Somatic Psychotherapy in Melbourne

Somatic psychotherapy is a body-centred approach to healing that recognises the profound connection between the mind, body, and nervous system. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which primarily engages the thinking mind, somatic psychotherapy works directly with the body's sensations, movements, and physiological responses to facilitate deep healing.

The word "somatic" comes from the Greek "soma," meaning body. Somatic approaches are grounded in the understanding that trauma, stress, and emotional pain are not just psychological experiences — they are stored in the body itself, in the form of tension, contraction, numbness, and dysregulated nervous system patterns.

At Ādarśa, somatic psychotherapy is our core modality. It forms the foundation of all our therapeutic work, and is integrated with other evidence-based approaches including EMDR, schema therapy, and breathwork.

Our approach to somatic psychotherapy is integrative, trauma-informed, and deeply relational. We draw on a range of somatic modalities including Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and body-oriented process work.

In sessions, we work with the body's wisdom — tracking sensations, noticing impulses, and gently supporting the completion of survival responses that may have become stuck. This might involve gentle movement, breath awareness, grounding practices, or simply slowing down to notice what is happening in the body in the present moment.

We work at the pace your nervous system needs. There is no rushing in somatic work. The body has its own intelligence, and our role is to create the conditions for that intelligence to emerge.

Sessions at Ādarśa typically last 50 minutes. Your first session will focus on getting to know each other — your history, your goals, and what brings you to therapy. We'll begin to build a safe therapeutic relationship, which is the foundation of all effective therapy.

As we work together over time, sessions will deepen. You might notice that we spend time tracking sensations in your body, exploring how emotions live in your physical experience, or working with the breath. We may use gentle movement, grounding exercises, or visualisation.

Somatic psychotherapy is not a passive process. You are an active participant in your own healing. Our role is to guide, support, and hold space — yours is to bring curiosity and willingness to explore.

Sharna Arti has over 20 years of experience as a somatic psychotherapist. She is a registered psychologist (AHPRA), a trained somatic psychotherapist, a kundalini yoga teacher, and a certified holotropic breathwork teacher. This rare combination of training means she can work with you across multiple levels of experience — psychological, somatic, and transpersonal.

Our practice is located in Brunswick, Melbourne, offering a warm, contained therapeutic environment. We accept Medicare rebates with a valid Mental Health Care Plan from your GP.

Sessions are $280 per session. Medicare rebates are available with a Mental Health Care Plan (MHCP) from your GP. Under a MHCP, you can access up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a Medicare rebate.

Group somatic sessions are available through our Soma Psyche Space classes, which are also accessible via Medicare and NDIS funding.