Somatic Therapy San Francisco: 5 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About Healing
Several years ago, after a particularly rough break-up, I found myself coming apart at the seams. For the first time in my life, it felt like I allowed myself to sit with my feelings without trying to logic my way out of them or explain them away. I also allowed myself to feel the actual depth of my feelings...which, for a sensitive person, felt akin to being swept away by massive waves. The waves of feeling threatened to engulf me. Even with all the skills I had honed as a therapist, I struggled to cope. Eventually, with lots of support, I learned how to traverse the waves of feeling and, in the process, gained new insight into healing that I wish I had known earlier in my work as a somatic therapist in San Francisco. Below are the things I wish I knew about healing.
5 Things I Wish I Knew Earlier About Healing
1. Healing Isn’t Neat and Orderly
In an ideal world, healing and grief could happen in a tidy way, and messy emotions would be contained to the therapist's office and conveniently scheduled times. However, emotions tend to show up when we least expect them...in the grocery store, at work, or when we are enjoying an evening with friends. It’s best to allow emotions to show up and find ways to cope rather than suppress them, even in our messiest moments.
2. Healing Doesn’t Happen on a Predictable Timeline
When clients ask me how long it will take to feel better, whether it be from depression, anxiety, or trauma, the honest truth is that I do not know. I can give a rough estimate, but there are many variables that affect one’s mental health and healing trajectory.
What I do know is that regular, consistent therapy is one of the most reliable ways to support healing. In my work providing somatic therapy in San Francisco, I have seen that meaningful change often happens gradually, even when progress feels invisible. Things do shift, even if everything feels impossible right now.
3. You Don’t Have to Work So Hard to Heal
When I was in the middle of that period of unraveling, I remember distinctly trying SO hard to heal. I fixated on how to heal so much that it consumed my waking thoughts. Being in so much pain meant that I should be constantly working on it, right?
That actually seemed to have the opposite effect.
Being hyper-fixated on healing left no time for me to rest, think, or do other things. My pain seemed to multiply the more I thought about it, and I could not see how my fixation on my pain was bringing me more of it.
While it is important to engage in the healing process, whether through therapy or other forms of support, you cannot spend every waking moment focused on what hurts. You need moments of peace where your mind is not focused on what feels broken. It is important to find small moments of joy, connection, and distraction during times of healing.
4. You Can Have a Bad Day or Week and Still Be Doing the Work
It’s a myth that healing and changing parts of your life will feel great every day. Some days will feel painful, uncomfortable, or strange, and that’s okay. It may even feel awful at times, but that does not mean things are not changing for the better.
If you have a bad day or a bad week, have faith that you are still changing your life. Growth often happens beneath the surface before we can see the results.
5. Healing Can Happen in Layers
Sometimes, when we find ourselves depressed or anxious and our response seems out of character or disproportionate to an event, there may be deeper layers of trauma that we are unearthing.
If we have trauma from childhood or from other periods of our lives that we have suppressed or been unable to process, those feelings and reactions may resurface when a new psychological injury occurs. In these moments, we may need to focus on healing the deeper layers of trauma, not just the present hurt.
This is one reason somatic therapy in San Francisco can be so helpful. Rather than focusing only on symptoms, somatic therapy helps us understand and heal the deeper layers of emotional experience that are often carried in the body.
Lastly, if you are looking to heal anxiety, depression, trauma, or grief, somatic therapy in San Francisco may be what you are looking for. As a somatic therapist in San Francisco, I work with adults navigating anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, life transitions, and relationship challenges. Healing is possible, even when it feels far away.
You can email me at lisa@lisamanca.com if you have questions or if you are ready to start changing your life. I have also included a list of frequently asked questions about somatic therapy below.
FAQs About Somatic Therapy San Francisco
What Is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-based approach to mental health treatment that helps people understand and regulate emotions through awareness of physical sensations, movement, breath, and nervous system responses. Rather than focusing only on thoughts, somatic therapy recognizes the connection between mind and body in the healing process.
Can Somatic Therapy Help With Anxiety?
Yes. Somatic therapy can be highly effective for anxiety because it addresses how anxiety is experienced in the body. By increasing awareness of nervous system responses and developing tools for regulation, many people find greater calm, resilience, and emotional balance.
Do I Need to Have Dance Experience or Certain Movement Training?
Not at all. Dance therapy isn’t about choreography or performance—it’s about exploration. You move in ways that feel authentic and safe to you.
What If I Feel Uncomfortable in My Body?
That’s actually one of the most common reasons people come to this work. We go slowly and compassionately. Your comfort and consent are always prioritized.
Is This Therapy or Coaching?
This is therapy. I’m a licensed mental health professional and a Board-Certified Dance/Movement Therapist. We work with both emotional and physical experiences to support deep healing.
How Often Do We Meet?
Weekly sessions are recommended. Consistency is key, especially early on as we build trust and momentum.
Can We Do Somatic Therapy Virtually?
Yes. Many clients choose online sessions and find the work to be very powerful, even through a screen. I’ll guide you in creating a supportive space at home.
What If I Cry or Feel Overwhelmed During a Session?
That’s okay. Big feelings are welcome here. You’ll never be left alone in those moments—we’ll move through them together.
What If I’ve Tried Therapy Before and It Didn’t Help?
Somatic therapy often helps people who have not found relief through traditional talk therapy alone, especially if they struggle to connect with their emotions or bodily experiences. This approach goes beyond insight and into embodied change.
8. Do You Work With Trauma?
Yes. Many of my clients are healing from developmental, relational, or complex trauma. Somatic therapy can be especially effective for trauma recovery because it helps address how trauma is stored in both the mind and body.
How Do I Know If This Is Right for Me?
We’ll figure that out together. A free consultation is a great opportunity to discuss what you’re looking for and whether this approach feels like a good fit.
What Should I Wear to Sessions?
Anything comfortable that allows you to move freely. No need to dress up. Come as you are.