From the Therapist’s Chair: What Happens in Therapy, Really?
We’ve been exploring how seasonal light shifts affect the body and nervous system, as well as how to listen to ourselves to know what’s working and what's not. Today, I want to pull back the curtain on what actually happens in therapy, especially somatic therapy. When we begin to track the body in context with our environment, what happens and what to expect.
One of the most common questions I get from new clients is, “What should I expect in a session with you?”
It’s a fair question, especially when someone is already feeling dysregulated, overstimulated, or stuck in seasonal fatigue.
🌿 What “Therapy” Means in a Somatic Context
Somatic therapy isn’t about diving straight into trauma or pushing you to “talk it out.” It’s about noticing what’s happening in the moment you start talking to me:
How your body responds to stressors like time changes, light shifts, or overwhelming demands
What happens inside you when your schedule speeds up but your energy slows down
How to build in pause, not as avoidance, but as a form of taking time to listen.
In somatic sessions, we might start by talking, but we’ll also pay attention to the subtle ways your system is communicating. That could mean noticing a shift in your breath, a gesture you repeat, or a change in your posture when you talk about a particular memory.
🧭 Seasonal Signals Are Real
This time of year, I hear clients say things like:
“I thought I was just being lazy, but maybe my body’s asking for rest.”
“Everything feels harder in the dark. I thought it was just me.”
“My mood always dips in November, but I didn’t realize how much light was part of that.”
I’m not sure I know how to “rest”.
These are valid reflections. Your nervous system is designed to track your environment, and therapy can be a safe space to understand how those signals interact with your story.
🛋️ In the Therapy Room
If you’re a therapist, you may notice shifts in client energy and engagement as the season turns.
And if you’re a client, you might be tempted to power through, suppress, or shame your slowdown. But it’s worth asking:
What’s shifting around me?
What’s shifting inside me?
What does this season require of me, and what can I offer it in return?
Therapy at this time of year often becomes about pacing, boundaries, and redefining what “productive” means. It’s not always about solving. Sometimes it’s about settling.
✨ Try This Somatic Reflection
Whether you’re in session or on your own, take two minutes to check in with your internal environment:
Look around your space and note the quality of light.
Ask yourself: Is my pace today aligned with this light?
Let your body respond. That might mean a deep sigh, closing your eyes for a moment, or shifting in your seat.
No need to change anything, just notice what it’s like to settle into the rhythm that’s already here.
📣 Prepared for Action?
Feeling off as the seasons change? That doesn’t mean something’s wrong with you. It might just mean your system is doing exactly what it was built to do: adapt.
If you want to work with those shifts instead of against them, you’re not alone.
📍 Book a session
