Elevate Your Coaching:
Why Somatic Mastery Is The New “Secret Weapon” For Coaches

“Your physical state (body) creates your mental state (brain)”… 

In the coaching world, the ‘top-down’ approach that focuses primarily on mindset has been the standard.

Coaching centered around goal setting and rewriting limiting beliefs has dominated for years. 

However, with the boom of new coaches coming into the market….

….not to mention the rise of AI coaching that can take you through a goal setting or limiting belief identification process….

There’s a fast-growing need for innovation and a differentiated approach if you’re a coach who wants a competitive advantage. 

Forward-thinking coaches are increasingly incorporating body-based (aka ‘bottom-up’) approaches to differentiate themselves in a way that speaks powerfully to a growing number of people.

People are rapidly waking up to the fact that the body indeed does “keep the score,” stores trauma and communicates far more to the world than they previously realized.

The Limitations Of Top-Down Methods

Top-down strategies, such as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and mindset work, focus on changing our thinking, and while these methods have a lot of value, they overlook a crucial aspect: 

We humans are fundamentally bottom-up beings. 

80% of communication within our system is the body communicating to the brain (bottom-up). 

Only 20% of communication is brain-to-body (top-down). 

Bottom Line: The body shapes our mental state far more than the other way around.

The Power Of The Bottom-Up Approach

Bottom-up or somatic coaching places in the moment physical sensations and emotions alongside our client’s words and thinking. 

This style of coaching includes techniques like Body-Based Breakthrough, EMDR, yoga therapy and breathwork. 

These styles work holistically with the body’s natural healing processes to heal or transform the whole person for sustainable long-lasting change.

Embracing Somatics: A Path To Deeper Healing

Somatic or bottom-up approaches, facilitate profound healing and transformation by helping us coaches discern our clients’ unspoken traumas and emotional blocks, fostering deeper bodily connections, self-awareness and compassion…

You may have heard “The body keeps the score” and this is 100% true…

Tips To Get Started With Somatics

• Developing A ‘Third Nostril’: As you begin to work somatically with clients, you’ll cultivate what my mentor, Steve Hoskinson, calls a “third nostril” — watching and listening to our clients beyond their words and the conversation. As you watch for subtle changes in breathing and eye movements, you gain deeper insight into your clients’ true inner experience. Spontaneous, long exhales can indicate a settling in the nervous system, and a discharge of pent-up energy in the nervous system.

• Bodily Responses: When talking during a session, ask about your clients’ bodily responses. Maybe they notice an upset stomach or warmth in their chest. These signals reveal deep emotional undercurrents and can be used as data to direct them toward a more fulfilling and joyous life.

• Facilitating Aligned Action: Explore your clients’ memories, visual imagery, sensations and emotions, as they all play a role in their experience. Unlocking this holistic viewpoint for clients leads to true alignment, inspiring clients to transition from procrastination to meaningful execution.

The Future Of Coaching: Staying Ahead With Somatics

Modern coaches are recognizing the need to evolve with client demands. Somatic techniques, as the future of coaching, propose a nuanced, empathetic approach to healing and growth. 

Integrating these techniques ensures coaches remain relevant in the ever-changing landscape, while creating long-lasting results for their clients, leading to longer contracts and more referrals.

Elevate Your Coaching Practice

If you want to deepen your coaching, join our 3-month Somatic Coaching Certification program, designed specifically for coaches ready to incorporate somatic methods into their practice. 

You’ll learn about neuroscience, the nervous system and trauma-informed coaching. 

This program provides you with essential tools to integrate powerful bottom-up tools, enabling deep and lasting client transformations. 

Discover how somatic techniques can revolutionize and deepen your coaching practice, keeping you at the forefront of your industry. 

Act now to transform your career and your clients’ lives!

See you soon, 

— Mathew Cooke