Book Review: Somacultural Liberation: An Indigenous, Two-Spirit Somatic Guide to Integrating Cultural Experiences Toward Freedom by Dr. Roger Kuhn

Person stands with outstretched arms, surrounded by forest

Introduction

Over the past few years, I have found myself reconnecting to my body as a source of knowledge and wisdom. As a white-body settler on Turtle Island, I’ve been exploring the generational layers that shape my present, recognizing that my past—the echoes of my ancestors—resides within me. This journey has been deeply personal. Through my work with a somacultural therapist, I’ve begun to unearth the ways my body holds ancestral trauma, including the mask I wore through moments of terror. That mask, a forced smile in the face of fear, is a survival mechanism passed down through generations. It’s a response to deep-seated fear and persecution, often referred to as the “witch wound.” The scars left from centuries of silencing and the need to remain unseen have shaped not only individuals but entire communities.

While I am still on this journey, I find myself deeply moved by the work of Two-Spirit scholars like Dr. Roger Kuhn, who offer frameworks that illuminate how cultural histories intersect with somatic experience. I approach Somacultural Liberation with respect and humility, recognizing that this is not my work to claim, but rather a vital contribution to the field of healing. It is within this context of personal exploration and the need for cultural sensitivity that Dr. Kuhn’s work resonates so deeply with me. His teachings offer profound insights that inspire my own path of post-traumatic growth, while also reminding me of the importance of acknowledging the source of these teachings and ensuring they are not co-opted.

In Somacultural Liberation, Dr. Kuhn, a Two-Spirit Indigequeer psychotherapist and somacultural theorist, invites us to explore how our bodies serve as portals to liberation. For those of us providing mental health support to trans*, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit individuals, this book offers a revolutionary framework for integrating cultural experiences, personal identity, and bodily awareness into therapeutic practice.

Overview: The Somacultural Framework

At the heart of this book is the concept of “somacultural liberation,” which Dr. Kuhn defines as a “somatic, intellectual, emotional, and existential modality.” This integrative framework encourages readers to explore their proprioceptive and interoceptive awareness, recognize how their bodies are shaped by culture, and engage in practices that reconnect them with their true selves. Dr. Kuhn’s invitation is clear: liberation begins with understanding how our bodies are entwined with the histories and experiences of our communities and cultures.

I approach these teachings not as my own work but as essential knowledge shared by an Indigenous healer whose experiences are rooted in a cultural context different from my own. Kuhn’s work reminds me that as a therapist working within settler-colonial structures, I must tread carefully, always acknowledging that the frameworks I use in my practice are influenced by others’ wisdom. His insights remind me of the need to decolonize how we, as therapists, approach somatic healing, recognizing the layers of oppression that inform how we and our clients relate to our bodies.

One of Kuhn’s powerful insights is that our bodies carry the imprints of cultural experiences, and liberation requires us to examine these imprints through a decolonial lens. As he states, “In order to fully understand our lived experience, we must include an explanation of how culture impacts our bodies” (Kuhn, 2024). This perspective challenges those of us in the mental health field to expand our understanding of the body beyond the individual and to see it as a vessel of collective history and memory.

For therapists, this book provides tools and frameworks to guide clients toward embodying their cultural experiences while challenging dominant narratives that often lead to feelings of disconnection. However, it’s essential to note that these tools are drawn from Dr. Kuhn’s own cultural context. I aim to incorporate this understanding into my practice with humility, recognizing that I do not replicate Kuhn’s approach, but rather let it inform my own journey of learning, growth, and respect for the diverse cultural experiences of my clients.

First Impressions

From the moment I opened Somacultural Liberation, I was enveloped by the depth of Dr. Kuhn’s vision. This book is not simply a guide; it is a manifesto—a call to arms for those of us yearning for liberation that transcends the individual and taps into the collective. From the very first pages, Kuhn challenges the status quo, inviting readers to reconnect with their bodies in ways that honour the intricate cultural, ancestral, and somatic threads woven into our existence. His powerful statement, “We cannot be liberated as a species, as a society, as a culture unless all of us are liberated” (Kuhn, 2024), reverberates throughout the text, underscoring the necessity of communal healing alongside personal growth.

As I read, I was immediately struck by how seamlessly Kuhn weaves personal narrative, somatic wisdom, and cultural theory. His writing doesn’t merely present ideas—it embodies the interconnectedness of mind, body, and culture. Each thread is vital, each necessary to create the fabric of true liberation. As a therapist supporting individuals with intersecting identities, this integrative approach felt profoundly needed. Too often, our work as therapists is segmented: we focus on the body in one session, on trauma or identity in another, as if these aspects of the self exist in isolation. Kuhn offers a holistic view, one that insists we address the full spectrum of the human experience by refusing to separate the personal from the cultural or the individual from the collective.

One of the most striking aspects of Somacultural Liberation is its practical application. Kuhn provides tangible exercises that invite both therapists and clients to explore identity through a somacultural lens. These exercises are not ancillary; they are central to the book’s purpose of reconnecting with the body as both a personal and cultural vessel of wisdom. Cultural assessment practices, for example, allow clients to examine how their cultural narratives shape their somatic experiences. These tools help uncover the ways in which dominant narratives have influenced, and in some cases distorted, one’s relationship with their own body.

It’s important for me to recognize that while these exercises resonate with my therapeutic practice, they are born from Dr. Kuhn’s specific cultural context and experiences. His work emphasizes grounding in cultural and ancestral knowledge as a means of nervous system regulation—not just as an individual healing practice, but as an act of cultural reclamation. While I incorporate somatic therapies in my work, I approach these techniques with humility, aware that they are rooted in Indigenous and Two-Spirit ways of knowing that are not mine to claim. Instead, Kuhn’s work offers a pathway for me to honour my clients’ cultural backgrounds, using these practices as a means of support without appropriating them.

Ultimately, Somacultural Liberation extends beyond personal healing. It is a radical invitation to participate in collective liberation, one that acknowledges that true freedom cannot be achieved until we dismantle the oppressive systems that distort our relationship to our own bodies and to each other. For therapists, the book is more than a resource—it is a blueprint for creating spaces where somatic and cultural healing are inseparable. Dr. Kuhn provides us with a guide to help our clients not just survive in a world that often seeks to erase them, but to reclaim the fullness of their existence with dignity and strength.

Key Concepts from the Book

Dr. Kuhn introduces several key concepts that therapists and individuals alike can apply in their healing journeys:

Somacultural Liberation as a Path to Freedom

Kuhn describes somacultural liberation as a modality that encompasses four interwoven dimensions: somatic, intellectual, emotional, and existential. This multifaceted approach offers more than just a framework—it serves as an invitation to reconnect with the body as a living archive of our personal, ancestral, and cultural histories. It is a call to reclaim the narratives embedded in our flesh and bones, to understand that healing must encompass the body and the stories it holds within. For therapists, this is a reminder that healing goes beyond talk therapy. In our work with trans*, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit individuals, it becomes crucial to recognize that the body is not a neutral site. It is shaped by history, identity, and experience, and through somacultural liberation, we can guide our clients to reclaim the fullness of who they are.

Decolonizing the Body

One of the most profound and necessary aspects of Somacultural Liberation is its call to decolonize how we think about and experience our bodies. Kuhn challenges readers to confront the ways dominant culture has imposed narratives of separation, disconnection, and subjugation onto our physical selves. He urges us to ask, “What role does dominant culture play in how we experience the sensations, thoughts, feelings, and deeper existential mysteries of our bodies?” (Kuhn, 2024). This question strikes at the core of much of the work we do as therapists, particularly with clients struggling with feelings of dysphoria, dislocation, or alienation from their own identities. The impact of colonialism, racism, and transphobia often manifests somatically, with clients feeling disconnected from their own bodies. Through this book, Kuhn offers us a lens to see how decolonization is not just about reclaiming land or culture—it’s about reclaiming the body as a site of knowledge and power.

Cultural Practices as Healing Tools

Kuhn beautifully integrates cultural practices into the healing process, offering readers exercises that serve as pathways to reconnecting with ancestral wisdom and community. Grounding techniques, breathing exercises, and mindfulness are presented not merely as somatic tools, but as practices that carry the weight and wisdom of generations before us. These are cultural acts of healing—rituals that anchor us in something larger than ourselves, something that transcends time and space. For me, these exercises hold a particular resonance in the therapy room. In working with my Two-Spirit and Indigenous clients, these practices offer ways to reconnect with their cultural identities while also grounding their present somatic experiences. These practices, as Kuhn explains, allow individuals to rediscover the wisdom in their bodies, reminding them that their bodies hold the key to their healing and their future.

Challenging Systems of Oppression

Dr. Kuhn does not shy away from critiquing the oppressive systems that have long distorted our relationship with our bodies and each other. His words are a rallying cry for therapists and individuals alike to challenge the structures that uphold marginalization and erasure. “We should never live in a system that rewards the majority the right to decide how minority culture lives” (Kuhn, 2024). This sentiment speaks to the heart of what it means to create therapeutic spaces that are not only inclusive but actively resist assimilation. As therapists, we must hold space for the full complexity of our clients’ identities, celebrating their intersections and challenging the societal structures that would seek to diminish or distort them. Kuhn’s call to action reminds us that our work is not neutral—it is political. It is a form of resistance to offer our clients a space where they can be fully themselves, unbound by the limiting narratives of dominant culture.

In all of these key concepts, Dr. Kuhn masterfully ties together the personal and political, the individual and the collective, offering a powerful blueprint for liberation that begins with the body and extends out into the world. For those of us working to create spaces of healing and empowerment for trans*, nonbinary, and Two-Spirit individuals, Somacultural Liberation is not just a resource—it is a guide to fostering a more just and liberated world, one body at a time.

Practical Applications for Therapy

For therapists working with Two-Spirit, trans*, and Indigenous clients, Somacultural Liberation serves as an invaluable tool for fostering culturally attuned healing. The cultural assessment exercises that Dr. Kuhn presents offer a structured, yet flexible way for clients to explore the intersections of their identity. These exercises provide an opportunity for clients to reflect on how their cultural narratives, personal histories, and somatic experiences intersect and influence their sense of self. Kuhn’s approach invites clients to delve deeper into understanding not just their trauma, but the larger cultural and ancestral contexts that shape it. This is particularly important for clients whose identities have been marginalized or erased by dominant cultural narratives.

The book also places a strong emphasis on nervous system regulation, which is essential for clients dealing with trauma. What sets Kuhn’s approach apart is how these somatic exercises are grounded in cultural and ancestral practices, making them not only therapeutic but also culturally affirming. This perspective reinforces the idea that healing the body is not a detached, clinical process—it is intimately connected to reclaiming cultural wisdom and bodily autonomy. For clients who are navigating trauma compounded by systemic marginalization, this framework provides a way to approach healing that feels both empowering and deeply rooted in their identity.

In my own practice, I have long found that integrating cultural experiences into body-centered therapies like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy can be profoundly healing for clients. However, Kuhn’s work pushes this integration further, making explicit the connections between colonization, cultural dislocation, and the somatic experience. His framework offers tools to help clients reclaim bodily autonomy while restoring cultural pride, creating a pathway for healing that acknowledges the scars of colonization while affirming the resilience of cultural identities.

While I draw on somatic practices in my own work, I am mindful that the tools Kuhn offers are embedded in his own cultural context. As a white-body settler on Turtle Island, I recognize the importance of engaging with these practices with respect and care, ensuring that they are used in ways that honour the cultural heritage they emerge from. Kuhn’s framework has inspired me to think more deeply about how to hold space for my clients’ cultural experiences without co-opting Indigenous methods, allowing them to reconnect with their own cultural wisdom while offering support from my role as a therapist.

This distinction is crucial. Somacultural Liberation encourages therapists like myself to remain aware of the ways in which cultural contexts shape our clients’ experiences and reminds us that our role is not to appropriate these methods, but to offer a space where clients can draw on their cultural knowledge as a source of healing. It’s about facilitating a process where the body, culture, and community come together, allowing clients to feel empowered in their journey toward healing and self-reclamation.

How This Book Stands Out

What sets Somacultural Liberation apart is its profoundly holistic approach to healing. Rather than isolating the body from its lived experiences, Dr. Kuhn places the body within the broader contexts of culture, history, and community. This integration challenges the reductionist view that healing can occur solely on an individual level, without addressing the ancestral, cultural, and social narratives that shape our bodies. For those who experience the world through intersecting identities—whether in terms of race, gender, or cultural belonging—this approach offers a framework that recognizes how liberation must occur on multiple levels simultaneously. Healing the body alone is not enough; we must also heal the histories and cultural traumas that have left their imprints upon us.

Kuhn’s work stands out for its unique blending of personal narrative, cultural theory, and practical exercises, creating a rich and nuanced offering that resonates with both therapists and clients. His writing is a call to reconnect with the body’s inherent wisdom, while also situating that wisdom within the larger story of identity, ancestry, and community. This approach is particularly meaningful for therapists working with Two-Spirit, Indigenous, trans*, and nonbinary clients, who often grapple with feelings of disconnection and marginalization. Kuhn’s work offers a pathway to bridge those divides, allowing individuals to be seen not just as isolated beings, but as carriers of a complex, beautiful, and resilient cultural legacy.

It’s important to acknowledge that while Kuhn’s work fills a critical gap in the literature, this is not a framework I claim as my own. His insights and practices are rooted in his lived experiences as a Two-Spirit Indigequeer person, and his approach to somacultural healing is specific to those histories. For me, this book serves as a vital resource—a reminder of the need for humility when engaging with these frameworks. As Pamela A. Hays, PhD, author of Addressing Cultural Complexities in Counseling and Clinical Practice, aptly states, Somacultural Liberation is “a must-read for healthcare providers, individuals searching for healing, and anyone interested in a broader perspective on trauma and posttraumatic growth” (Hays, 2024). This endorsement speaks to the book’s wide-ranging applicability and its potential to deepen our work within anti-oppressive, intersectional frameworks.

For therapists like myself, this book offers more than theoretical insight. It provides a pathway to foster deeper healing by acknowledging the fullness of our clients’ experiences—particularly for those whose traumas are intertwined with the legacies of colonization, cultural erasure, and systemic oppression. Somacultural Liberation stands as a testament to the power of culturally grounded somatic work, offering therapists the tools to create spaces of healing that honour the entirety of a client’s being.

Conclusion

Somacultural Liberation is a groundbreaking work that offers a profound pathway to personal and collective freedom through the integration of somatic and cultural experiences. It is a rare and necessary book for therapists, clients, and anyone deeply committed to decolonizing both body and mind. Dr. Roger Kuhn’s vision for liberation is layered and intricate, rooted in the recognition that true healing must honour the cultural, historical, and bodily legacies that shape our lives. For those of us working with marginalized communities—particularly Two-Spirit, trans*, and Indigenous individuals—this book is a gift. It offers tools that allow us to serve, support, and honour the full complexity of our clients’ identities.

I approach Somacultural Liberation with deep respect, recognizing that while it deeply inspires my own work, it is not a framework I can claim as my own. Rather, it is one to be used with careful acknowledgment of its source and the cultural context from which it arises. Dr. Kuhn’s insights speak to a cultural and historical experience that is unique to him, and I am grateful for the opportunity to learn from his wisdom. For those of us engaging in somatic work, particularly in the context of trauma and marginalization, this book is a powerful reminder of the importance of cultural humility and the need to create therapeutic spaces that honour the diverse and intersecting identities of our clients.

As Kuhn poignantly reminds us, “Somacultural liberation is one path to bring us closer, return us to who we truly are: bold, beautiful, bright, balanced creatures of love” (Kuhn, 2024). This is the heart of Somacultural Liberation: it is not just a framework for understanding trauma and healing—it is a lifeline for those who seek to reclaim their bodies, identities, and communities in a world that too often seeks to erase them. In its pages, we find not only a call to action but also a compassionate and culturally rooted map for healing.

Let’s Continue the Conversation

If the ideas in this blog resonate with you or someone you care about, I invite you to take the next step. Whether you’re a therapist seeking support with integrating somatic practices into your work, or someone navigating the complexities of gender and cultural identity and looking for compassionate, affirming guidance, I’m here to provide support as a processing-oriented clinical supervisor. You may book an individual therapy session or peer consultation with me to explore how we can build meaningful, affirming connections together. If you’re interested in clinical supervision, connect via my contact form. And be sure to bookmark this blog for future book reviews.

References

Hays, P. A. (2024). Addressing cultural complexities in counseling and clinical practice (3rd ed.). American Psychological Association.

Kuhn, R. (2024). Somacultural liberation: An Indigenous, Two-Spirit somatic guide to integrating cultural experiences toward freedom. North Atlantic Books.

Disclaimer: This blog offers general educational information and does not constitute professional advice or establish a therapist-client relationship. Please consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance. Any decisions based on the content are the reader’s responsibility, and Clayre Sessoms Psychotherapy assumes no liability. All case studies are hypothetical with fictional names and do not reflect actual people. We prioritize your privacy and the confidentiality of all of our clients. We are committed to maintaining a safe, supportive space for 2SLGBTQIA+ community care.

Clayre Sessoms is a trans, queer, and neurodivergent Registered Psychotherapist (RP), Certified Sensorimotor Psychotherapist, and Board Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC), offering online therapy for trans*, nonbinary, queer, and 2SLGBTQIA+ allied adults and teens across Canada. With a deep commitment to trauma-attuned gender-affirming care, Clayre integrates talk therapy, experiential collaboration, and creative expression to support clients to grow, heal, or navigate change. When not working with clients or supervising newly-licensed therapists, Clayre finds solace in nature, where she recharges her creativity and compassion.

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