Somatic Therapy, Nervous System Regulation, and Expanding Capacity for Rest: An Interview with Linda Thai

The Modern Therapist's Survival Guide with Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy

Somatic Therapy, Nervous System Regulation, and Expanding Capacity for Rest: An Interview with Linda Thai

Curt and Katie chat with Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200 about practical, culturally aware somatic tools therapists can use, helping clients (and themselves) expand capacity for rest, and integrating bottom-up work ethically when working with trauma survivors and adult children of refugees and immigrants.

Full show notes and transcripts available at mtsgpodcast.com.

About Our Guest: Linda Thai, LMSW, ERYT-200

Linda Thai is a trauma therapist and educator specializing in brain- and body-based modalities for addressing complex developmental trauma. She teaches mindfulness, grief tending, and somatic practices with a special focus on adult children of refugees and immigrants. Linda has assisted Dr. Bessel van der Kolk in psychotherapy workshops on attachment trauma and offers trainings and courses worldwide.

Key Takeaways for Therapists

• Gentle rocking and orienting to distance are accessible entry points for regulation.

• Track SUNs (Subjective Units of Nourishment) as well as distress in sessions.

• Somatic work expands capacity for rest, not just activation.

• Therapists must contextualize disembodiment within colonization, hustle culture, and systemic exploitation.

• Choose teachers and communities that match your style before committing to long trainings.

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Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann: DW McCann Facebook
Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano: groomsymusic.com