I like to practice with the understanding that each session is like a dance between myself and the one I am serving...allowing the person to lead the uncovering and healing process while I assist and support.

I act as a bridge between where they are at and where they would like to be, with the full knowing that it is actually the person doing the work for themselves, not me.

Somatic Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, Somatic Healing – these are some other phrases used to describe what I like to call “Somatic Energy Work”. They are all (generally) referring to similar methods...but some terms may be trademarked.

If you’ve never heard of any of these things before, read through the information below to get a better understanding of how I use this work in private sessions for those I serve.

Here is a list of what you’ll find:

• What is Somatic Energy Work?

• What Does Body-Led Mean?

• What Are the Benefits of Somatic Energy Work?

• What Does Somatic Energy Work Look Like?

• What Does it Feel Like?

• How is Somatic Energy Work Different from Energy Healing or Somatic Therapy on their own?

• Is Somatic Energy Work Safe for People With Deep Trauma or Mental Illness?

• Do I Need to Believe in Energy Healing for it to Work?

• What will I feel During a Session?

• Are there Any Symptoms That Follow A Session Like This?

• How Should I care for Myself After a Session?

• How Many Sessions should I have? How often Should I have One?

• How Long Will It Take to Heal?

• Is it Possible to Do Somatic Energy Work for Myself?

What is Somatic Energy Work?

Somatic Energy Work is a body-led practice that blends body-based techniques with energy healing elements to assist in physical, emotional, and spiritual healing. The purpose of Somatic Energy Work is to release blocked or stored energy from the body, to ease tension, trauma and stress so that the body can integrate, realign, and balance itself.

What Does Body-Led Mean?

In the context of Somatic Energy Work Body-led refers to getting out of the mind space, bringing awareness and consciousness into the body, so that it can intuitively move in the way it needs to for optimal energy release and realignment. Essentially, you are allowing the body’s lead rather than directing the body.

What are the Benefits of Somatic Energy Work?

The benefits of Somatic Energy Work are vast so this is not a complete list. And even though somatic energy work is a wonderful tool for healing and self-awareness, it is not necessarily for everyone. That’s why there are so many different modalities out there, everyone is so different! If Somatic Energy Work does resonate with you, check out the list below.

·      Trauma Release

·      Emotional Regulation

·      Stress Reduction

·      Pain Relief

·      Enhanced Self-Awareness

·      Nervous System Regulation

·      Increased Energy/Vitality/Restoration

·      Better Sleep

·      Improved Overall Well-Being

·      Body/Mind Synchronization

What Does Somatic Energy Work Look Like?

Every practitioner will use different methods or processes. In my practice I guide those I serve to be aware of the sensations that are felt within the body as well as identifying emotions that are arising at the same time. I may ask questions, use Light Language or use intuitive hand/arm/body gestures that are for sculpting and moving energy in assistance to the one I am working with.

Often Somatic Energy Work is done after a client and I have had a few moments to settle in and get in tune with the challenges they have been facing or something they have been wanting to work on. Sometimes people are not sure what they would like to focus on, or would just like to experience a session and that’s great too!

Once we have had this communication, I generally have my clients lay down with their eyes closed to start. Then I guide them into a brief meditative and calm state where they can be more present in the moment and with their body. After that, I help them to become aware of specific sensations in the body. We may spend some time working energetically in this area, asking deeper questions about it, letting the body move how it feels it needs to as the energy is released. It is during this time that I may use Light Language or the intuitive gestures to move energy. If you are uncomfortable with Light Language, please let me know. On occasion I may gently touch my client in an area that could use some extra help, this is to facilitate more energy movement, but I will always get consent first. Not everyone is comfortable with hands on application.

To wrap up the session I will take the client through a brief meditation to clear any residual energy and bring them back into the present moment before they leave.

How is Somatic Energy Work Different from Energy Healing or Somatic Therapy on their Own?

Recently, somatic therapy and energy healing have, in many settings, merged together to form a kind of singular method, especially among more spiritually minded or holistic practitioners. As we transition into higher states of awareness about how the energetic field is not only interacting with our physical bodies, but actually creating our bodies, the lines between both are blurring.

Somatic Therapy is something that many professionally trained therapists and psychologists are using as a method to bridge the gap between the mind and body. It is a step or two outside the box where doctors used to believe (some still do) that our physical and mental health are to be treated separately.

Energy work or energy healing, in the pure use of the terms, are methods used that do not involve physical touch or manipulation, but rather the practitioner tunes in with their astral or etheric body to move or sculp energy for those they serve.

The kind of Somatic Energy Work that I practice is NOT traditional therapy but an intuitive work that I do to assist my clients.

Is Somatic Energy Work Safe for People with Deep Trauma or Mental Illness?

It ‘can’ be.

I say this loosely for several reasons. Somatic Energy Work is a very powerful modality for those who are open to it and willing to do the work for themselves. This powerful process may dislodge emotional energy that has been stored since major traumas or programming was formed in order for it to move out of the body and become alchemized and integrated with the energetic field.

The work is meant to do this, but not everyone is ready for it or has the foundation necessary to sustain what is needed to rebuild. If you do not feel like you can handle the sometimes-intense physical sensations and emotional uprising, it may be best to first seek traditional therapy and make sure that you are good to go.

Do I Need to Believe in Energy Healing for This to Work?

Not really. I say this loosely as well because your body has the innate ability to heal itself given the space and proper resources. You know this because that paper cut you got when you were ten years old healed without you having to consciously having to believe that your body would do that work for you. If the body did not know what to do with energy, that wound would still be there.

On the other hand, if you directly oppose and disbelieve in energy healing, or the ability to move energy with intention, then the process is less likely to affect you. Energy work of any kind relies heavily on the participation of the person who is receiving. This means, at the very least, that they are open to possibilities, but certainly not actively opposing the work.

Without giving a lengthy teaching on how energy works, just know that EVERYTHING is energy, including thoughts. This means that what you believe to be true informs your reality and quite literally crafts it.

What Will I Feel During a Session?

Your experience during a Somatic Energy Work session is highly individual and depends on many factors...your openness and willingness to be an active participant in the process, your ability to take responsibility for your mind and your life, the readiness of the body, your ability to trust and surrender...

If you don’t feel anything at all, it may just mean your body and mind need to build a little trust between the practitioner and yourself. Or, it could mean you have forced yourself to be in control for so long that it is hard to relax and let go into the process. There are other reasons too, but these are the main reasons.

If you do feel something, it might be subtle or intense or strange or euphoric. Unfamiliar emotions may rise up, familiar ones too...emotions that are challenging to be with or emotions that you want to invite more deeply into your experience. You may feel sensations in your body that you aren’t used to, pains you thought were long gone...cold, heat, sweating, shaking, tingling, changes in breathing, waves or pulsing of energy, muscle contractions, twitching or tiny movements, the desire to move the body in unusual ways, feeling like you are floating or sinking, feeling weightless, feelings of stillness or expansion...the list really is endless!

All of this is just the movement shifting of energy as things are released, get flowing and transformed into more positive, usable energy. If any of it feels like it is too much for you, please speak up so that the session can be adjusted or stopped. Even if you feel some intense or challenging emotions and sensations, the typical response at the end of a session is one of calm, peacefulness and lightness of body and mind.

Are There Any Symptoms That follow a Session like this?

Be aware that it may take some time for the body to adjust and recalibrate after an energy work session. It is getting used to a new flow, different energetic pathways and so may feel uncomfortable for a few hours or days after. It is possible to feel many different things as you balance out. Below are some common things:

·      Crying for no reason

·      Emotional waves and fluctuations

·      Feeling sensitive or raw

·      Flu like symptoms, headache, nausea, etc.

·      Fatigue or exhaustion

·      Muscle soreness or body aches

·      Feeling spacey or disoriented

·      Vivid dreams

·      Restlessness

·      Warmth, tingling or moving sensations

·      Openness, lightness, calmness

·      A greater sense of presence or fullness of life

·      Any of all of the things mention earlier as benefits

No matter what you are feeling, let go of the need to judge yourself or be afraid. Allow your mind and body to process how they need to

How Should I Care for Myself After a Session?

It’s important to take extra care of yourself after a session, not put pressure on yourself to do too many things or be really “on”. If you still need to be at work or have other obligations that are unavoidable, try to take it easier than usual and be present in your body while you do the things you need to do. The work that was done during a session is still going on in the body. It may take a few days or longer for the body to recalibrate

·      Drink plenty of fluids to help flush out any cellular waste that the body would like to get rid of.

·      Rest as much as you can, even if it’s just a few minutes here and there during the day

·      Deep Breathing

·      Gentle movement of the body to get things flowing

·      Consider eating lighter foods that your body doesn’t’ have to expend as much energy on

How Many Sessions Should I have? How Often should I have one?

I never recommend anyone have a Somatic Energy Work session more than once per week. Even advanced students of mine do not do this work more frequently than this. The body needs time to balance before it goes deep again. It has to get used to what it feels like and how it functions in a different way. Even if you don’t feel any different, there are energetic things going on that you may not be aware of.

Other than that, my clients decide how often they would like to have a session. Some have chosen to set up regularly occurring sessions, others like to come to me when they feel they need to.

How Long Will It Take to Heal?

I have been intentionally practicing energy work on myself since 2012 and I am STILL releasing and recalibrating. If you are a physical being, chances are this work will continue until the day you breathe yourself into the non-physical realm. So, don’t pressure yourself into hurry and get it all done and out of you.

It is Possible to Do Somatic Energy Work for Myself?

Of course! This is how I got started. As was the case for me, not everyone has access to local practitioners that provide services like this...or if they do, not everyone can afford to pay for it. Both of those things were the case for me and so I did a lot of research and started practicing on myself, finding great healing, mastery and knowing myself on a deeper level as I did. It CERTAINLY wasn’t easy to do in on my own, but I did it. If you have the dedication and time to put into yourself, I believe you can too!

If you would like to book a session or have me at and event you are hosting for Somatic Energy Work, Channeling, Meditation or sound bath, please fill out the CONTACT FORM and I will get back to you as soon as I can.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical or mental health professional. Any services, media, information or products associated with April Ann Roy are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure you and are meant for educational and entertainment purposes only. Seek professional help for any physical or mental health issues. Use any information or products at your own risk.