5 Points to Consider when choosing a somatic therapist

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1. What training has the practitioner completed?

 

Psychotherapy, Counselling and Somatic therapy are unregulated professions, this means that anyone can call themselves one of these titles, even with no training! A professional looking website does not mean the provider is legitimate.

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Some providers may have read a book, completed a single day, weekend or several day course in somatics, and then offer 'somatic trauma therapy' and call themselves 'somatic trauma therapists'.

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Others may have completed the full 3 year SE training through an organisation like SOSI, which delivers the training developed by Peter Levine, the founder of SE as well as being trained in another form of therapy.

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2. What is their professional background? -

 

Some practitioners have a background as a yoga teacher, social worker, massage therapist or some other allied profession, others have professional training in counselling and psychotherapy.

 

Even the full 3 year training in Somatic Experiencing does not cover many key basic aspects to therapy provision.

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So, it might be important to know what other training the provider has had.​​

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3. Are they registered with a recognised professional body like BACP, UKCP, COSCA, BABCP, BPS?

 

Can you check the website of the professional body? Do they have ethical guidelines? Is there protection for you if things go awry?

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4. How much experience do they have?

 

Some providers might be very recently trained, others may have been working in the field for many years. 

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5. What does your gut response say?

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As Carl Rogers, founder of person centred therapy woudl say ' it is the relationship that heals', do you feel that you could trust this person, that there is enough of a click? It can be worth trying a few therapists to see how it feels.

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