Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists

“A thoughtful bridge between somatic education and hands-on technique.”

The somatic perspective provides a new layer of depth for massage therapists and breathes life into the wisdom gained from hundreds of years of bio-medical research. Thinking somatically provokes reflection on the interactions within a person, their interactions within society, and the role of the therapist as a facilitator of transformative change through touch.

This practical book is filled with philosophy, approachable neuro-physiology, and detailed techniques to empower you, the massage therapist, to help your client establish a fully conscious connection with their own body and unlock incredible powers of self-regulation. It invites you to embark upon your own somatic journey to discover how to employ these holistic principles and techniques to an ancient form of healthcare.

• Dr. Jeff Rockwell, DC, MA, DOMP

  This groundbreaking book transforms massage therapy by shifting from force to partnership. Posner beautifully combines personal journey with practical wisdom, showing how to work with clients’ nervous systems rather than against them. A must-read for every massage therapist.

• Martha Peterson, CHSE, CCSE, RSME, author of the book Move Without Pain

  This book is a gamechanger for any massage therapist seeking to guide their clients (and themselves!) to more long-term comfort, self-awareness, and ease in their bodies. Gabriel Posner makes a strong case for the inclusion of the somatic perspective into any massage treatment.

• Jack Blackburn, LMT, Master’s in Theological Studies, Certified Spiritual Director, Trager ® teacher, Reiki Master and founder of Trillium Institute in the US and Japan.

  I agree with Dr Posner that touch professionals are on the verge of a major breakthrough. His in-depth explanation of Somatics provides an invaluable tool for all bodyworkers. That tool involves activating our clients’ sensory awareness and sharing a two-way Somatic interactions with them. Clients can become active participants in their own healings. Bodyworkers and clients are learning that “touch is always a two-way shared experience.” I recommend Dr Posner’s book for all Touch Practitioners.

• Luann Fortune, PhD, LMT, Professor Mind-Body Medicine, Saybrook University

  Grounded in scientific principles and explained through case reports, Gabriel Posner illustrates how Hanna Somatic Education offers a conceptual framework and practical guidance to integrate applied techniques with clients’ inner felt experience. Through a perspective shift, it can create lasting effects for the giver as well as the receiver.

• Phil Okazaki, NMT

  Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists is a bridge we all need as we work towards a client-centered practice. The way Gabriel weaves together respected somatic traditions with massage therapy creates an essential text. We are challenged to look beyond the mechanical applications of massage and invite intention and awareness into our practices which creates another connection to the biopsychosocial model of pain and how we can actively engage our clients in their healing process. This is a thoughtful, practical, and visionary text that can solidify our collective voice in healthcare.

• R. Ryan F. Moschell LMT, CHSE, HSE Training – Core Teacher

  Dr. Gabriel Posner is a pioneer in integrating massage therapy with Somatics, and his new book offers an accessible and inspiring introduction for massage therapists at all levels. By bridging knowledge with practical experience, this essential text has the potential to become a required text in massage therapy education, supporting both practitioner career longevity and enhanced client outcomes.

• Til Luchau, Director Advanced-Trainings.com, Co-host The Thinking Practitioner Podcast
  

  Massage therapy is evolving, and Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists helps chart that next step. Drawing on the lineage of thinkers like Thomas Hanna and Eleanor Criswell Hanna, it traces how the “body as perceived from within” can become the foundation for contemporary touch-based practice. This book offers a thoughtful bridge between somatic education and hands-on technique-reminding us that lasting change often comes not from working harder on the body, but from helping awareness awaken within it. At a time when massage therapists are seeking ways to integrate neuroscience, embodiment, and mindfulness into their work, Somatic Techniques for Massage Therapists situates these threads within a clear, accessible lineage. Rooted in the somatic tradition that views the soma as a living, sensing subject rather than an object to be fixed, it traces how this perspective can reshape our approach to pain, learning, and therapeutic touch. Both philosophical and practical, it invites a shift-from technique to relationship, from doing to being.