If you’ve ever felt like you’ve done all the talking in therapy, but something still feels stuck in your body—tight chest, jaw tension, racing heart—you’re not alone. For many people we work with here at Nourished Wellness Group, talk therapy has been helpful, but it hasn’t quite touched the deeper layers of what they’re carrying.

That’s where somatic therapy comes in.

Let’s break down the difference between talk therapy and somatic therapy, so you can understand which approach might feel like the right fit—or if a combination could be most supportive for you.

Talk Therapy: Working with the Mind

Traditional talk therapy (sometimes called “top-down therapy”) is probably what you picture when you think of going to therapy. You sit down with a therapist and talk about what’s been going on—your relationships, work stress, past experiences, and how you’re feeling day-to-day.

At Nourished Wellness Group, talk therapy is insight-driven, collaborative, and grounded in evidence-based approaches like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), attachment work, and inner child healing.
It can be incredibly helpful for:

Naming and processing emotions
Gaining clarity about patterns and triggers
Building healthy coping tools
Navigating life transitions or relationship struggles

For many of our clients, talk therapy helps them feel seen and heard—maybe for the first time.
But sometimes, even with all that insight, they still feel stuck in their bodies. That’s when we often explore somatic therapy.

Somatic Therapy: Healing Through the Body

Somatic therapy is a more bottom-up approach that helps you tune into your body’s wisdom. Instead of starting with thoughts or stories, we begin with sensations—like the tightness in your stomach before a hard conversation, or the way your shoulders automatically lift when you feel anxious.
Your body holds a lifetime of experience. And sometimes, especially after stress, trauma, or burnout, your nervous system gets stuck in “survival mode.”

In somatic therapy sessions we slow things way down. Together, we help your body complete the stress cycles it couldn’t process in the past—gently, safely, and at your own pace.
Somatic therapy might include:

Learning to track sensations in the body
Finding a safe, grounded “anchor” inside you
Exploring stored emotions without getting overwhelmed
Practicing nervous system regulation techniques
Reconnecting with parts of yourself that may feel numb, tense, or guarded

At Nourished Wellness Group, many of our therapists are trained in modalities like Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Internal Family Systems (IFS)—all grounded in nervous system-informed care.

Can I Do Both Somatic and Talk Therapy?

Yes, and honestly—that’s often where the magic happens.

At Nourished Wellness Group we specialize in integrative, holistic therapy right here in Encinitas. This means we don’t believe in a one-size-fits-all approach. In fact, many of our clients begin with talk therapy and later incorporate somatic work. Others come in specifically looking for nervous system support and slowly add in narrative-based work once their body feels safer.
Healing doesn’t have to happen only through words. And it doesn’t have to happen only through the body. It can be both.

Which One Is Right for Me?

Here’s a quick comparison to help guide you:

Therapy Style Talk Therapy

Where We Start: Thoughts, emotions, stories

Helpful For: Anxiety, relationship issues, burnout, transitions

Goal: Insight, coping tools, emotional processing

Experience: Conversation-based, reflective, insight-driven

Somatic Therapy

Where We Start: Sensations, movement, body cues

Helpful For: Trauma, chronic stress, dissociation, anxiety stored in the body

Goal: Nervous system regulation, embodied safety, deeper integration

Experience: Gentle, body-based, trauma-informed

Therapy in Encinitas, CA: You Deserve Support That Meets You Where You Are

Whether you’re just starting therapy or you’re curious about exploring somatic therapy, our team at Nourished Wellness Group is here to help you reconnect—with your mind, your body, and your whole self.
You don’t have to figure it out alone. We offer free consultation calls so you can get to know us, ask questions, and feel into whether one of our therapists might be the right fit.

You are not too much. You are not too stuck. And it’s never too late to begin again—with your body, your heart, and your healing.