02/10/2026
Unfortunately it is accurate that in order to move through and “release” emotion or past experiences from our body we do need to find a way into relationship with them/and the body first.
A huge part of somatic based therapies is building capacity for interoception: our ability to notice inward facing information like sensation. When we encounter trauma or are experiencing life in reactive/stressed states, we usually have a lowered tolerance for interoception.
It can feel counterintuitive to turn towards the things we usually try to get rid of (anxiety, tension, pain, grief, anger, sensation all together) - especially in a culture that has largely focused on telling us that symptoms are the problem to be solved.
Rebuilding our ability to notice the body and all its stuff, as well as our capacity for being curious about those things is what allows expression of what’s been held and long term resolution or integration of past experiences.
We can’t bypass interception and expect long term integration or changes to unfold in our bodies and minds. And the foundation needed to work sensation at a level that brings up various inner worlds for processing sometimes takes time to build. We can’t rush into it, and digging for catharsis (which is often marketed as “release”) is not the same.
Effective facilitators of this process can attune and nuance through various methods in a way that supports you in not only feeling curious about what’s unfolding from the body’s perspective, but also well within capacity to work with whatever is there.
