Somatic Therapy for Anxiety in NYC
I offer somatic therapy for anxiety, in person in Midtown Manhattan or virtually in NY State.
Anxiety doesn't only happen in your thoughts. You may understand logically that you're safe, while your body still feels like something is wrong.
Somatic therapy offers another way of working with anxiety. We will slow things down to notice where anxiety shows up in your body. You will learn to recognize the early signs of activation, like tightness in your chest, a clenched jaw, shallow breathing, restlessness, or the urge to escape, before anxiety becomes overwhelming.
If you're ready to explore a different way of relating to anxiety, I’d love to help.
Does this sound familiar?
You feel anxious before you even know why.
You constantly scan other people's moods for signs something is wrong.
You have a hard time relaxing when everything is okay.
Your jaw, shoulders, or stomach are constantly tense.
You feel restless, like you need to get up or get away.
You're exhausted, but your body won't fully switch off.
You notice every heartbeat, breath, stomach sensation, or physical change.
A physical sensation quickly becomes, What if something is wrong?
You become especially anxious when someone you love seems distant.
You feel numb or disassociated when anxiety gets intense.
You know you're safe logically, but your body doesn't feel safe.
You understand where your anxiety comes from, but you still react the same way.
You tell yourself to calm down, but your body won't cooperate.
Your mind races when you're trying to fall asleep
You worry that something will go wrong, even when things are going well
You put things off because you're afraid of making the wrong choice
You worry about how you're being perceived by other people
You feel like you always need to be prepared, productive, or in control
You have a strong need to know what is going to happen
You feel panicky in crowded places, on the subway, while driving, or in unfamiliar situations
You feel exhausted after socializing because you've been monitoring yourself the whole time
Why work with the body?
When you’re anxious, your body can respond as though something needs your immediate attention, even when you consciously know that you are safe.
Somatic therapy works with this physiological side of anxiety. The goal is to gradually develop greater awareness of your body's signals and a greater capacity to move through activation without becoming overwhelmed by it.
In session, I may invite you to notice what you are experiencing internally, work with sensations in manageable amounts, and become more aware of the ways your body responds to emotions.
This can be especially meaningful if you have already spent years trying to understand your anxiety intellectually. You may know exactly where your anxiety comes from and still feel anxious. Insight matters, but sometimes understanding a pattern isn't enough to change how it feels in your body.
We can explore: What happens in your body when anxiety shows up? What does your body do when you feel uncertain, overwhelmed, rejected? What helps you feel more grounded and connected to yourself? The goal is for you to feel more able to recognize what is happening inside you and have greater choice in how you react and feel.
If you're looking for an anxiety therapist in NYC who incorporates somatic therapy and nervous system–regulation, I would love to connect. You can book a free consultation to talk about what you're experiencing and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
Want to learn more about how I work? Read a bit more about my approach to somatic therapy here.
Frequently Asked Questions about Somatic Therapy for Anxiety
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Somatic therapy is a body-focused approach that looks at how anxiety shows up not only in your thoughts and emotions, but also in your body. In therapy, we pay attention to physical sensations, tension, breathing, impulses, and other bodily responses while also exploring the thoughts, experiences, and patterns connected to your anxiety.
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Somatic therapy can help you become more aware of how anxiety shows up in your body and what tends to trigger your anxious responses. Rather than trying to force anxiety away, we'll work on recognizing what is happening, slowing down your reactions, and developing different ways of responding. We can also explore the deeper patterns that may contribute to your anxiety.
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Somatic therapy doesn't mean that every session will involve physical exercises or that you'll have to do anything uncomfortable. Depending on what you're experiencing, we might slow down and notice what is happening in your body while talking about a stressful situation, relationship, thought, or emotion. I'll help you become curious about these responses while we connect them to the bigger picture of what's going on in your life.
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Yes. Somatic therapy can be particularly useful when you feel stuck in cycles of overthinking, worrying, or trying to figure everything out in your head. We can work with both the thoughts themselves and the physical anxiety that may be keeping the cycle going. The goal is not to stop yourself from thinking, but to help you respond differently when your mind gets caught in an anxious loop.
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This is very common. You may understand intellectually that you're safe, that everything is okay, or that you're overthinking, and still feel anxious. Somatic therapy gives us another way to work with that experience by paying attention to what is happening in your body rather than relying only on logic or reassurance.
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Yes. Anxiety can become especially noticeable in relationships; for example, worrying about how someone feels about you, needing reassurance, overanalyzing interactions, fearing rejection, or having difficulty communicating your needs. Because my approach also incorporates attachment-based therapy, we can explore both what is happening in your body and the relationship patterns underneath your anxiety.
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There isn't one timeline that applies to everyone. Some people notice changes relatively early, while deeper patterns can take longer to understand and change. The length of therapy depends on what you're experiencing, what you'd like to work on, and your goals for therapy. We'll regularly check in about how therapy is going and what feels useful to you.
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That's completely okay and normal. You don't have to commit to ongoing therapy just because you're thinking about reaching out.
I offer a free 15-minute consultation where you can tell me a little about what's been going on, ask questions, and get a sense of whether therapy with me feels like the right fit. There's no commitment to continue afterward.
Sometimes taking that first small step is enough to help you figure out what you need.
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Somatic therapy may be worth exploring if you understand your anxiety intellectually but still feel overwhelmed by it physically or emotionally, or if you notice patterns of tension, shutting down, avoidance, restlessness, or feeling constantly on edge. You don't need to know whether somatic therapy is the right approach before reaching out. We can talk about what you're experiencing during a free 15-minute consultation and see whether my approach feels like a good fit.
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I offer somatically informed, attachment-based psychotherapy for clients in New York City. If you're looking for a therapist who incorporates the body into anxiety treatment rather than focusing exclusively on thoughts, I invite you to reach out for a consultation.
