Therapy for Somatic Symptom Disorder
Care that takes physical symptoms and the distress surrounding them seriously.
If you have been told you may have somatic symptom disorder, you might worry that someone is saying your symptoms are made up. That is not what the diagnosis means.
Therapy can help address the worry, distress, and disruption that have developed around physical symptoms. It also provides space to discuss your medical experience, including questions that remain unanswered.
Book a Complimentary ConsultationBased in Miami, with telehealth available across 40+ PSYPACT states.
Your experience
Symptoms and worry can both take up your attention.
You may spend much of the day monitoring how you feel, fearing what a symptom means, or trying to find enough reassurance to move on. We consider the effect on your life without assuming that medical care is unnecessary.
You may recognize some of these concerns and not others. What matters is how your own experience is affecting you and what you would like help with.
Persistent distress
Physical discomfort and worry can be difficult to set aside.
Repeated reassurance
Answers may provide only brief relief from fear.
Feeling dismissed
A diagnostic label can leave you uncertain whether you are being heard.
Understanding your care
Your experience deserves careful attention.
Somatic symptom disorder involves distressing physical symptoms together with excessive symptom-related thoughts, feelings, or behaviors. A medical condition may also be present. The diagnosis cannot be made simply because tests have not identified a cause.
At Embody Health Psychology, our clinical health psychology perspective considers physical health, emotions, relationships, and daily life together. That biopsychosocial perspective helps us understand your concerns without reducing them to a single cause.
An Integrative Approach
Our integrative approach considers how physical health, emotional experiences, relationships, and daily life influence one another. We draw from different psychological approaches to shape care around your concerns and goals.
We review your current concerns and medical context before choosing goals. Therapy may address symptom-related fear, checking, coping, and daily functioning. Coordination with medical providers can help keep psychological and medical care aligned when authorized.
You do not need to arrive with a perfect explanation. Your clinician will ask questions, discuss treatment options, and help you choose goals that fit.
Depending on your needs, somatic therapy techniques may focus on comfortable grounding and returning attention to daily life, rather than repeated checking of sensations. Your physical symptoms deserve appropriate medical care.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) may help you explore fear and protective habits without dismissing your experience. Treatment also addresses behaviors that keep distress and disruption going.
Your goals may include:
Understanding symptom-related patterns
Notice how worry, checking, and reassurance affect distress.
Participating more fully in daily life
Identify manageable steps toward activities that matter to you.
Developing a consistent care approach
Discuss how to communicate needs with your medical providers.
Addressing related distress
Discuss anxiety, low mood, or other concerns when they are part of your experience.
Finding a useful pace
Set priorities that fit your clinical needs and current circumstances.
Choosing next steps together
Review what is helpful and whether other care or support is needed.
Common questions
What you may want to know.
Does this diagnosis mean my symptoms are fake?
No. The symptoms and distress are real. The diagnosis concerns the accompanying thoughts, feelings, and behaviors, not a conclusion that someone is pretending.
Can it occur alongside a diagnosed medical illness?
Yes. The presence of a medical illness does not automatically rule it out. Careful assessment is important, and new or changing symptoms still deserve medical consideration.
How does coordination with other providers work?
When coordination would be helpful, your clinician can discuss it with you. Sharing confidential clinical information requires appropriate authorization. Together, you can decide what is relevant to share.
Is telehealth available?
Embody Health Psychology is based in Miami, with telehealth available across 40+ PSYPACT states through appropriately authorized psychologists. Availability depends on the clinician, your location, and the service. Confirm the fit during your consultation.
A place to begin
Let’s Talk About What You Need
If you are considering therapy, a complimentary consultation gives you a chance to share what you are looking for, ask questions, and discuss whether our services may be a fit.
Book a Complimentary Consultation15-minute phone consultation