Somatic Therapy in Burnaby
In person | Virtual across BC · Updated October 2026
Updated: October 2026
You may understand why you feel anxious and still notice your chest tightening. You might know what you want to say, yet find yourself going quiet when a conversation becomes difficult. Or you may feel disconnected from your body and unsure what you are feeling at all.
Somatic-informed therapy makes room for these experiences. Alongside talking, we pay attention to physical sensations, emotions, and patterns of responding to stress. Together, we explore what helps you feel more present, supported, and able to respond in ways that work for you.
At Pham Therapy, Rachel Pham, Registered Clinical Counsellor, offers somatic-informed therapy in person in Burnaby and virtually across British Columbia.
What is Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)?
Somatic therapy brings attention to the connection between your body, thoughts, and emotions. The word somatic refers to the body. Alongside talking about your experiences, we may explore physical sensations, breathing, posture, and movement to better understand how you respond to stress and what helps you feel supported.
For example, as you describe a difficult interaction, you might notice tension in your jaw or a heaviness in your chest. We may gently pause to notice these sensations, explore any feelings or needs that emerge, and consider what would help you feel more at ease.
At Pham Therapy, we offer somatic-informed counselling, weaving body awareness into conversation and reflection. How much we focus on the body depends on your comfort, preferences, and what feels helpful for the concerns you bring.
How stress and trauma can affect the body
Stress and traumatic experiences can affect how you feel physically as well as emotionally. You might notice:
Feeling on edge or easily startled
A tight jaw, tense shoulders, or changes in breathing
Difficulty settling down after something upsetting
Feeling numb, distant, or disconnected
Going quiet or feeling unable to respond during conflict
Trouble recognizing what you feel or need
These experiences do not automatically mean you have experienced trauma. Physical symptoms can have many causes, and new, persistent, or concerning symptoms deserve medical attention.
In therapy, we explore your responses with curiosity and consider how your experiences, relationships, health, and current circumstances may be contributing.
Fight, flight, freeze, and Fawn
You may have heard stress responses described as fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. These terms can offer a starting point for understanding patterns such as pushing back, wanting to escape, feeling unable to act, or prioritizing someone else’s comfort to reduce conflict.
They are broad descriptions rather than fixed categories. You might respond differently depending on the situation, the relationship, and how much support you have available.
Window of tolerance
The window of tolerance describes the zone where you feel calm and present enough to handle what life brings. Inside the window, you can think clearly, feel your emotions, and stay connected to others.
When stress pushes you outside the window, you may become hyperaroused, feeling anxious, panicky, or overwhelmed, or hypoaroused, feeling numb, shut down, or disconnected. Trauma and chronic stress can make this window feel narrow.
Somatic therapy helps you notice when you are moving toward the edges and gives you ways to come back. Over time, many people find their window gradually widens.
Working with trauma at a pace that feels safe
Somatic therapy offers ways to work with trauma without needing to relive it in detail. The focus stays on what your body can manage in the moment.
Resourcing. Before approaching anything difficult, we build a sense of safety, such as a calming image, a supportive memory, or a place in your body that feels steady.
Titration. We work with small pieces of difficult experiences at a time, so your system never has to take in too much at once.
Pendulation. We gently move attention between something that feels activating and something that feels settling. This helps your body build trust that it can feel discomfort and return to calm.
You can pause, slow down, or change direction at any point.
Who somatic therapy tends to fit
Since our inception, we have advanced organizations across sectors by pairing strategic insight with disciplined execution.
Somatic therapy often fits people who understand their experiences intellectually but still feel them strongly in their body. It suits people who notice physical signs of stress, feel disconnected from their body, or find that talking alone has not brought the relief they hoped for.
It also blends well with other approaches. Depending on what you bring in, we may weave somatic work together with IFS, EFT, ACT, or DBT.
[H2] Somatic therapy and cultural experience
In many cultures and families, emotional pain is spoken about through the body. A person might describe headaches, a heavy chest, stomach trouble, or exhaustion when they are carrying grief, stress, or sadness. This is a meaningful way of experiencing distress, and it can be overlooked in therapies that rely mainly on talking about feelings.
Somatic therapy honours the body as a valid place to begin. For many first- and second-generation clients, it offers a way to work with what has been carried, including stress passed down through families, without needing to put everything into words right away.
What Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) sessions look like.
Emotion-focused therapy is collaborative and experiential, helping you explore your emotions with curiosity and care. Sessions focus on making sense of your feelings, understanding the needs and relationship patterns connected to them, and creating new emotional experiences that support greater self-compassion, safety, and connection.
Your First EFT Session
The first session is an opportunity for us to begin getting to know you. We may talk about what brought you to therapy, what has been feeling difficult, and what you would like support with.
We may also explore:
Feelings that tend to come up often or feel overwhelming
Emotions that feel hard to access or express
Relationships that feel important or painful
How you have been coping so far
What you would like to be different
You do not need to be comfortable talking about emotions to start. We can go at your pace, and I will explain how EFT might relate to what you are bringing forward.
What ongoing EFT sessions may include
EFT sessions offer space to slow down and explore what feels important to you. We often begin with a recent experience or concern, paying attention to the emotions and relationship patterns that emerge.
Slowing down to notice
We may pause when a feeling comes up, noticing how it shows up in your body and making room to explore it at your own pace.
Understanding your emotional responses
Together, we explore what your feelings are connected to, how you have learned to respond, and what you may need in those moments.
Working with emotions in session
When helpful, we may use guided reflection, imagery, or chair work to explore different feelings, express something left unsaid, or practise a new response. These exercises are optional and adapted to your comfort.
Exploring relationship patterns
We may notice how you seek closeness or protect yourself when connection feels uncertain. Understanding these patterns can create space to express your needs and reach for support in new ways.
Developing a kinder relationship with yourself
As we work through difficult feelings, we also make room for compassion, comfort, and a greater sense of trust in yourself.
Throughout the process, we check in about your experience and adjust the work to support your needs.
The Overall Goal of EFT
EFT supports you in understanding your emotions and building a greater sense of security within yourself and your relationships. Over time, this can help soften self-criticism, ease fears around closeness or rejection, and make it easier to express your needs and trust that you can turn to others for comfort and support.
Work with us
Pham Therapy | Rachel Pham, RCC #23089
3292 Production Way, Suite 501, Burnaby, BC V5A 4R4 (Production Way - University Skytrain Station)
Contact us
Sessions 50 minutes, $155 · 75 minutes, $230
Format In person in Burnaby, or online across British Columbia
Direct billing Available [· ICBC counselling accepted, no referral needed]
Availability No waitlist
Hours Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8am to 6pm ·
Commonly Asked Questions
Is EFT the same as tapping?
No. Emotion-Focused Therapy is a type of talk therapy. Emotional Freedom Technique, also called tapping, is a different practice that shares the same abbreviation.
Do you offer couples EFT?
We offer individual therapy only. Our EFT work can still explore relationship and attachment patterns, which many people find helpful for their relationships.
How is EFT different from CBT?
CBT focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. EFT focuses on understanding and transforming the emotions underneath them. Many people benefit from elements of both.
Is EFT evidence-based?
Yes. Emotion-Focused Therapy has strong research support for depression, and growing support for trauma, anxiety, and eating disorders. Emotionally focused approaches also have a substantial research base, particularly for relationships.
What if I have a hard time feeling or naming my emotions?
That is a very common starting point. Many people were taught to keep feelings private or move past them quickly. EFT works gently with whatever is there, including numbness or uncertainty.
Can EFT be done online?
Yes. EFT works well in virtual sessions, and many people find it easier to explore emotions from the comfort of their own space.
How long does EFT therapy take?
There is no fixed timeline. Some people come for a focused set of sessions, and others stay longer to work through deeper patterns. We check in regularly about what is working and adjust from there.