Somatic Bodywork
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA
Somatic Bodywork is a hands-on approach to reduce bracing, discharge bound energy and recover a felt sense of safety in the body.
It builds nervous system regulation, self-connection, resilience, and ease.
Somatic Bodywork is only provided by Somatic Bodyworkers. Our Somatic Therapists do not provide touch.
What is Somatic Bodywork?
Touch is our first language.
Nothing communicates safety like touch. It is particularly important to receive healing touch when there has been early-attachment, or pre-verbal, trauma or deficits.
When we feel stuck in other forms of therapy, the issue may be deeper than we can reach with words alone. Healing touch provides a corrective emotional experience of nurture, safety and attunement. This repairs our early experiences and lays in a foundation of secure attachment.
With the right support, your body knows how to heal.
Unlike traditional massage…
Somatic Bodywork is highly-receptive and attunes to exactly what your nervous system needs at this moment. It is slow and gentle and supports your body’s own ability to release tension and bound energy. This helps you to return to a parasympathetic rest state, where there is deep and broad neural connectivity, and you feel yourself again.
Somatic Bodywork works with fascia, muscle tension, circulation, spinal fluids, lymphatic drainage and energetic patterns to identify where you are holding trauma or stress and to support the bottom-up processing that your body is calling for.
Common issues that
Somatic Bodywork treats
Migraines and headaches
Nausea and dizzyness
Digestion, IBS, bloating
Dissociation and distractibility
Exhaustion and fatigue
Sexual pain, ED, arousal and performance disorders
How Somatic Bodywork works
Somatic bodywork supports the autonomic nervous system through gentle therapeutic contact, deeply attuned presence, and co-regulation between practitioner and client.
Somatic bodywork applies neuroscience and trauma-informed frameworks to sense and support the unwinding of any residual patterns left by trauma and attachment injuries. Traumatic patterns may take the form of bracing, muscular tension or flaccidity, physiological dissociation, disrupted digestion, tics, tremors and many different posture, movement and speech patterns.
Somatic bodywork uses slow, responsive touch, gentle movements and long holds that communicate directly to the body. This helps the nervous system to complete stress cycles that have been stuck and let go of habitual protective layers such as tension and dissociation that are no longer needed.
Over time, this supports:
Reduced tension, pain, bloating and discomfort
Easier movement and breathing
Greater body awareness
Better stress recovery
A deeper sense of calm and connection
Less reliance on coping mechanisms to feel better
Additional modalities incorporated
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Craniosacral Therapy is an exceptionally gentle hands-on approach that works with the body's central nervous system and natural rhythms. Using light therapeutic touch, this work helps reduce tension throughout the body while encouraging the nervous system to shift from a state of stress and protection toward rest and repair.
Many people seek craniosacral therapy for headaches, jaw tension, chronic stress, fatigue, nervous system dysregulation, concussion recovery, or simply to experience a deeper sense of calm and relaxation. Sessions are quiet, restorative, and deeply supportive of the body's innate healing processes.
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Fascia is the connective tissue, or net, that surrounds and supports every muscle, organ, nerve, and joint in the body. Physical injury, repetitive movement, emotional stress, and trauma can cause this tissue to become restricted, or caught, contributing to pain, stiffness, limited mobility, and persistent discomfort.
Myofascial Release uses slow, sustained pressure to gently release these restrictions and restore healthier movement throughout the body. Rather than forcing tissue to change, this approach allows the fascia to gradually soften, improving mobility, reducing pain, and supporting overall structural balance.
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The lymphatic system plays an essential role in immune health, fluid balance, and the body's natural detoxification processes. When lymphatic flow becomes sluggish, people may experience swelling, congestion, fatigue, inflammation, or a general sense of heaviness.
Manual Lymphatic Drainage is a gentle, rhythmic technique designed to encourage healthy lymph flow and support the body's ability to reduce excess fluid and waste. Many clients find this treatment deeply calming while also benefiting recovery after surgery, reducing swelling, supporting immune function, and promoting overall wellness. Because the lymphatic and nervous systems are closely connected, improving lymphatic flow can also contribute to a greater sense of relaxation and restoration.
Try one of our Somatic Bodyworkers
Mackenzie Morrison CMT, MLD-C
West Los Angeles and Los Feliz, California
Sensitive, attuned and trauma-informed touchwork
Integrating craniosacral, myofascial release, neurostructural bodywork and lymphatic drainage
Specializes in highly sensitive nervous systems
Mind-body conditions including chronic pain, digestive issues, hyperarousal, hypervigilance, bracing, stress and emotional overwhelm
Embark on your healing journey today
Contact us today to learn more about how Somatic Bodywork can help you find true relief. We can answer your questions and support you as you take your first steps toward a more balanced and vibrant life.