Somatic therapy · Online for Calgary & across Alberta
When your body is still carrying it
Body-oriented therapy with Megan Emery, MA, MS, Canadian Certified Counsellor · Online by secure video
Sometimes we understand exactly why we feel the way we do, and still can’t shift it. Somatic therapy works with what your body is holding, not just what your mind knows, so change can be something you actually feel.
SOMATIC THERAPY AT A GLANCE
- 01Works with body and mind together
- 02No need to retell every detail of the past
- 03Online by secure video, at a pace you set
Not sure if it’s right for you? Start with a free 15-minute consultation with Megan.
01 · What is somatic therapy?
Therapy that includes the body, not just the story.
Somatic therapy is a body-oriented form of talk therapy. Alongside your thoughts and feelings, it pays attention to what is happening physically: your breath, muscle tension, posture, and the sensations that come with stress, fear or calm.
When we go through something overwhelming, or live under pressure for a long time, the body can stay braced for danger long after it has passed. That can show up as a racing heart, a tight chest, exhaustion, or feeling shut down and far away.
Somatic therapy helps you notice these patterns with curiosity rather than judgement, and gently practise moving toward a sense of steadiness. Over time, many people find their body becomes a place they can rest in again, rather than something to manage or ignore.
02 · Does this sound familiar?
When insight alone hasn’t been enough.
- You understand your patterns, but understanding alone hasn’t changed how you feel
- Talking about what happened feels like too much, or leaves you more stirred up than before
- Your body reacts before your mind catches up: a tight chest, a racing heart, a flood of panic
- You often feel numb, shut down or disconnected from yourself
- Stress seems to live in your shoulders, stomach or jaw, and rest doesn’t quite reach it
- You find it hard to feel safe or settled, even when nothing is wrong
Megan often finds somatic work a gentler and effective entry point, especially for people who feel overwhelmed when talking about what happened, or who have done a lot of thinking about their patterns and still feel stuck. You don’t need to have the right words. You can start with what you notice.
03 · What somatic therapy can help with
For what lives beneath the surface.
Trauma & PTSD
Single events and longer histories of hurt, especially when the body still reacts as if the danger hasn’t passed. Learn more
Anxiety & panic
Learning to notice the early physical signs of anxiety and help your body settle, rather than only arguing with anxious thoughts. Learn more
Stress & burnout
For the bone-deep exhaustion of carrying too much for too long, when switching off feels impossible. Learn more
Grief & loss
Grief is felt physically as well as emotionally. Somatic work makes room for both, at a pace you can manage. Learn more
Feeling numb or disconnected
Gently rebuilding a sense of connection to yourself when you’ve learned to tune out to cope. Learn more
Preparing for EMDR
Somatic skills are often used to build steadiness before trauma processing, and to stay grounded during it. Learn more
04 · What to expect
What to expect in somatic therapy
Small steps, at your pace. You can always pause, slow down or stop.
Getting to know you
You talk about what brings you in and what you’d like to feel differently. Megan will explain how somatic work fits with your goals, and you decide how much to share.
Building steadiness
You learn simple ways to ground and settle, like noticing your breath, your feet on the floor, or what feels neutral or comfortable in your body. These become anchors you can return to.
Working with what comes up
With guidance, you notice sensations linked to stress or difficult memories in small, manageable amounts, moving back to steadiness whenever you need to. Nothing is rushed.
Bringing it into daily life
Between sessions, you practise noticing earlier when your body is getting overwhelmed, and what helps it settle. Many people find this carries into sleep, relationships and work.
Somatic therapy can sometimes bring up strong feelings. Megan pays close attention to pacing so that you stay within what feels manageable. If you are in crisis, call or text 988, or call 911.
05 · Your therapist
Megan Emery, MA, MS
Canadian Certified Counsellor · Online
Megan is a trauma-focused counsellor with more than 20 years of experience. Her work is warm, direct and grounded in the body, drawing on training in somatic therapy and EMDR, along with DBT and narrative approaches.
She works with adults living with complex trauma, grief, anxiety and the exhaustion of high-pressure professional life, helping them move from understanding what happened toward change they can feel.
06 · Common questions
Questions about somatic therapy.
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What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is an umbrella term for body-oriented approaches to talk therapy. Alongside your thoughts and emotions, you pay attention to physical experience, like breath, muscle tension, posture and the sensations that come with stress or calm. The aim is to help your body, as well as your mind, learn that it is safe enough to settle.
Is somatic therapy evidence-based?
Research on body-oriented therapies is growing, and some approaches, such as Somatic Experiencing, have shown promising results for trauma symptoms in early studies. The evidence base is smaller than for treatments like EMDR or CBT, so Megan uses somatic work alongside well-established approaches and tailors it to you.
Does it involve touch?
No. Sessions with Megan are online, by secure video. Everything is guided through conversation, attention and simple movements or breathing you choose to try. You are always in control and can pause at any time.
Do I have to talk about my trauma?
Not in detail, and not before you’re ready. Somatic work often begins with what is happening in your body right now, rather than retelling the past. Many people find this a gentler way in.
What if I don’t feel much in my body?
That is very common, especially if feeling less has helped you cope. You don’t need to be good at noticing sensations to start. Megan will begin wherever you are, in small and manageable steps.
How is this different from EMDR?
EMDR is a structured protocol for processing specific memories. Somatic therapy is a broader way of working with the body’s responses. They work well together, and Megan often uses somatic skills to help clients feel steady before and during EMDR.
Is somatic therapy covered by insurance?
Megan is a Canadian Certified Counsellor. Many extended health plans cover counselling by a CCC, but plans vary, so check with your provider. We provide receipts for you to submit. See our fees page for current rates.
Can somatic therapy help with physical symptoms?
Somatic therapy can help with the physical side of stress and emotional pain, but it is not a replacement for medical care. If you have new, ongoing or unexplained physical symptoms, please check in with your doctor as well.
You don’t have to figure it out in your head first.
If you’re curious whether somatic therapy could help, a free 15-minute call with Megan is an easy, no-pressure place to start. Sessions are online by secure video, for clients in Calgary, across Alberta and elsewhere in Canada.
New to therapy? Our Welcome Guide explains what to expect, and our fees page covers rates and insurance.
Call or text 403.488.8912 · info@corepsychology.com
Monday to Friday, 9am to 7pm · Saturday, 9am to 3pm