"Somatic therapy" gets used as one catch-all term, which is a bit like saying "exercise" and expecting that to mean the same thing to a marathon runner and someone doing gentle stretching in bed. There are distinct approaches under this umbrella, each with a different entry point into the body. Here are three of the most established, so you can figure out which one actually fits what you're looking for.
Somatic Experiencing
Developed by Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing focuses on tracking bodily sensation in small, manageable increments — a process called titration — rather than diving straight into the intensity of a difficult memory. The idea is that trauma gets stuck in the nervous system as incomplete activation, and Somatic Experiencing helps that activation finally discharge, slowly and safely, instead of overwhelming you all at once. It's often described as gentle, which is accurate, and also occasionally frustrating if you're someone who wants to move fast through this work. It doesn't rush.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Developed by Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy blends traditional talk therapy with body-based awareness, tracking posture, movement, and physical impulses as they arise during a session, alongside the verbal processing you'd expect from standard therapy. It's a good fit for people who want the structure and narrative-building of talk therapy but recognize their body has information their words alone haven't captured. Think of it as talk therapy that finally invited the body into the room instead of leaving it waiting outside.
Tension and Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE)
TRE uses a specific set of exercises designed to trigger your body's natural tremor mechanism, the same involuntary shaking response animals use to discharge stress in the wild. It's more physically active than the other two approaches, often done in a class or guided session, and tends to appeal to people who want a more embodied, less talk-heavy entry point into somatic work. It can feel unusual the first time, intentionally so, since the whole mechanism relies on letting your body do something it normally suppresses.
So, Which One Is Right for You?
If you want a slow, careful approach to specific trauma, Somatic Experiencing. If you want the depth of talk therapy with the body finally included, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. If you want an active, physical release without much talking at all, TRE. None of these are mutually exclusive, and plenty of people find their way to a blend over time. The right one is simply the one that matches how you actually want to approach your own body, not the one that sounds most impressive on paper.
Pick the description above that made you think "oh, that one" first. That instinct is usually worth trusting as a starting point.