Somatic EMDR: When Your Body Knows Before Your Brain Does
If you’re neurodivergent—or know someone who is—you probably already know that stress doesn’t always show up as a thought. Sometimes it’s a tight chest, a stomach drop, a shut-down feeling, or a buzzing under your skin that you can’t talk yourself out of. That’s where somatic EMDR can really help.
This isn’t about rehashing everything that’s ever happened to you. It’s not about "fixing" yourself or pushing your way through. It’s about learning to listen to your body, to the protective parts that show up when things feel too much, and to the deeper cues your system may have learned to mute or override.
First Things First: Resourcing
Before we ever approach anything that seems daunting, we slow things down and focus on resourcing—building up your internal sense of steadiness, safety, and self-connection.
For a neurodivergent system, resourcing can look different. It might be:
The quiet rhythm of tapping your fingers together
Feeling the weight of a heated blanket
Imagining a trusted animal or safe space
Noticing what doesn’t feel tight, even if it’s just your toes
These aren’t distractions: they’re anchors. They give your nervous system the message: We’re not going there yet. We’re just building trust.
And we’re also getting to know your parts—the ones that brace, the ones that shut things down, the ones that carry shame or hyper-vigilance. These parts aren’t problems: they’re protectors. And they’ve been doing a job for a long time.
A Story From the Therapy Room
Let’s say someone named Jordan (not their real name) comes to therapy. Jordan’s is neurodivergent and has been in survival mode for years. When something small goes wrong—like a missed social cue or a delay in response—they drop into a shutdown spiral. No words. No movement. Just a deep internal freeze.
Before anything else, we focus on what helps Jordan come back into their body. They find that rocking helps. So does holding a warm mug and listening to lo-fi beats. That becomes part of their resourcing toolkit. We repeat those things, often, until they feel familiar.
Then, when we start to explore what’s underneath, we invite curiosity:
“What’s this part afraid would happen if it didn’t shut you down?”
“Where do you feel that protective energy in your body?”
“Can we check in with it—without trying to change it?”
Jordan starts to notice: this freeze isn’t weakness, but rather it is protection. It’s a younger part that learned to shut everything off before things got too overwhelming.
We don’t override it. We thank it. We sit with it. We let Jordan decide when they’re ready to go deeper.
That moment—the one where you stop fighting your parts and start listening to them—is where healing really begins.
How I Work
This kind of work isn’t about pushing. It’s about partnership—with your system, your parts, and your pace.
I blend EMDR, somatic awareness, and IFS-informed parts work to help you build inner trust and nervous-system safety. That might mean:
Naming the protector parts without judgment
Resourcing before any trauma work
Using tapping, sound, breath, or gentle movement instead of just talking
You never have to do anything your system isn’t ready for. And the moments we pause—those are the moments that matter most.
Try This: The Somatic “Part Pause”
Want to try a small version of this on your own?
Notice a moment of tension—maybe a part of you is bracing or shutting down.
Ask gently: “Who in me is feeling this right now?”
Put a hand near that sensation. Breathe. Stay with it.
Try saying: “You’re not in trouble. I see you. I’m here with you.”
Just stay for 30 seconds. No fixing. Just presence.
You might be surprised what softens when you offer compassion instead of control.
If you’ve been feeling stuck as through certain reactions “take over” before you can catch them, know this: it’s not a flaw. It’s a system doing its best to protect you.
You don’t have to go it alone. Therapy can be a place where those parts finally get to rest—and you get to come home to yourself.
Want to explore whether this kind of work might feel supportive? Reach out when you're ready.