—not to dredge up all the pain and leave you stuck in it. Healing doesn’t have to be brutal to be effective.
Learn how to Regulate Your Nervous System
8. Your Nervous System Isn’t Broken—It’s Just Doing Its Job
When you feel anxious, overwhelmed, or like you’re shutting down, it’s easy to think, What’s wrong with me? Why can’t I handle this better? But here’s the truth: there’s nothing wrong with you. Your nervous system isn’t broken. Your nervous system is actually working exactly how it was designed—to keep you safe. The problem is that sometimes it’s working overtime when it doesn’t need to.
Your nervous system’s job is to protect you.
Firstly, it’s been shaped by your experiences. If you’ve been through tough times, it might have learned to stay in “high alert” mode—ready to fight, flee, or freeze at the first sign of danger, even when there’s no actual threat. That’s why you might feel anxious for no reason or shut down when you’re overwhelmed.
Secondly, somatic therapy helps retrain your nervous system to realize it’s safe now. By working with your body—not against it—you can teach your nervous system that it doesn’t need to be stuck in survival mode anymore. It’s like reprogramming a security alarm that keeps going off unnecessarily. Once your nervous system learns to respond differently, you’ll start feeling calmer and more in control, even in situations that used to completely throw you off.
Somatic Therapy Goes Beyond Relaxation—It Creates Lasting Change
9. Somatic Therapy Is About More Than Just Relaxation
Sure, feeling calm after a somatic therapy session is great—but that’s not the whole point. Somatic therapy isn’t just about getting you to chill out in the moment. Somatic therapy helps you create long-term change in how your body responds to stress and triggers. Instead of a one-off fix, you’re rewiring your nervous system for the better.
Feeling Stuck?
When you’re stuck in patterns of anxiety, avoidance, or overwhelm, your body’s default settings are in survival mode. Over time, somatic therapy helps shift those settings. It’s like giving your nervous system an upgrade so it knows how to handle life’s curveballs without freaking out. And here’s the kicker: once you make those changes, they stick. It’s not just a fleeting calm after a session—it’s a deeper, lasting shift in how you show up in the world.
This work also goes beyond just “feeling good.” It’s about learning to truly embody safety, trust, and resilience. That means you can handle tough situations without spiraling, reconnect with joy and ease in your daily life, and stop running on autopilot. Somatic therapy doesn’t just make you feel better—it helps you be better, in a way that lasts.
Reclaiming Yourself Through Somatic Therapy
10. You Can Get Back to Feeling Like You
Have you ever felt like you’ve lost yourself? Maybe it’s to a relationship, the grind of work, or just the chaos of life piling up. It’s like you’re living your life, but you don’t feel like you anymore. The good news? Somatic therapy helps you find your way back to yourself.
When you’ve spent years in survival mode—people-pleasing, overachieving, or just getting through the day—it’s easy to lose touch with what you want and need. Somatic therapy reconnects you to your body’s wisdom, helping you rebuild that sense of safety and trust within yourself. Once you have that foundation, you can start showing up in your life in a way that feels authentic and grounded.
This isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about peeling back the layers of stress, fear, and conditioning so you can reconnect to the person you’ve always been underneath it all. You’ll start to feel like yourself again, not just on the outside, but in a way that feels solid and unshakable. And honestly, isn’t that the ultimate goal?
feel like yourself again
Why Los Angeles Residents Are Turning to Somatic Therapy
Living in Los Angeles has its perks—sunshine, opportunities, and endless things to do—but let’s be real, it can also feel overwhelming. The fast pace, high expectations, and constant hustle can take a toll on your mental and emotional well-being. That’s why so many people in LA are turning to somatic therapy. It’s not just a trend—it’s a way to find balance and truly heal in a city that often pushes us to our limits.
How Somatic Therapy Helps Heal Anxiety and Trauma
For those dealing with anxiety or trauma, somatic therapy provides something other approaches might not: a way to get out of your head and connect with your body. Anxiety often feels like a never-ending loop of overthinking, while trauma can leave your nervous system stuck in survival mode. Somatic therapy helps you slow down, notice what your body is holding onto, and gently release that tension. It’s about creating safety in your own skin so you can stop reacting to old triggers and start living in the present moment.
The Long-Term Benefits of Somatic Therapy in a LA
Unlike quick fixes or surface-level solutions, somatic therapy creates lasting change. It helps rewire your nervous system, so you’re not constantly stuck in fight-or-flight mode. Over time, you’ll notice that stressful situations don’t feel as overwhelming, triggers lose their grip, and you can actually enjoy the fast-paced energy of LA without feeling burnt out. In a city that never seems to stop, somatic therapy gives you the tools to find calm, stay grounded, and reconnect with yourself.
Holistic & Somatic Healing in LA
Ready to Start Your Healing Journey?
Healing doesn’t have to feel overwhelming or out of reach. If you’ve been struggling with anxiety, unresolved trauma, or feeling disconnected from yourself, somatic therapy offers a gentle yet powerful way to reconnect with your body and emotions. It’s not just about managing symptoms—it’s about creating lasting change and building a deeper sense of safety and trust within yourself.
Whether you’re curious about somatic therapy in Los Angeles or want to explore approaches like IFS therapy, there are ways to meet your unique needs and challenges. If anxiety has been running the show, anxiety therapy can help you feel more in control. For those navigating the impact of past experiences, trauma therapy and childhood trauma therapy can provide the tools to heal without reliving every painful detail.
The journey to healing doesn’t have to be something you do alone.
If you’re ready to take the next step toward feeling grounded, connected, and aligned with who you truly are, I’m here to help. Reach out today to schedule a consultation and start exploring what’s possible.
