- Dr. Olivia FieldsSanta Monica, CA(310) 948-1284
Stress & Anxiety
đź’ˇWhy Somatic Work Works
A Body-Based Approach to emotional clarity
We’ve all had moments where the insight is there—intellectually, you get it—but something still won’t shift. You know you’re safe, but your body is bracing. You understand the pattern, but it still plays out. You’ve journaled, reflected, reframed… and yet.
Sometimes the issue isn’t lack of understanding.
It’s that your body hasn’t caught up.
That’s where somatic work comes in.
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🧠When Thinking Isn’t Helping: Why the Nervous System Is the Shortcut to Calm
Sometimes we try to think our way out of stress—talk ourselves down, reframe the situation, apply logic. And sometimes, that works. But not always.
When the nervous system is dysregulated, insight alone doesn’t stick. The body needs to feel safe before the mind can make sense of things.
That’s why, in my practice, I often guide people to bypass the mental maze and work directly with the body. It’s faster, deeper, and honestly—kinder.
Why the Body Remembers
Your nervous system isn’t trying to sabotage you. It’s trying to protect you based on past experience and current signals—whether or not they’re conscious. That’s why you can know you’re safe but still feel anxious. The body doesn’t always update in real-time.
Regulation starts by speaking the language of the body: breath, sound, sensation, rhythm, and connection. These are tools that reach the nervous system where it lives—beneath the story.