Connecting with Attunement
REady for REsolutions, REfocus, REset, REgulation, RElationships, and REsilience
Attunement means being deeply responsive and aligned to another person or to yourself – noticing cues, understanding them accurately, and adjusting your response in a way that matches what is needed in the moment. This word came to me as I thought about all the GenZers who are seeking therapy sooner than “we” (older than GenZ) did. But more on this awesome generation in a minute… First, let’s look at 2026……… Happy New Year!
I don’t know about you, but I am definitely not looking for a REdo, and not necessarily a REset. I just had a bit of a REcharge over the holiday week I was off so I am REady and REgulated. And in the spirit of REsolutions, I had a big ah-ha moment in 2025 when it was commented to me by both a colleague, a family member, and in a recent Medium interview that I am all about RElationships. Focusing on relationships, those with my family, friends, Ellen and David, my colleagues and absolutely with YOU is where attunement feels most joyful, grounded, steady, fun, inspiring and regulated.
2025 had some really good growth for many of you, and I am often REjuvenated by your insights and REsilience (see the “social media hub” on my website to catch up on the Narcissism segment from December). A lot of you in your mid-life are inspiring with your growing clarity and sense of self, and maybe you share my awe of our GenZers who are growing up/developing the skills we didn’t even know we had at their age.
I am so excited to see what 2026 brings you and our work together.
——Did you catch my Annual “Books I’ve Read in 2025” list—–
This new year, let’s focus on right now. David Krzysko helps remind me of how important each minute is, with gratitude, intention, mindfulness and kindness. He has become quite an expert in Somatic work. Do you even know what that means? I sort-of had an idea, but he has really taught me about it. You may have heard of “somatic symptoms” as that describes physical sensations or bodily symptoms that come from emotional or psychological stress rather than a clear medical cause. David has taught many of us about somatic techniques and support and movements that help the body settle, regulate, release and steady. David explains below:
Somatic Therapy: What It Is and Why It Helps… and How Somatic Therapy Is Different
Somatic Therapy is different than most other kinds of therapy because it is based on a focus of the body. Most therapy is driven by the need to reframe our thinking so that we can feel differently about ourselves, others, and our lives. This top-down approach asks us to change thoughts, beliefs, and interpretations. Some work hard at this and might still feel stuck.
There is no easy answer for why change is difficult. One challenge is where we look for answers. Thinking alone often cannot reach what is happening underneath. We can understand something intellectually and still feel overwhelmed or dysregulated.
Somatic therapy uses bottom-up (body to brain) processing (as opposed to top-down (thoughts to body). It focuses on what is happening right now in the body. Sensations, movement, breath, and awareness guide the process. This allows the nervous system to settle first, which then supports clearer thinking.
Stress Lives in the Body
A common thought people have is, “I feel stressed.” That feeling is not created by overthinking alone. The feeling is happening in the body, and the body is signaling that something is off. The mind needs to realign with the body.
This connection begins very early in life. As infants, our bodies and minds work together as we learn to self-soothe. Self-soothing develops in many ways. It can be taught by caregivers, learned through observation, happen intuitively, or be shaped by temperament and personality.
Sometimes people accidentally learn to self-soothe through substances or behaviors that later become addictions. While these may dampen anxiety or depression in the short term, they are not sustainable and often create the opposite effect over time.
Self-Soothing Builds RESILIENCE
When we discover how to self-soothe on our own, we gain resilience. That resilience grows and accumulates over time. Thoughts can lead to negative emotions. That moment is the opportunity to use self-soothing skills so we feel more in control of our thoughts, feelings, and reactions. If soothing never came naturally or was never taught, it can be learned. Humans have been developing ways to self-soothe for thousands of years. That wisdom is now organized into what we call somatic techniques.
Somatic Techniques as Tools
Somatic techniques can be thought of as tools. The toolbox is the mind, and the tools work through the body.
Some tools are simple and help with lower levels of stress. Others are more advanced and help with moderate or severe stress. Just like home repairs, some jobs are quick and manageable, while others take time, practice, and sometimes even professional support.
Somatic techniques are the tools that help with self-soothing. They reconnect us with the body so we can rest, settle, and experience safety, calmness, and inner steadiness.
What Are Somatic Techniques?
Foundational Movement Tools
Basic somatic tools support low to moderate stress and are often already part of daily life:
Exercise, Yoga, Dance, Walking meditation, Qigong, Tai Chi, and Martial arts
These practices are effective because they help the body complete stress responses and return to a calmer state.
More Structured Somatic Practices
Some approaches combine movement, breath, and focused awareness to support deeper regulation:
- Mindfulness meditation
- Yoga variations and chair yoga
- Progressive muscle relaxation
- Breathing exercises
- Imagery
These practices help with moderate to more intense stress when used consistently.
—What Somatic Therapy Helps With
Somatic strategies are especially helpful for anxiety that shows up physically, chronic stress held in the body, trauma responses such as startle or shutdown, emotional experiences that feel hard to put into words, and difficulty staying grounded during intense moments.
—How Somatic Therapy Is Used in Sessions
Somatic therapy means paying attention to what the body is doing when emotions rise. This may include noticing tension, slowing the breath, grounding through movement, or sensing the shift between activation and calm. The work is paced, collaborative, and focused on safety and regulation.
—Somatic Work and EMDR
Somatic work can support EMDR by helping clients stay regulated while processing difficult material, reduce overwhelm, remain anchored in the present, and strengthen confidence in their ability to self-soothe. EMDR works with memory networks; somatic work supports the foundation beneath them. David may weave somatic tools into sessions when it supports regulation, safety, and clarity, including alongside EMDR.
For those who want a deeper explanation of the theory, neuroscience, and structure
behind somatic work and EMDR, you’re welcome to contact me or David to request a separate PDF
that walks through these foundations in more detail
He is the first to center me and check in. He reminds me of the essence of gratitude (David was recently a guest on a podcast on ways he practices gratitude himself) and he’s even been teaching some of you the body work to regulate your nervous system. Want to learn more? Contact David today!
Who is GenZ and where did they come from?
Back to those Gen Zers, there is lots of research indicating Gen Z is more intentional in communication, emotional awareness, and relationship priorities, and I hear this in sessions often!
Across multiple studies, consistently I see: Gen Z is more emotionally attuned, intentional, and self-aware than any generation before them. They’re not overwhelmed because they lack skills. They’re overwhelmed because they are absorbing so much and paying attention to it, noticing what isn’t working, and actively adjusting. Their choices reflect clarity, communication, and alignment. They inspire me!
Some themes have been:
Intentional Communication–prioritzing clarity and honesty over charm and performance.
High Emotional Awareness– They look for emotional maturity and kindness over physical appearance in dating. They prioritize boundaries and emotion self/safety.
Growing Empathy and Perspective-Taking–Empathy has risen significantly since 2008, nearly back to 1970s highs. Young people respond to loneliness with compassion and outreach. They validate and ask to hear other people’s narratives.
Attuned to Overload and Quick to Course-Correct— Gen Z notices overload quickly and usually accurately, rather than pushing through it, powering through or ignoring it. They respond by simplifying their lives, usually self-motivated to do this, in practical ways that support regulation and calm.
Financial and Practical Attunement– Seeks structure and visibility around money to reduce anxiety and increase a sense of control and longterm stability- they are saving at higher rates than older generations and even making lifestyle trade-offs to do so.
Taken together, the data shows a generation that is not careless or disconnected and is deeply attuned. Gen Z notices what affects their mental health, their relationships, and their daily functioning. They communicate intentionally, choose with clarity, simplify to regulate, and design relationships and lives that reflect who they are and what matters to them. Their attunement, not their overwhelm, is the defining story.
Gen Z is seeking therapy sooner because they are more emotionally self-aware and comfortable acknowledging mental health needs, with research showing a significantly higher proportion have received treatment compared to Millennials at the same age. This therapeutic sophistication supports intentional communication and emotional regulation in their relationships.
It means we will have a generation that addresses problems earlier, communicates more clearly, and interrupts unhealthy patterns. When people are more regulated and self-aware earlier in life, it strengthens relationships, workplaces, and communities in ways that benefit all of us.
They are doing what my tagline on my website is: Gen Z is naming what’s not working earlier, seeking support sooner, and actively figuring it out rather than avoiding or minimizing it. “Start feeling better today”… We help you figure out what is wrong so that you can feel better!
We are here for you, to regulate, to relax, to recharge, and to simply help you feel better. Here’s to 2026, happily, with you!
I have sent you too many emails lately and I promise to take a break for a bit- Thanks for sticking with me this far!
