Why Does My Therapist Keep Asking Me: “Where Do You Feel That in Your Body?”

Aug 28

If you've ever been in therapy and found yourself wondering, "Why does my therapist keep asking me where I feel that in my body?" — you're not alone. At first, it can feel like an odd or even confusing question. After all, isn’t therapy supposed to be about talking through things?

But here’s the truth: healing doesn’t just happen in the mind — it happens in the body, too.

Emotions Live in the Body

When we experience strong emotions like anxiety, grief, fear, or even joy, they don't just exist as thoughts in our heads. They show up physically:

That tightness in your chest when you’re overwhelmed
The lump in your throat when you’re holding back tears
The clenching in your stomach when you're nervous
The tension in your shoulders after a hard day

These aren’t random reactions. They’re your body’s way of processing emotion — or more often, holding onto it.

Trauma and Stress Get Stored Somatically

For many people, especially those who have experienced trauma or long-term stress, emotions get stored in the body when they’re not fully felt or expressed. Over time, this can lead to physical discomfort, chronic tension, or a general sense of disconnection from your body.

This is why many therapists — particularly those trained in somatic or body-based approaches — ask, “Where do you feel that?”

They’re not just being curious. They’re helping you:

Reconnect with your body
Slow down enough to notice what’s really happening
Begin to access and process old emotions that may be stuck

Awareness Is the First Step Toward Release

When you name a sensation — “I feel it in my throat” or “my stomach is tight” — you bring awareness to it. And that moment of awareness is powerful.

Because in order to heal, the body has to feel safe enough to let go.

By noticing where you feel something in your body, you:

Shift from overthinking into embodied presence
Begin to gently release stored emotions or tension
Build trust between your mind and your nervous system

This is the core of somatic healing — not just talking about what happened, but feeling it, processing it, and finally, moving through it.

So Next Time You're Asked…

The next time your therapist asks, “Where do you feel that in your body?”, pause for a moment. Take a breath. Check in. You might be surprised by what you notice.

Because your body isn’t separate from your healing — it is the pathway to healing.

Final Thoughts

Healing is not just cognitive — it's deeply physical, too. That simple question — “Where do you feel that?” — is an invitation to come home to yourself, one sensation at a time.

So if you're doing this work, be gentle. Be curious. And remember: your body holds wisdom. Your job is to listen.