The Importance of Our Biology in Somatic Therapy
How our hormones are so much more powerful than we realize
4 min read
A lot of us in New York City seek out therapy in order to move closer toward happiness, contentedness, or calm serenity in a bustling, hectic city. Did you know there are hormones related to this exact feeling?
Have you ever felt inexplicable irritability or uneasiness coming on—seemingly out of nowhere? One moment, you might have come off the enjoyment of a productive day, but as the evening hours approach, mood swings can creep on in—accompanied even by a nagging feeling that something is amiss. Most individuals experience the impact of hormonal shifts like these daily, yet few truly look deeper with awareness to understand their profound implications.
When we think about somatic therapy, it can be common to focus on just the “soma” or body, with less of an emphasis on our hormones, or internal biochemistry. The way we can’t truly separate the body and mind, the same holds true that can’t separate the importance of our hormonal systems.
Hormones are an underrated factor in considering our bodies as it relates to emotional wellness. Our therapists at NYC’s Downtown Somatic Therapy will wholeheartedly agree about the importance including our bodies in any psychotherapeutic model, but sometimes, without consideration for how powerful our hormones are, we miss out on understanding ourselves on a deeper level.
“We truly can not separate the mind from the body, nor can we neglect the significant effect that hormones have on our overall emotional landscape,” Stephanie Alirkan, an Advanced AEDP somatic practitioner at Downtown Somatic Therapy marvels.
Hormones play a crucial, yet underestimated role in our emotional and physical well-being as a whole. Understanding the influence of our hormones can unlock deep insight into our feelings of happiness, calm – and even our levels of irritability!
The Hidden Impact of Hormones: Serotonin + Melatonin
In the context of our well-being, hormones like serotonin and melatonin are powerful signifiers of how we FEEL and interact with our environment. They influence our behavior in ways that will impact us throughout the day. In a city like New York where so many of us grapple with the stressors and complexities of daily life, embracing the significance of these hormones is pivotal to adding ease in our pursuit of contentment.
As the sun sets, serotonin – our body’s well-known happiness hormone – strongly decreases daily, leading to emotional fluctuations and more. Having harder conversations can become much more challenging at night as hormonal imbalances cloud our minds. What if, instead of dismissing these natural feelings, we recognized them as an essential and an innately intelligent part of our biological make-up? This normalization is essential for building greater self-compassion.
For couples looking for a small, but powerful actionable shift, it might come with having powerful Gottman Method-inspired State of the Union-type conversations early in the day, say on weekend mornings instead.
“For the couples out there, looking for a small, but powerful actionable shift, it might come with having powerful Gottman Method-inspired State of the Union-type conversations early in the day, say on weekend mornings instead.”
Our bodies undergo so much hormonally from day to night that reveal just how interconnected we are with our environment, the sun, and the light. For example, melatonin production wanes as we greet the presence of sunlight in the morning, while serotonin levels begin to rise. Together, these two hormones shape our moods and responses, underscoring the intimate relationship and how the body (from our internal biochemistry), mind, and spirit intertwine.
If you can relate to craving carbohydrate-rich foods during times of stress, the reason behind this is that this type of food boosts serotonin levels, which promotes a temporary sense of calm, so it is quite natural to see this happen later at night. Recognizing this can lead to healthier choices and coping strategies that also promote serotonin rather than the automatic habits.
According to Stephanie, “studies have shown that adverse life experiences can gum up the body's natural ability to regulate stress hormones, like cortisol and adrenaline, leading to dysregulation of the nervous system. All of this often happens just outside of our consciousness so that all we’re really aware of is that we’re upset, burned out, or stuck.”
While this isn’t an extensive list of hormones that affect our bodies in the context of mental wellness, it would be a missed opportunity not to briefly touch on the complex interplay of the female hormonal cycle. It also very much can help paint the picture of how powerful hormones can be.
For example, estrogen and progesterone are not merely reproductive hormones but vital players in emotional well-being. Estrogen can create powerful emotional urges, pushing us toward reproduction, while progesterone is one of nature's key anti-anxiety agents that SOARS during pregnancy.
However, after childbirth, as progesterone levels plummet, leaving many new parents grappling with emotional lows in addition to the change in their lives. It’s so important to understand what we’re dealing with within, in order to build our resilience.
In seeking to navigate our emotional lives through somatic, experiential, and couples therapy, it’s also essential to embrace a holistic approach that acknowledges the body and its hormonal influences, too. Somatic therapy helps us profoundly by focusing so much on the interconnectedness of our physical sensations and emotional experiences, leading to greater awareness and wholeness. Nevertheless, imagine recognizing the wholly natural cycles of our bodies, and that our day-to-day physiological cycles dictate much more about how experiences of reality than we even realize. This can help us understand that our shifting emotions are not just blocks, but are in fact, signals for progress – the natural ebbs and flows of our natural systems at play. This awareness can become a superpower of sorts, guiding us toward deeper self-compassion and gentleness within our life journeys.
At DST, our therapists profoundly recognize the importance of not separating psyche-soma, and both honoring and celebrating the complex interplay of mind, body, and emotions – and it tends to be a beautifully, transformative journey, although not without resistances. Ready to explore the profound connections between all of it? Reach out to schedule a consultation with one of our therapists today!