Somatic Therapy in Ontario

"Somatic" simply means "of the body". Somatic therapy is a family of body-based approaches that pay attention to what you notice physically, such as tension, breath, temperature, posture or the urge to move, as well as to what you think and feel.

In a session, you might slow down and notice where a feeling sits in your body, or what happens in your shoulders when a certain memory comes up. You might practise ways of grounding yourself in the present: feeling your feet on the floor, looking around the room, slowing your breath. Difficult material is approached in small doses, with plenty of room to come back to something steadier in between.

Online somatic therapy involves no touch. Everything happens through attention, words and small movements you choose to make yourself. Nobody can promise what somatic work will change for you, or how long it will take. That is something you and your therapist look at honestly, together, as you go.

• ✻You often feel on edge, braced or tense, even when nothing is wrong.
• ✻You go numb, foggy or far away when things get hard.
• ✻Stress shows up in your body first: your stomach, your chest, your sleep.
• ✻You understand your history, and your body still reacts as if it is happening now.
• ✻Talking about feelings leaves you more flooded than settled.

None of this means something is wrong with you. Bodies learn to protect us, and sometimes they keep doing it long after the danger has passed.

It may fit if

• ✻You feel your stress and history in your body, and talk alone hasn't reached it.
• ✻You would like to build ways of steadying yourself when feelings get strong.
• ✻You prefer to go slowly, in small steps, with lots of checking in.
• ✻You are an adult in Ontario and can find a private space for online sessions.

Something else may fit better if

• ✻You are in crisis right now, or you are not safe where you are. Please start with 988 or 911, listed below.
• ✻You are living with ongoing violence or danger. Safety in the present usually comes first. You can say this privately in the free consultation.
• ✻You have physical symptoms that haven't been checked by a doctor. Somatic therapy is not a substitute for medical care, so please see your doctor as well.
• ✻You need psychiatric or in-person care, or more support than a weekly online session can give. Local services may need to come first, or alongside therapy.
• ✻You are under 18. Armin works with adults and couples.
• ✻You want hands-on bodywork or massage. Somatic therapy at NoorMinds is talk-based and online, with no touch.
• ✻You want to meet in person. All sessions at NoorMinds are online.

The free consultation

A calm 15-minute conversation, by video or phone. You share a little about what brings you, ask how Armin brings somatic work into sessions, and see whether it feels like a fit. No pressure, no obligation.

Building a sense of steadiness

Early sessions focus on what is happening now and on noticing what helps you feel even a little more settled. You build those resources first, so there is something to come back to.

Working in small steps

When harder feelings or memories come up, you stay with them only briefly, notice what happens in your body, and return to steadier ground. You can pause or stop at any time.

Format and pace

Weekly 60-minute individual sessions, $180, by secure video, in English, Farsi or a mix of both. You will need a private space with a little room to sit comfortably, and a stable internet connection. There is no set number of sessions and no minimum commitment.

Armin Ovaisy-Moakhar, RP (Qualifying)

CRPO #18315 · MA, Counselling Psychology, Yorkville University · BSc, York University · English and Farsi (فارسی)

Armin works with adults who look capable on the outside but feel unsettled, disconnected, or stuck on the inside, often without fully understanding why. He is experienced in evidence-based, trauma-focused therapy, and has been practising as a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) since 2024. His approach is relational, trauma-informed, and paced with care. He draws from evidence-based trauma therapies, including EMDR, Brainspotting, and parts-based approaches, especially when talking alone hasn’t been enough, along with somatic work, and with couples he uses Emotionally Focused Therapy. His focus includes complex and developmental trauma, shame and identity, anxiety rooted in trauma and attachment, childhood emotional neglect, perfectionism, emotional numbness, and relationship and attachment wounds. He sees adults and couples, online across Ontario, with a free 15-minute consultation.

Armin has completed additional training in somatic approaches, along with additional training in EMDR, Brainspotting, parts-based work (IFS), Emotionally Focused Therapy for couples, and trauma.

Clinical supervisor: Maryna Svitasheva, PhD, RP (CRPO #002978).

Meet Armin →

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