What Is a Felt Sense? Why Healing Starts in the Body, Not the Mind
What’s Your Felt Sense?
I love these two words: felt sense.
Fascinating.
It’s something I ask my clients a lot.
Sometimes, the path is through the mind: “What do you think?” A valid question, a starting point.
But more and more, I find myself leaning in and asking a different kind of question: “Where do you feel it? What’s this like in your body?”
This isn't about bypassing the mind. It's about listening to a deeper, older wisdom. A felt sense is your body’s way of knowing —
before your mind rush in with a story.
I’ve learned to watch for it from all the different parts of my practice.
The breathwork coach in me notices where breath stays in the chest.
The theatre practitioner in me hears the subtext loud.
The counsellor in me knows: healing isn’t more thinking —
let their body finish the sentence.
So, I’ll leave you with the same invitation I offer in my sessions. The next time you face a big feeling, a tricky decision, or even a moment of confusion, pause.
Ask yourself: What’s my felt sense?
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Warmly,
George Chan
This Is How We Heal
George Chan, MCOU, is a Counsellor, Grief Educator and Breathwork Coach who specialises in helping individuals navigate grief and loss through his private practice, This Is How We Heal. With a rich background in theatre and entertainment, George brings creativity and empathy to his work. When he's not in the therapy room, you might find him performing, choreographing, or working on a new production—or spending time with Luna, his Jack Russell Terrier, who doubles as his unofficial co-therapist and production critic.