Why Somatic Psychotherapy Interacts So Effectively with IFS Therapy

Spoiler alert: your body isn’t just along for the ride.

If you’ve ever felt like talking about your issues just... doesn’t cut it, you’re not alone. Many of the people I work with at OmniTherapy have tried traditional talk therapy, ticked all the right boxes, and yet still feel stuck—disconnected, dysregulated, or like they’re paddling upstream in a river of overwhelm.

This is where somatic psychotherapy and Internal Family Systems (IFS) start to shine. When used together, they create a powerful, compassionate, and often surprisingly intuitive healing space. It’s a bit like putting on glasses and suddenly realising—oh, that’s what the world looks like.

Let’s explore how these two modalities complement each other so beautifully, and why your nervous system might be the unsung hero in your healing story.

First Things First: What is Somatic Psychotherapy?

Somatic psychotherapy is a body-based approach to healing. It understands that trauma, stress, and emotion live in the body—not just in our thoughts. It works with nervous system responses, physical sensations, posture, breath, and even movement to help us process and release what’s been held inside.

Think of it like this: your body is the stage where your life story plays out. And it’s been keeping score—even when your conscious mind was trying to move on.

So if you’ve ever cried during a yoga class, felt panic rise for “no reason”, or sensed a tightness in your chest that words couldn’t reach—yep, that’s somatic territory.

A Quick Refresher on Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS therapy—developed by Dr Richard Schwartz—is a therapeutic model based on the idea that we are made up of many different “parts”. These parts aren’t flaws; they’re adaptations. Some parts carry pain (called Exiles), others try to protect us from that pain (like the classic overachiever or inner critic), and some jump in to manage the fallout (hello, Netflix-and-wine-on-a-school-night part).

IFS-informed therapy helps you build a compassionate relationship with all these inner parts. Instead of pushing them away, we get curious. We listen. And through that relationship, we create space for healing.

At OmniTherapy, we offer online IFS therapy that’s trauma-informed, deeply respectful, and grounded in the real-life complexity of being human.

We also offer face to face sessions for those who prefer it.

Why Somatic Work + IFS is a Dream Combo

1. Trauma is Held in the Body—IFS Helps You Find the Story

Somatic psychotherapy helps you tune in to where trauma is living in your body. Maybe it’s a clenched jaw, a frozen stomach, or a feeling like you can’t quite breathe. IFS helps you meet the part of you holding that tension.

You might notice:

• A tightening in your chest? That might be your anxious protector.

• A numbness in your belly? Maybe that’s a part that’s shut down after years of pushing through.

• A flutter in your throat? Could be a younger part holding grief.

Together, IFS healing and somatic awareness gently map your internal world—not just mentally, but physically.

2. Somatic Awareness Gives Your Parts a Voice

Parts don’t always speak in words. Sometimes they speak in sensation. Somatic approaches help those more implicit, preverbal experiences come forward. You might not know why you’re sad, but your body does. And IFS gives you a framework to listen without judgement.

For many clients, this combo allows a deeper trust to emerge. “Oh,” they realise, “I’m not broken. I just haven’t learned how to listen to this part of me yet.”

This is the sweet spot of IFS-informed therapy—honouring all parts, all sensations, all stories.

3. Co-regulation and Embodied Self-Energy

One of the central ideas in IFS is that we all have a core Self—calm, curious, compassionate. But when trauma hits, our access to Self can get clouded by protectors trying to keep us safe.

Somatic practices (like grounding, breathwork, or mindful movement) help us return to our bodies—and from there, to Self-energy. When you feel rooted in your body, you’re more able to witness your parts without getting overwhelmed by them.

And when your parts feel that grounded presence? They start to soften. They begin to trust. That’s the alchemy of trauma-informed therapy that brings both body and psyche into the room.

For the Overachievers in the Room: Why This Works

You might be wondering—what’s the science-y bit behind this?

Well, neuroscience shows that trauma changes how our brains and nervous systems function. It can keep us stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses, and even years later, those patterns can get reactivated by the smallest triggers.

Somatic work speaks directly to those patterns. It helps regulate the autonomic nervous system. Meanwhile, IFS helps make sense of why those responses developed in the first place, and how we can meet them with empathy instead of shame.

Family systems therapists working from an IFS lens aren’t just listening to your story—they’re listening to how your whole system is trying to survive.

And spoiler: it’s not about “fixing” you. It’s about welcoming you back home to yourself.

So… Is It Time to Stop Just Talking About It?

If you’ve been stuck in your head, feeling like therapy is a bit like spinning wheels without traction—it might be time to invite your body into the conversation. With IFS-informed therapy and somatic tools, you get to approach healing not just as a problem to solve, but as a relationship to nurture.

Whether you're dealing with burnout, addiction, emotional dysregulation, or just a deep sense that something's missing—there’s space for all of it here.

Ready to Explore Online IFS Therapy That Meets You Where You Are?

At OmniTherapy, we offer online IFS therapy that weaves together somatic wisdom, deep compassion, and a good dose of grounded, real-talk support. You don’t have to do this alone—and you don’t have to push through one more session that leaves you feeling unseen.