What is Somatic Coaching? And the importance of working with a certified somatic coach.
“And I said softly to my body.
Softly.
’I want to be your friend.’
It took a long breath.
And replied,
’I have been waiting my whole life for this’-Nayyirah Waheed
Are you at a point in life where you're feeling a bit stuck? Maybe you're going through a life or career transition and the road ahead seems a tad unclear. In this blog post I explore what somatic coaching is and how it can help you find the clarity and purpose you seek as you consider tackling a new challenge, or a change in your life. So, I invite you to get a cup of tea, get comfy, and let's dive in.
Understanding Holistic Somatic Coaching
Somatics, derived from the Greek word "soma" meaning "the living body," is a field of coaching (and therapy) that invites us to embrace our physical bodies as gateways to wisdom and understanding. Somatics acknowledges the profound connection between our minds and bodies, inviting us to explore our physical sensations and emotional experiences to gain deeper insights into our inner and outer worlds.
How is Somatic Coaching Different From Regular Coaching?
People often seek a coach when they feel stuck and need help breaking through. Coaching is about creating possibilities by partnering with your coach through a thought-provoking, creative process you arrive to new possibilities. In this space, your coach asks questions, while you discover that you have the answers and the magic to tackle even the trickiest challenges.
Somatic coaching is a powerful, creative process that helps you gain new insights. Unlike regular coaching, it incorporates body awareness, physical sensations, and emotions as part of the exploration of the challenges. This approach reveals new perspectives, allowing you to observe and embrace new possibilities. Somatic coaching tools are derived from a variety of sources including mindfulness, neuroscience and polyvagal theory to name a few.
So, What Does a Somatic Coach do?
A Somatic Coach might guide you to connect with your body in a way that you can begin to decode the wisdom that it holds for you regarding the places you feel stuck in life or at work. The Somatic Coach can use different tools to help you lead the interpretion of your sensations and make sense of them within the scope of coaching. Some of these tools include visualizations, mindfulness practices, art, movement, among others.
A somatic coach is not a therapist and therefore, the goal of a somatic coaching session is not to heal from past trauma but to create forward motion regarding a challenge such as whether to leave your job, or what to do about a particular circumstance.
How can Somatic Coaching Benefit You?
Somatic coaching offers many benefits to support you:
Gain clarity and direction about your goals, values, and aspirations allowing you make aligned and empowered decisions.
Develop emotional resilience to effectively navigate the ups and downs of your transitional journey and overcome obstacles with inner strength and grace.
Embrace self-confidence. By challenging and reframing limiting beliefs, somatic coaching boosts your self-confidence, helping you overcome self-doubt and step into your full potential, making the desired changes in your life.
Enhance your self-awareness. Somatic coaching fosters a deep sense of self-awareness through mindfulness practices.
Why work with a Certified Somatic Coach
Working with a certieid Somatic Coach is important.
Look for certifications with a global organization like the International Coaching Federation (ICF) that have explicit and transparent ethical standards, and require their coaches to demonstrate proficiency in coaching skills which enable:
A Nurturing Space: A certified somatic coach adheres to explicit ethical standards, and is trained to provide a trauma-informed, non-judgmental environment for self-exploration. They will let you know how far you can go with coaching and where the limits are with therapy.
Confidentiality: A certified coach with IFS ensures your privacy and maintains confidentiality throughout the coaching process.
Clear Boundaries. A certified coach clearly defines the boundaries between coaching and therapy. They focus on goal-setting, personal development, and actionable strategies, while therapy addresses deeper psychological issues and emotional healing.
Expertise and Experience: A certified coach brings a high level of expertise and experience to the coaching process. They have undergone rigorous training and have demonstrated their skills through certification, ensuring they are well-equipped to guide you effectively. Many certifications require that a coach completes at least 100 hours of coaching to receive their accreditation.
What are Somatic Coaching sessions like?
I believe Coaching is about identifying and exploring new opportunities. Seeing options that you didn’t know existed before. A somatic coaching journey during career and life transitions typically involves the following stages:
Goal Setting
Body-Centered Exploration
Mindset Transformation
Strengths Identification
Work Experiments (for Career Transitions)
Incorporating Somatic Coaching into Daily Life
To maximize the benefits of somatic coaching during your career transition, I invite my clients to consider integrating somatic practices into their daily lives. Cultivating mindfulness, body awareness, and self-care habits beyond coaching sessions can strengthen your personal growth and support a smoother transition.
Ready to Begin Your Journey?
Perhaps you feel like you are going around in circles regarding a challenge in your life and are in search of a new perspective, or maybe you are looking for clues to your life's purpose. If so, consider embarking on a transformative journey with a holistic somatic coach. As an ICF-Certified Somatic Coach, certified yoga teacher, and expertise in IFS coaching applications, I specialize in helping individuals navigate the complexity of modern life and dive deeper into self-discovery.
BOOK A FREE CONSULTATION
Hola, I’m Paula Castillo I’m a certified Mindfulness, Somatic and Wellbeing Coach with the International Coaching Federation. I believe that working with a certified holistic somatic coach can be a catalyst for profound inner change and growth. Learn more about working with me here or fill out the form below to connect and request a free consultation.
“Paula’s ability to provide insight and mobilize energy within our fields was apparent... after the work, I met my objectives and I got to experience the magic that surrounds us on a day-to-day basis if we are open to it. Other take-aways that have helped me a lot in my path were powerful mindfulness techniques. Her empathy and professionalism were also aspects that made my experience a very nurturing one. I’m very glad about this choice!!”
