At Ādarśa, we offer somatic psychotherapy that works with both the mind and the body to support lasting healing. Based in Brunswick and Strathmore, Melbourne, our approach recognises that unresolved experiences and emotions are often held in the body — and that real change happens when we address them at that level.
If you’ve tried traditional talk therapy and felt like something was missing, somatic psychotherapy may be the approach you’ve been looking for.
What Is Somatic Psychotherapy?
Somatic psychotherapy is a body-centred approach to therapy that pays attention to the physical sensations, movements and patterns that arise alongside our thoughts and emotions. Rather than relying on conversation alone, somatic psychotherapy works directly with the nervous system to help release what has become stuck.
Many people carry the effects of difficult experiences in their body without realising it — as chronic tension, shallow breathing, a sense of heaviness, or a feeling of being constantly on edge. Somatic psychotherapy helps you notice these patterns and, in a safe therapeutic setting, allows your nervous system to complete the natural process of releasing them.
The result is often a profound sense of relief, greater ease in the body, and a shift in how you experience yourself and the world around you.
How We Practice Somatic Psychotherapy at Ādarśa
Our founder and lead psychologist, Sharna Arti, brings a deeply integrative approach to somatic psychotherapy. Drawing on transpersonal psychology and a process-oriented framework, Sharna creates a space for individuals to work with their experience at multiple levels — cognitive, emotional, physical and spiritual.
In practice, this means sessions may involve a blend of:
- Somatic awareness and body-based processing
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
- Havening Techniques
- Somatic Experiencing
- Schema therapy
- Mindfulness-based approaches
- Breathwork
- Psychological astrology (where invited)
This integrative approach allows unresolved experiences and unintegrated emotions from the past to be welcomed and released. In the right setting, the nervous system is capable of spontaneously creating a movement that brings individuals out of a stuck way of being — with tremendous relief and often an expansion of awareness.
Sometimes the work is less experiential. There are sessions where the focus is on dialogue — helping you discover your inner courage and resilience to navigate challenging life events, or develop the sense-making skills needed for our complex modern world.
Every session is tailored to what you need on the day. There is no rigid formula.
Who Can Somatic Psychotherapy Help?
Somatic psychotherapy can be beneficial for a wide range of experiences and conditions, including:
- Complex trauma and PTSD
- Anxiety and panic
- Depression and low mood
- Chronic stress and burnout
- Mind-body disorders and stress-related physical conditions
- Emotional dysregulation
- Feeling stuck, disconnected or numb
- Spiritual emergence and transpersonal experiences
- ADHD and neurodiversity
- Attachment and relational difficulties
- Grief and loss
If you’re unsure whether somatic psychotherapy is right for you, we’re happy to have a conversation about it. There’s no pressure to commit before you feel ready.
What to Expect in Your First Session
Your first session at Ādarśa is about getting to know each other. Sharna will take time to understand what’s brought you to therapy, what you’ve tried before, and what you’re hoping to get from the process.
There’s no expectation to dive into deep work straight away. The first session is about establishing safety and connection — two things that are essential for effective somatic work.
From there, sessions typically run for 60 minutes and may include a combination of dialogue, somatic awareness exercises, and specific therapeutic techniques depending on what feels right for you.
Many clients notice a shift within the first few sessions, though deeper patterns often take longer to work through. Somatic psychotherapy is not a quick fix — it’s a process that honours your body’s own pace of healing.
Why Choose Ādarśa for Somatic Psychotherapy in Melbourne?
Ādarśa is not a typical psychology clinic. What makes our approach different:
Genuinely integrative: Sharna draws on a wide range of evidence-based and transpersonal modalities. This means your therapy isn’t limited to one framework — it’s shaped by what actually works for you.
Body and mind together: While many practices mention somatic approaches, at Ādarśa it is the foundation of everything we do. Every session is informed by an understanding of how the body holds and processes experience.
A whole-person approach: We work with mind, body and spirit. For those who are open to it, sessions can include transpersonal and spiritual dimensions of experience — something few psychology practices in Melbourne offer.
Individual and group options: In addition to individual therapy, Ādarśa offers Soma-Psyche group classes combining somatic movement, breathwork and mindfulness in Brunswick. Group work can be a powerful complement to individual sessions.
Experienced practitioner: Sharna Arti is a registered psychologist (MAPsych), somatic psychotherapist, breathwork facilitator and yoga teacher with deep experience in trauma-informed care.
Funding and Pricing
- Private sessions: $280 per hour
- Medicare rebates are available with a Mental Health Care Plan (up to 10 sessions per calendar year)
- Session packages are available for ongoing therapy clients
Please contact us to discuss your options.
Location
Ādarśa offers somatic psychotherapy at two locations in Melbourne:
- Brunswick, VIC — inner north Melbourne, easily accessible from surrounding suburbs including Fitzroy, Carlton, Northcote, Coburg and Brunswick East
- Strathmore, VIC — north-west Melbourne, convenient for Essendon, Moonee Ponds, Pascoe Vale and surrounding areas
We also serve clients from across greater Melbourne.
Book a Session
If you’re ready to explore somatic psychotherapy, or if you’d like to find out whether it’s the right fit for you, we’d love to hear from you.
Phone: 03 9007 2559 Email: sharna.psych@gmail.com Online: Contact us here