“THE BEST CHOICE FOR YOUR PHYSICAL THERAPY AND WELLNESS NEEDS”
The only naturopathic PT in CA
Call 415-636-7696 today to schedule a free 15 min live or Telehealth consultation with Dr. Priscilla
COVID-19 NOTICE:
At Somatic Nature Physical Therapy and Wellness, your safety and wellness is our top priority. As coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to evolve, we want to assure you that we are closely monitoring developments and taking action to mitigate risk and prevent the spread of illness while ensuring you are supported.
SNPT and Wellness remains open, and we will continue to be available to be of service to you, so that your physical therapy, naturopathic healthcare, and wellness needs are taken care of. I want to reassure you that we are doing everything in our power to provide you with a clean and safe environment, with the following safety precautions:
- All surface areas/equipments are disinfected between each patient with an effective surface disinfectant.
- Using a HEPA air filter, which efficiently capture particles that are the size of Covid-19
- Diffusing disinfectant Doterra OnGuard essential oil during treatments as additional measure to kill off pathogenic micro-organisms
- Hand-washing/Providing hand sanitizer for use as patients check-in/out
- Temperature screen upon arrival, in addition to other possible screening
TELEHEALTH MEDICINE appointments are available for those opting to shelter in place.
Using HIPPA privacy protected technology, we will bring care directly to you, at the comfort of your home. Virtual / real time sessions will be individualized to meet your needs and specifics of your home environment. Your goals of eliminating pain/discomfort with self-care strategies and improving ease of movement and vitality in your body will be the focus of our sessions.
Somatic Nature Physical Therapy and Wellness is a unique naturopathic physical therapy practice in the Mission District, San Francisco, specializing in skillful manual therapies and integrative approaches to health and wellness. We cater to dancers, athletes, Yoga/Pilates injuries, workout injuries, work injuries, and anyone wanting to feel good in their body, move with ease, and optimize their health. Whether you’re a weekend warrior, dancer or an elite athlete, Somatic Nature PT and Wellness can help get you back on your feet and help you return to those activities that you love. We are located in the culturally diverse and lively Mission district of San Francisco.
After a comprehensive evaluation, you will learn about the root cause of your injury/illness, receive skillful manual treatments, customized exercise instructions, and naturopathic recommendations for fully potentiating your healing process. You will receive the following manual treatments, depending on what your specific needs are – including soft tissue mobilization, myofascial release, trigger point release, strain/counterstrain, joint mobilizations, IASTM (Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization), MFD (Myofascial Decompression, more commonly known as “cupping”), neural mobilizations, assisted stretching and more. Additionally, holistic naturopathic healthcare to optimize your healing journey will be recommended e.g. dietary changes, supplement and herbs, and lifestyle change specific to your needs.
All products used in the clinic are made with natural plant-based ingredients (absolutely NO chemicals!).
“I provide one-on-one treatment sessions every visit. Each patient receives my full attention and personalized care, no matter how big or small the problem. I am here to assist you through your healing process and meet you where you’re at.” Dr. Priscilla Park, DPT
Somatic Nature Physical Therapy and Wellness is a unique naturopathic physical therapy practice in the Mission District, San Francisco, specializing in skillful manual therapies and integrative approaches to health and wellness. We cater to dancers, athletes, Yoga/Pilates injuries, workout injuries, work injuries, and anyone wanting to feel good in their body, move with ease, and optimize their health. After a comprehensive evaluation, you will learn about the root cause of your injury/illness, receive skillful manual treatments, customized exercise instructions, and naturopathic recommendations for fully potentiating your healing process.We are now offering Telehealth/Telemedicine PT and Wellness services, for those that are opting to Shelter in place during COVID-19 crisis.**Real time sessions with individualized care to meet your needs and specifics of your home environment. **Eliminate pain/discomfort and improve ease of movement and vitality in your body will be the focus of our sessions.**A unique opportunity for you to learn to manage your own pain/symptoms with self-care techniques using foam roller, Lacrosse/tennis/Yoga TuneUp balls, etc.. from an industry expert, Dr. Priscilla.**Video visits are used to guide you through strengthening, flexibility, balance, and functional mobility exercises to reduce pain/dysfunction or recover from surgery.**Improve your health and overall wellness with virtual naturopathic consultations with Dr. Priscilla!…
Somatic therapy, also known as somatic experiencing therapy, is a therapy that aims to treat PTSD and other mental and emotional health issues through the connection of mind and body. This body-centric approach works by helping to release stress, tension, and trauma from the body.
Unlike standard mental health therapy, such as CBT which focuses prominently on the mind, somatic therapy incorporates body-oriented modalities such as dance, breathwork, and meditation to support mental healing. In addition, somatic experiencing therapy sessions include talk therapy and mind-body exercises.
Types of Somatic Therapy
The most common and straightforward form of somatic therapy is known as such or as somatic experiencing therapy. In this therapy, patients discuss their problems as in other forms of mental wellness therapies. Rather than just talk about them, somatic therapists guide patients to focus on their underlying physical sensations. From there, the mind-body exercises may include breath work, meditation, visualization, massage, grounding, dance, and/or sensation awareness work.
Beyond the standard somatic therapy, numerous subgroups use its framework in specific ways. These include:
- Sensorimotor psychotherapy: A comprehensive therapy that uses the body as both a source of information and intervention targets.
- The Hakomi Method: Psychotherapy that integrates scientific, psychological, and spiritual sources, focusing on four core concepts: gentleness, nonviolence, compassion, and mindfulness.
- Bioenergetic analysis: Body-psychotherapy that combines bodily, analytic, and relational work based on understanding energy.
- Biodynamic psychotherapy: A combination of allopathic (medical) and holistic therapy modalities that include physical massage by the practitioner
- Brainspotting: In addition to mind and bodywork, this therapy incorporates eye positioning to retrain emotional reactions.
Techniques
Somatic therapy operates off the idea that what happens to you in your life is stored not only in your mind but also in your body. By focusing on both the physical sensations in your body and the discussion of your problems, it is a comprehensive approach to therapy. Somatic therapy techniques include:
- Developing more awareness of your body and its sensations
- Calling upon emotional resources
- Grounding
- Encouraging detailed descriptions
- Movement, including acting out of physical feelings
- Learning tools to calm oneself
- Alternating focus between something stressful and something not stressful to help release tension
- Replaying past situations with new physical tools
- Emotional release
- Strengthening boundaries
What Somatic Therapy Can Help With
Anyone can try somatic therapy as an alternative to conventional talk therapy. It is used for a variety of mental and physical health issues.
Mental health issues that somatic therapy is used for include:
- PTSD
- Anxiety
- Addiction
- Grief
- Depression
- Stress
Physically, somatic therapy may assist with:
- Chronic pain
- Digestive disorders
- Sexual dysfunction
Because of its focuses on grounding and mindfulness, this therapy can be an effective option for anyone looking to get more in touch with themselves and their experiences in life.
Effectiveness
Somatic therapy has been shown to be an effective form of therapy for numerous psychiatric and physical issues.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Treatment for PTSD with somatic experiencing has been proven to be an effective method to speed up the time needed to heal from a traumatic event.
Initial studies of somatic therapy have found it to be an effective treatment for PTSD, noting, “mixed model linear regression analysis showed significant intervention effects for posttraumatic symptoms severity (Cohen’s d = 0.94 to 1.26) and depression (Cohen’s d = 0.7 to 1.08) both pre‐post and pre‐follow‐up.”
In other words, somatic therapy may be an effective therapy method for PTSD, although further research is needed to understand what specific patients will benefit most from this type of treatment.
When victims of a tsunami were studied, the results stated, “90% of participants reported significant improvement or being completely free of symptoms of intrusion, arousal, and avoidance. The results support the effectiveness and reliability of this modified version of Somatic Experiencing Therapy in working with trauma reactions.”
Chronic Pain
It might seem surprising to some people that a form of psychotherapy can help with physical pain, but it has shown to be the case. In one study, Somatic therapy was proven effective as a treatment for cervical myofascial pain, and the effectiveness was not increased when acupuncture was added.
Things to Consider
As with any form of therapy, it’s essential to be in an emotional and mental place where you have the time and energy to process complex feelings. If you’re doing somatic therapy in person, touch is often involved. Because of that, it’s wise to ensure you don’t mind being touched by another person.
Boundaries and consent play vital roles in touch, and you will never be touched without consent.
Somatic therapy is not considered to have any risks that are specific or unique to its format.
How to Get Started
If you’re interested in trying somatic therapy, follow these tips to get started.
Find a Therapist
The first step to starting somatic therapy is to find a therapist in your area. Depending if you want to see someone in person or virtually, you may need to look for someone doing telehealth. If you’re looking for an in-person experience so that you also receive the benefits of touch-oriented treatments, add your location into a search engine field along with your query.
Somatic therapy is common enough that you should be able to find one in most major cities. If you’re looking for a virtual therapist, check online to make sure that your potential therapist has positive reviews.
It’s important to note that most somatic therapists do not work directly with health insurance companies because somatic therapy is considered an alternative form of therapy. Many are licensed marriage and family therapists (MFTs), psychologists, or other licensed therapists and may be able to provide you with a superbill to submit to your insurance company yourself for reimbursement.
Prepare for Your First Appointment
Before your first appointment, think through your emotional and physical goals and what you want to accomplish through the therapy. As with any therapy, be aware that you may bring up old and painful memories. These are good to have distilled to tell your therapist about.
If you are seeing someone in person, prepare yourself for potential healing work conducted via touch. Whether virtual or in-person, your somatic therapist will ask you questions about your history and therapy goals during your first session. The two of you will work together to discuss what the therapy will look like and how you will proceed. What matters most is that you are comfortable with the therapist.
As with all therapies, somatic therapy may be emotionally difficult and take a long journey, though many people find a deeper level of healing than they could achieve through other therapies.
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