Pier over calm water with mountains, symbolizing grounding and stability in the somatic healing journey.

Somatic Therapy

Utilizing body-focused therapies to help you understand and calm your body’s response to trauma and stress, providing a personalized approach that honors your unique experience and helps you reconnect with a sense of safety and connection.

SOMATIC THERAPY FOR ADULTS IN BATAVIA, NAPERVILLE, AND ONLINE

Sound like you?

"I feel constantly on edge, and I don’t know how to relax anymore.

"No matter what I do, I can’t shake this sense of disconnection from my own body."

"I need something to help me feel safe and grounded, not just in my mind, but in my body too."

"I'm always feeling like I'm in fight or flight."

It feels like your body is constantly in a state of tension, as if you can’t escape the feeling that something is wrong. You’re exhausted from being on high alert all the time, yet you can’t seem to relax or feel at ease. No matter how much you talk about your experiences, it’s as if your body hasn’t gotten the message—it’s still holding onto the stress and fear. You might feel disconnected from yourself, like you’re just going through the motions without really being present. The idea of feeling safe and grounded seems distant, and you wonder if you’ll ever truly feel comfortable in your own skin again. Every day feels like a battle against the invisible weight of stress and trauma that you carry.

34 N. Island Ave., Ste F
Batavia, IL 60510

1315 Macom Dr., Ste 208

Naperville, IL 60546

630.601.3460

hello@creatingspacetherapy.com

Still water reflecting mountains and trees, evoking peace and the connection between body and emotions in somatic therapy.

You Deserve to Feel Safe and Grounded

WE'RE HERE FOR YOU.

Living with the effects of trauma and chronic stress doesn’t have to define your life. You deserve to feel safe in your own body and to have the tools to calm your mind and nervous system. At Creating Space Therapy, we believe in honoring your unique journey toward healing with the personalized care it requires. Through somatic therapy, we help you connect with your body’s natural ability to heal, guiding you to understand and soothe the stress responses that keep you feeling trapped. Our experienced therapists are here to support you every step of the way, offering compassion, expertise, and the gentle guidance you need to regain a sense of balance and peace. You don’t have to face this alone—your well-being is our priority, and we’re dedicated to helping you feel empowered and connected throughout your healing journey.

Serene lake reflecting trees and mountains, symbolizing calm and embodiment in somatic healing practices.

Signs That EMDR Therapy May Be Right for You

If you’re finding that the effects of grief and trauma are keeping you constantly on edge, affecting your physical well-being, and leaving you feeling disconnected from your own body, somatic therapy could be the path to healing you’ve been searching for. Here are some signs that it may be time to explore somatic therapy:

You experience physical symptoms like chronic pain, headaches, or digestive issues that seem linked to stress.

You feel disconnected from your body, as if you’re not fully present in your own life.

You find it hard to trust your own instincts.

It feels like your frozen when you need to make decisions.

You feel like you are always in survival mode

You feel like you are always analyzing people and situations.

Calm water reflecting mountains and forest, symbolizing body-mind integration and healing in somatic therapy.

It may feel impossible now, but you can find relief and reconnect with your body and your life. You can live a life that feels grounded, balanced, and true to who you are. And we can help you get there.

SOMATIC THERAPY CAN HELP YOU-----

Understand and Calm Your Body’s Responses

Together, we’ll explore how your body holds onto stress and trauma, helping you learn ways to soothe these responses. Healing doesn’t mean forgetting what happened—it means finding a way to live with it that no longer leaves you feeling trapped or overwhelmed.

Develop Tools to Soothe Physical and Emotional Discomfort

We’ll guide you in developing personalized techniques to calm your body and mind, making it easier to manage distressing sensations and emotions. These tools will help you find a greater sense of peace and stability in your everyday life.

Rediscover a Sense of Safety and Comfort in Your Body

Through our work together, you’ll begin to feel more at home in your own body, reducing the tension and discomfort that have kept you on edge. We’ll explore ways to rebuild your connection with yourself, allowing you to find a sense of safety and well-being.

Reconnect with Your Authentic Self

Trauma can create a disconnect between you and your true self. We’ll help you rediscover your core values and sense of identity, guiding you toward a life that feels genuine, fulfilling, and aligned with who you truly are.

Grief Counseling in Batavia and Naperville Illinois

Healing the Body-Mind Connection with Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy offers a powerful approach to healing that addresses the deep connections between the mind and body, especially when dealing with grief and trauma. By focusing on how these experiences are held physically, somatic therapy helps you release tension, regulate your nervous system, and develop a profound awareness of your body's wisdom. This therapeutic process not only alleviates emotional pain but also empowers you to regain control over your healing journey, fostering resilience and a renewed sense of peace. Discover how somatic therapy can guide you towards a holistic recovery and help you reconnect with your body in meaningful ways.

Healing at the Body-Mind Connection

Somatic therapy offers a unique approach that recognizes how grief and trauma are stored not just in the mind but also in the body. By engaging in body-centered practices, clients can release physical tension and stored trauma, leading to a deeper and more holistic healing experience. This approach helps clients reconnect with their bodies, fostering a sense of safety and groundedness.

Regulation of the Nervous System

Grief and trauma can dysregulate the nervous system, leading to chronic stress, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm. Somatic therapy focuses on techniques that calm the nervous system, such as breathwork, gentle movement, and mindfulness practices. Clients learn how to regulate their emotions, reducing the intensity of their grief and trauma responses, and gradually building resilience.

Empowerment Through Embodied Awareness

Somatic therapy empowers clients by enhancing their awareness of how emotions and trauma manifest physically. This increased body awareness allows clients to better understand and manage their emotional responses. Through this therapeutic process, clients can develop a greater sense of control and agency over their healing journey, transforming their relationship with grief and trauma.

4 Things to Know about Somatic Therapy

Somatic Therapy in Batavia, Naperville and online in Illinois at Creating Space Therapy

The Body Keeps the Score

Trauma isn’t just a memory stored in your mind; it’s an experience deeply embedded in your body. When you go through a traumatic event, your body holds onto the tension, stress, and fear long after the event has passed. This can manifest in various ways, such as chronic pain, digestive issues, or a heightened stress response. These physical symptoms are your body’s way of telling the story of what you’ve been through. At Creating Space Therapy, we recognize that true healing requires addressing these bodily imprints of trauma. Somatic therapy offers a pathway to release this stored tension, helping your body let go of the trauma it has been holding onto, often without you even realizing it.

By focusing on the body’s role in trauma, somatic therapy helps you reconnect with yourself on a deeper level. This process isn’t just about alleviating physical symptoms; it’s about restoring a sense of safety and wholeness. When your body feels safe, your mind can begin to heal as well. Through guided techniques that engage the body, such as breathwork, gentle movement, and mindfulness, somatic therapy allows you to process and release the trauma that has been stored in your body. This holistic approach leads to a more comprehensive and lasting recovery, as both your mind and body learn to move forward from the trauma together.

Polyvagal Theory Is the Blueprint for Understanding Trauma Responses

Polyvagal Theory offers a revolutionary way to understand how your nervous system responds to trauma. Rather than simply reacting to external events, your nervous system is constantly scanning your environment for cues of safety or danger. When trauma occurs, this system can become stuck in a state of hypervigilance, where you’re always on high alert, or in a state of shutdown, where you feel numb and disconnected. These responses are not just psychological—they are deeply rooted in your body’s physiology. At Creating Space Therapy, we utilize Polyvagal Theory to help you make sense of these reactions. By understanding how your nervous system operates, you can start to see these responses as your body’s way of trying to protect you, even when it no longer serves you.

Expanding on this understanding, Polyvagal Theory also provides practical tools to help you regulate your nervous system and move out of these trauma-induced states. Through techniques that promote safety and connection—such as grounding exercises, breathwork, and mindful movement—you can learn to influence your nervous system’s state, guiding it back to calm and balance. This approach empowers you to take an active role in your healing process. At Creating Space Therapy, we incorporate these practices into our sessions, helping you not only understand your body’s responses but also develop strategies to manage them effectively. By doing so, you can shift from a reactive state to one of greater control and resilience, allowing you to engage more fully with life and move forward from trauma.

Stream flowing over rocks into a calm body of water, with mountains in the background, symbolizing the transition from tension to peace in somatic therapy.

Serene lake with wildflowers, evergreen trees, and majestic mountains, symbolizing natural beauty, grounding, and healing through somatic therapy.

Your Nervous System Shapes Your Experience of the World After Trauma

Your nervous system plays a pivotal role in how you perceive and interact with the world, especially after experiencing trauma. Trauma can leave your nervous system in a state of constant vigilance, where everyday situations feel overwhelming or threatening. This heightened state, often referred to as hypervigilance, can make it difficult to relax, trust others, or even enjoy life. Alternatively, your nervous system might respond by shutting down, leading to feelings of numbness, disconnection, or emotional withdrawal. These reactions are not just psychological; they are deeply rooted in the body’s survival mechanisms. At Creating Space Therapy, we help you understand these responses as natural, albeit challenging, reactions to trauma, providing a crucial first step toward reclaiming control over your life.

Beyond just understanding these patterns, it’s essential to learn how to actively influence and shift your nervous system’s state. By recognizing the signs of hypervigilance or shutdown, you can begin to use specific techniques to move towards a state of safety and connection. Practices such as grounding exercises, breath regulation, and mindfulness can help calm your nervous system, reducing the intensity of trauma responses. At Creating Space Therapy, we guide you through these practices, teaching you how to apply them in your daily life. This approach not only helps you manage the immediate effects of trauma but also empowers you to reshape your experience of the world, moving from a state of survival to one of thriving.

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) Resets and Calms Your Nervous System

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) is an innovative therapeutic tool designed to help reset and calm your nervous system, particularly when it’s been thrown off balance by trauma. Based on Polyvagal Theory, SSP uses specially filtered music to engage the parts of your nervous system responsible for safety and social engagement. This might seem surprising, but sound plays a significant role in how your nervous system interprets and responds to the world around you. By listening to these specific frequencies, your nervous system can begin to shift from a defensive state—characterized by anxiety, hypervigilance, or shutdown—to one of calm and connection. At Creating Space Therapy, we incorporate SSP to help clients establish a more regulated and resilient nervous system, creating a foundation for deeper therapeutic work.

The benefits of SSP extend beyond immediate relaxation; it helps build a more stable and adaptive nervous system that better responds to everyday stressors. When your nervous system is regulated, you are better equipped to engage in therapy and process traumatic experiences without becoming overwhelmed. This can make other therapeutic modalities, such as EMDR or Internal Family Systems (IFS), more effective because your nervous system is in a state that allows for deeper emotional processing and healing. At Creating Space Therapy, we tailor the use of SSP to your specific needs, ensuring that it complements your overall treatment plan and supports your journey towards lasting recovery and well-being.

Peaceful lake with a fall tree and wooden bench, symbolizing reflection, grounding, and healing through somatic therapy.

Still lake with mountains and trees, representing tranquility and embodied healing in somatic therapy.

Integrating Somatic Therapy with Other Therapeutic Modalities

At Creating Space Therapy, we believe that healing is most effective when it addresses the mind, body, and emotions together. Integrating somatic therapy with other modalities like EMDR, IFS, and mindfulness-based practices creates a comprehensive approach that supports your whole self.

How does somatic therapy work with EMDR?

When you’re going through EMDR, you’re processing difficult memories and emotions. Somatic therapy helps you stay connected to your body during this process, so you don’t feel overwhelmed. It helps release any physical tension or stress that comes up, making the overall healing experience more complete and lasting.

What’s the benefit of combining somatic therapy with Internal Family Systems (IFS)?

IFS focuses on understanding different parts of yourself that may be in conflict because of trauma. Somatic therapy adds another layer by helping you notice how these parts of you show up physically—like a tight chest when you feel anxious. By addressing these physical sensations, you can make the healing process even more effective.

How does somatic therapy fit with mindfulness practices?

Mindfulness teaches you to be present and aware of your thoughts and feelings. Somatic therapy takes this further by helping you tune into your body’s signals. It’s about noticing what’s happening physically when you’re stressed or anxious and learning how to respond in a way that helps you feel better.

Why would I want to combine these therapies?

At Creating Space Therapy, we know that healing works best when you address your mind, body, and emotions together. By combining somatic therapy with EMDR, IFS, or mindfulness, we create a treatment plan that supports your whole self, helping you heal more deeply and fully.

QUESTIONS? WE'VE GOT ANSWERS.

Frequently asked questions-

What is grief counseling, and how can it help me?

Grief counseling provides a supportive space to process your loss and navigate the complex emotions that come with it. At Creating Space Therapy in Batavia and Naperville, IL, our certified grief counselors help you understand your grief, develop coping strategies, and work towards finding peace and meaning in your life after loss.
How long does grief counseling typically last?

The duration of grief counseling varies depending on your unique needs and the nature of your loss. Some clients may find relief in a few sessions, while others may benefit from longer-term support. Whether you visit us in our Batavia or Naperville, Illinois offices or opt for online telehealth sessions, we’ll tailor a plan that works best for you.
Is grief counseling only for those who have lost a loved one?

Grief counseling can be beneficial for any type of loss, including non-death losses like the end of a relationship, job loss, or significant life changes. If you’re struggling to cope with any loss, our certified grief counselors in Batavia and Naperville or through online telehealth, can help you process your feelings and move forward.
Can I receive grief counseling online?

Yes, Creating Space Therapy offers online telehealth grief counseling for residents across Illinois. Our certified grief counselors provide the same compassionate, expert care as in-person therapy in Batavia and and Naperville offices, allowing you to receive support from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
How do I know if I need grief counseling?

If you find that grief is affecting your daily life—making it hard to connect with others, focus on work or school, or feel any sense of hope—grief counseling could be helpful. Our certified grief counselors at our Batavia and Naperville locations and through online telehealth are here to provide support and help you navigate this challenging time.

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