Episode 36: How to Integrate Somatic and Parts Work Part 1: Mind-Body Dialog Questions with Dr. Aimie Apigian

Listen to Episode 36 →

When Body and Mind Finally Work Together

You've tried somatic work and learned to notice sensations in your body. You've done parts work and learned to dialogue with different aspects of yourself. But somehow these two powerful modalities stay separate in your healing process.

What if they're not meant to be separate at all? What if your body sensations and your parts are trying to communicate the same information from different angles?

Somatic work and parts work don't have to be separate approaches. When you integrate them, you do somatic parts work, and that changes everything about how quickly and deeply healing happens.

Today I show you how this integration actually happens in practice. In the 21-Day Journey, we start with parts work by asking what you're actually feeling in your body, then we connect to the part behind that sensation.

Why Integration Matters

Most people do either somatic work or parts work as separate modalities. Somatic practitioners focus on body sensations and nervous system states. Parts work practitioners focus on internal dialogues and understanding different aspects of self. But your body sensations have parts behind them creating those feelings. Your parts show up as body sensations that you can feel and track.

What somatic parts work offers is integration at the deepest level. Instead of just noticing sensation, you ask what part of me feels this tightness or exhaustion. Instead of just talking to parts in your mind, you find them in your body first and work with them through physical awareness.

Understanding the Biology of Trauma® reveals why this integration matters so much. Trauma lives in your body as sensation and in your psyche as fragmented parts. When you work with both simultaneously, you're addressing trauma where it actually exists rather than splitting your healing into separate tracks.

How the 21-Day Journey starts demonstrates this integration from day one. We begin with what you're actually feeling rather than what you think you should feel. The real sensations happening in your body right now become the doorway to the parts that need attention.

The Mind-Body Dialog Questions

These specific questions help you connect sensation to the part creating it in your system. Your tight chest has a part behind it that's holding that tension. Your exhaustion belongs to someone inside who's carrying too much. Your anxiety in your stomach connects to a part that's scanning for danger.

The mind-body dialog questions guide you through this connection process systematically. First, you identify the sensation with specificity about where and how it feels. Second, you ask which part of you is feeling this particular sensation. Third, you listen for the answer without forcing or assuming what it should be. Fourth, you dialogue with that part through your body awareness rather than just mentally.

Every body sensation has intelligence and a reason for being there that makes sense. When you connect to the part behind the sensation, you understand what it's protecting you from. Your tight shoulders might hold a part that learned to brace for impact. Your numb legs might contain a part that froze when escape wasn't possible. Your racing heart might house a part still running from old danger.

This approach honors both body and parts simultaneously rather than choosing one over the other. You're not bypassing somatic awareness to do mental parts work. You're not ignoring parts to focus only on sensation. You're working with the complete picture of how trauma expresses itself.

The Integration Process in Action

The actual process follows a clear sequence that you can practice and refine. First, you feel the sensation and notice it without judgment or trying to change it. Second, you ask who inside you is feeling this sensation right now. Third, you listen for the answer that comes from your body rather than your thinking mind. Fourth, you work with that part through maintaining body awareness as you dialogue.

This is integration in action rather than theory or concept. You're literally bringing together body sensation and internal parts in real time. The part speaks through sensation and you respond through attending to both the physical feeling and the internal voice creating it.

How this helps you goes deeper faster than either modality alone achieves. Working with both body and parts simultaneously addresses trauma at multiple levels. You're not missing the somatic component by doing only mental parts work. You're not missing the psychological component by doing only body-based somatic work. You're honoring the full reality of how trauma lives in your system.

The 21-Day Journey teaches this integration from the beginning because it's foundational to healing the Biology of Trauma® effectively. Your nervous system and your psyche aren't separate systems but interconnected aspects of one whole. Trauma healing that addresses both creates more sustainable change than approaches that split them apart.

This Episode Is For:

✓ People doing parts work who feel disconnected from their body 

✓ Anyone doing somatic work but missing the parts creating sensations 

✓ Practitioners wanting to integrate these modalities effectively 

✓ Those whose healing has plateaued using only one approach 

✓ Anyone interested in the mind-body dialog process 

✓ People ready to experience deeper integration in their trauma work

What You'll Learn

Listen to learn the mind-body dialog questions that help you connect body sensations to the parts behind them and why this integration accelerates healing. Discover how to work with both body and psyche simultaneously. Understand the process for doing somatic parts work rather than keeping these modalities separate.

Your body sensations and your parts are trying to tell you the same story from different angles.

Listen to Episode 36 →

Disclaimer

This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice, diagnosis, or treatment. The information shared reflects my clinical expertise and research, but every person's biology and healing journey is unique. Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making changes to your treatment plan or starting new interventions. If you're experiencing a mental health crisis, please contact emergency services or a crisis helpline immediately.

Join the Conversation

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this episode. What resonated with you? What questions came up?

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