Developed by Moshe Feldenkrais (1904-1984)
Uses gentle movement sequences and guided attention to improve posture, flexibility, and self-awareness through neuroplastic learning. The method includes two approaches: Awareness Through Movement (ATM)—group classes with verbal guidance through exploratory movements—and Functional Integration (FI)—one-on-one sessions using gentle touch to guide learning. Emphasizes awareness, functional movement learning, and "learning how to learn." Used in rehabilitation, dance, sports, and education to address chronic pain, improve performance, and enhance coordination.
Created by F. Matthias Alexander (1869-1955)
Teaches people to notice and change habitual patterns of tension, especially in everyday activities like sitting, standing, and speaking. Alexander developed this method after discovering how his habitual tension patterns affected his voice. The technique emphasizes "conscious inhibition" (pausing automatic reactions), "direction" (mental intention for ease), and the "use of the self" (how we coordinate mind-body in activity). Practitioners use hands-on guidance and verbal cues to help students release unnecessary tension and find more efficient coordination. Popular among performers (actors, musicians, dancers) and highly effective for chronic pain, particularly neck and back pain.
Developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen
An integrative approach that explores movement, touch, voice, and awareness through the lens of anatomy, physiology, developmental patterns, and embodied systems. BMC investigates how different body systems (skeletal, muscular, organ, fluid, endocrine, nervous) contribute to movement and consciousness. Emphasizes embodied anatomy—experiencing body systems from the inside—and developmental movement patterns (reflexes and patterns established in infancy). Used extensively in dance, somatic therapy, early childhood education, and movement rehabilitation. Particularly valuable for understanding developmental trauma and supporting neurodivergent movement patterns.
Skinner Releasing Technique (SRT)
Developed by Joan Skinner
A dance and movement practice that uses imagery, touch, and improvisation to release tension and foster creativity.
Developed by Steve Paxton
A dance form that explores movement through physical contact, weight-sharing, and spontaneous interaction.
Developed by Peter Levine, PhD
A body-oriented trauma therapy that helps individuals process and release the physiological effects of trauma by focusing on bodily sensations and completing "unfinished" defensive responses (fight, flight, freeze, fawn). SE is based on the observation that wild animals naturally discharge trauma energy through shaking and movement, while humans often suppress these responses. The method uses titration (processing trauma in small, manageable doses), pendulation (moving between distress and safety), and resourcing (building internal capacity). SE practitioners guide clients to track sensations, images, behaviors, and emotions (called SIBAM) to gently complete interrupted survival responses and restore nervous system regulation. Extensively researched and used for PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, and attachment trauma.
Developed by Pat Ogden, PhD
Integrates somatic awareness with cognitive and emotional processing in talk therapy, especially effective for trauma and attachment issues. Based on the understanding that trauma is encoded in the body at sensorimotor, emotional, and cognitive levels, this method emphasizes mindfulness of body sensations, tracking of impulses and movements, and the completion of defensive responses. Uses techniques like somatic resources (body-based states of support), experiments (exploring new movements or postures), and mindful awareness to transform trauma-related patterns. Particularly valuable for complex PTSD, developmental trauma, and attachment wounds. Taught widely to therapists integrating body awareness into clinical practice.
Founded by Ida Rolf, PhD (1896-1979)
Uses hands-on manipulation of the body's connective tissue (fascia) to improve structural alignment and movement efficiency. Based on the principle that the body functions best when its segments (head, shoulders, thorax, pelvis, legs) are properly aligned in gravity. Rolfing typically involves a 10-session series, each focusing on different areas of the body and progressively reorganizing fascial patterns. The work can be intense but aims for lasting structural change. While sometimes categorized as bodywork rather than somatics, Rolfing emphasizes awareness and the relationship between structure and function. Used by athletes, dancers, and those with chronic structural pain or postural issues.
Developed by Thomas Hanna
Addresses Sensory Motor Amnesia (SMA)—the brain's "forgetting" of how to sense or control certain muscles due to stress, trauma, or repetitive patterns. Uses a technique called pandiculation—voluntary contraction followed by slow, controlled release—to re-educate the sensorimotor cortex and restore voluntary muscle control. Particularly effective for chronic muscular pain resulting from habitual holding patterns (like the "red light reflex" of withdrawal or "green light reflex" of constant striving). Sessions involve gentle, assisted movements on a massage table followed by self-care exercises. Widely used for chronic back pain, sciatica, and movement restrictions.
Developed by Ron Kurtz
A mindfulness-centered, body-oriented psychotherapy that integrates principles from Eastern philosophy, Western psychology, and somatic awareness.
Developed by Ron Kurtz in the late 1970s, it emphasizes gentle curiosity and present-moment experience as a way to uncover unconscious beliefs and patterns that shape behavior.
In practice, Hakomi therapists help clients tune into subtle bodily sensations, emotions, and thoughts, creating a safe and compassionate environment where hidden core material can surface.
By bringing awareness to these unconscious structures, clients gain insight and the opportunity to transform limiting beliefs, fostering greater self-acceptance, emotional healing, and personal growth.
Developed by Dr. Aline LaPierre
A somatic, polyvagal-informed therapeutic approach that uses intentional, attuned touch to address trauma and developmental deficits beyond the reach of words.
Dr. LaPierre is the founding director of The NeuroAffective Touch Institute, President of the United States Association of Body Psychotherapy (USABP), and Editor-in-Chief of the International Body Psychotherapy Journal. She co-authored the bestselling book Healing Developmental Trauma: How Trauma Affects Self-Regulation, Self-Image, and the Capacity for Relationship, now available in fourteen languages.
NAT emphasizes the equal importance of body and mind in healing, bridging psychotherapy with the therapeutic use of touch. It integrates somatic psychotherapy, attachment and developmental theory, and affective and interpersonal neurobiology. Through offering direct communication and support to the body at the nonverbal level—where we receive our first imprints—NAT brings unconscious memories held in the body into conscious awareness.
Particularly effective for early developmental trauma, attachment wounds, and emotional dysregulation where traditional talk therapy may fall short. This gentle, mindful touch fosters safety, nervous system regulation, emotional repair, and deeper integration of self, offering a pathway to healing relational and developmental trauma and reconnecting us to the wholeness of our relational matrix.
Yoga
Ancient practice from India
Dating back thousands of years, yoga integrates movement, breath, and meditation to cultivate physical, mental, and spiritual well-being.
Tai Chi & Qigong
Ancient practices from China
Use slow, flowing movements and breath to balance energy (qi) and promote health, longevity, and spiritual cultivation.