Somatic Therapy
Everyone Relies on you- But You’re Running on empty
You’re doing everything right—or at least it looks that way. You’re dependable, successful, and always the one others turn to. You’re the helper, the planner, the person who keeps everything running smoothly. But privately, you’re exhausted. You feel anxious even when nothing’s wrong, disconnected from your own needs, and unsure why you’re still so overwhelmed. You may find yourself asking, why am I so tired all the time? Why do I feel responsible for everyone’s emotions? Why can’t I just relax?
What Is High-Functioning Codependency?
If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing high-functioning codependency. This isn’t the kind of codependency most people associate with addiction or emotional dependency. High-functioning codependency often hides behind achievement, perfectionism, and emotional intelligence. You get things done. You keep it together. You anticipate what others need and you deliver. You’re praised for your strength, empathy, and reliability. But under the surface, you may be living in a state of quiet burnout—constantly scanning for other people’s moods, anxious about disappointing someone, or unsure what you really feel because you’re always focused on how others feel.
The Emotional and Physical Toll of Overfunctioning
Many high-functioning codependents live with chronic tension and emotional fatigue. You might feel responsible for managing other people’s experiences, even at the cost of your own well-being. You may avoid conflict, apologize often, or feel like your relationships are one-sided. You may struggle to rest, relax, or be alone without guilt. Over time, these patterns take a toll—not just emotionally, but physically as well. You may notice chronic tightness in your chest or gut, difficulty sleeping, or a sense of being constantly “on” even when there’s no immediate stressor.
Where These Patterns Come From
These patterns are often rooted in early relationships where you learned that safety, love, or approval came through attunement, helpfulness, or keeping the peace. In these environments, you may have had to suppress your own needs or emotions in order to maintain connection. Your nervous system learned to adapt—to fawn, to freeze, to stay alert—and those adaptations can persist into adulthood even when they’re no longer necessary. Understanding this can bring some relief, but insight alone doesn’t usually change the pattern. That’s why so many high-functioning people-pleasers say things like, “I know what I’m doing, I just can’t stop.”
How Somatic Therapy Supports Lasting Change
Somatic therapy can help you shift these patterns from the inside out. Somatic therapy is a body-based, trauma-informed approach that focuses on how the nervous system holds stress, emotion, and memory. It’s not about talking your way out of the problem—it’s about learning to feel your way back into safety. In somatic therapy, we work with your body’s natural rhythms and responses. We slow things down. We help you build awareness of how your body communicates through sensations like tension, temperature, tightness, and ease. Over time, you learn how to regulate your nervous system, honor your internal cues, and reclaim a sense of agency that doesn’t rely on over-functioning or staying small.
Reclaiming Boundaries, Clarity, and Choice
For high-functioning codependents, this kind of work is transformative. Instead of pushing through burnout, you begin to recognize the signs of overextension and respond differently. Instead of saying yes out of guilt, you learn to notice what a true yes or no feels like in your body. You build the capacity to tolerate discomfort, set boundaries, and express your needs without shutting down or overexplaining. Most importantly, you begin to trust yourself—not just intellectually, but physically and emotionally.
When Insight Isn’t Enough
Many clients come to somatic therapy because they’ve tried everything else. They’re often self-aware, insightful, and well-read. They know the “why” but struggle with the “how.” They want to stop people-pleasing, overthinking, and carrying the emotional load for everyone else, but they can’t seem to shift the pattern on their own. Somatic therapy offers a different path. Instead of analyzing your behavior, we focus on gently unwinding the patterns held in your nervous system. This work is respectful, and deeply attuned to your internal pace. We don’t force change—we create conditions where change becomes possible.
What Happens in a Somatic Therapy Session
In sessions, we may talk, but we also explore what’s happening in your body. We might notice how your breath changes when you talk about certain topics, where you hold tension, or what sensations arise when you express a boundary or recall a memory. You might be surprised by how much your body already knows—and how it responds when given time, space, and curiosity. Common practices include grounding, body awareness, inner child connection, and titration (processing in small, manageable pieces). These tools help you come out of survival mode and into presence.
What Healing Begins to Feel Like
As you continue this work, many things begin to shift. You feel less urgency. You feel more clarity around your own needs and limits. You may sleep better, feel more spacious, and experience fewer physical symptoms. Relationships often change too—as you become more boundaried and present, you start to attract or create more mutual, supportive dynamics. You stop needing to be everything for everyone, and you start to feel like yourself again.
You’re Not Broken—You’re Adaptive
This isn’t about fixing you. You’re not broken. You adapted to survive. Somatic therapy honors those adaptations while helping you create new patterns rooted in safety, connection, and authenticity. It’s about reconnecting with parts of yourself that have been long buried under the need to perform, help, or keep the peace.
You Don’t Have to Wait for a Crisis
If you’re tired of doing it all alone, and you’re ready for deeper change, you don’t have to wait for a crisis. Therapy isn’t just for when you’re falling apart. It can be a proactive, empowering choice to reclaim your energy, clarity, and sense of self.
Begin Somatic Therapy at The Codependency Clinic
At The Codependency Clinic, we specialize in working with high-functioning adults who are ready to recover from burnout, perfectionism, people-pleasing, and relational trauma. Whether you’re a therapist, a caregiver, a parent, or a professional who holds space for others, you deserve a space where you don’t have to hold it all together.
We offer somatic therapy for clients in California, Hawaii and North Carolina. Sessions are collaborative, client-led, and paced according to your unique needs. You don’t have to be “good at therapy” to begin. You just have to be willing to show up.
If you’re searching for somatic therapy near me, therapy for burnout, or a trauma-informed therapist who understands the nuances of high-functioning codependency, you’re in the right place. Reach out today to schedule a free consultation or book your first session. You’ve spent a long time managing everything for everyone else. It’s okay for this space to be just for you.
Healing begins when you stop doing it alone. Let’s begin.
