Home > Emotional Intelligence in Business > Case Studies > Somatic Regulation

From Knowing to Feeling: A Somatic Approach to Growing Emotional Intelligence

Can body-based practices improve emotional intelligence? This pilot study explores the impact of a four-week somatic nervous system regulation intervention on adults’ self-awareness and self-management, measured by the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment™, or SEI.

Overview

Situation: The gap between knowing a feeling and experiencing it is a persistent challenge in therapeutic settings. This study was designed and conducted by Sarah Alperin, a somatic therapist, ICF PCC coach, and doctoral student in Antioch University’s EdD program (Social Emotional Learning), where she served as the principal investigator. Conducted as part of her doctoral research, the study examined whether working directly with the nervous system could help bridge this gap.

Solution: Under Sarah’s direction, twenty-one adults participated in a structured four-week intervention consisting of weekly 60-minute group sessions. The intervention integrated somatic awareness practices, breath regulation, grounding techniques, and guided reflection, providing participants with practical tools to recognize emotional activation and return to regulation in real time. Emotional intelligence was measured pre- and post-intervention using the Six Seconds Emotional Intelligence Assessment™ (SEI).

Results: The intervention produced measurable improvements in emotional intelligence across participants after four weeks. Increases were observed in both self-awareness and self-management competencies, as measured by the SEI. Qualitative findings supported these outcomes: participants reported earlier recognition of physiological signals, greater capacity to interrupt reactive patterns, and more intentional responses. A consistent theme of increased self-trust emerged, reflecting not only improved emotional regulation but a shift in participants’ relationship to their internal experience.

“I realized that emotions are simply part of being human, not something that needs to be fixed or suppressed.”
– Study Participant

Situation

Many people understand their emotions intellectually – they can name what they feel and recognize patterns – yet still find themselves overwhelmed or reactive when stress arises. This gap between cognitive awareness and embodied experience is a persistent challenge in emotional intelligence development. Knowing what we feel is not always enough to change how we respond.

Emerging research in emotional intelligence and neuroscience suggests that emotional regulation is not only a cognitive process, but also a physiological one rooted in the nervous system. Sarah Alperin designed a study to explore whether working directly with the body through somatic practices could help individuals bridge this gap. The central question: can increasing awareness of physical sensations and nervous system states strengthen emotional intelligence in a measurable way?

Solution

To test this hypothesis, twenty-one adults participated in a structured four-week intervention consisting of weekly 60-minute group sessions. Each session combined somatic awareness practices, grounding techniques, and guided reflection, creating a practical and experiential learning environment.

Participants were introduced to practical tools for noticing early signs of emotional activation in the body, regulating their physiological state, and returning to a sense of balance in real time. Rather than focusing only on cognitive strategies, the intervention emphasized building awareness through direct physical experience, helping participants recognize how emotions show up physically in the body and how to respond more intentionally.

To measure impact, participants completed the SEI™ before and after the intervention, enabling a clear comparison of changes in emotional intelligence, particularly in self-awareness and self-management competencies.

“These practices have given me a way to support myself in real time.”
– Study Participant

Results

The intervention resulted in measurable improvements in emotional intelligence across participants after just four weeks. Participants reporting greater awareness of early emotional signals, improved self-regulation – interrupting reactive patterns before escalation and responding with greater intentionality. A consistent theme of increased self-trust emerged, with participants describing a shift not only in how they managed emotions, but in how they related to themselves.

OVERALL EMOTIONAL INTELLIGENCE INCREASE

Participants showed measurable gains in emotional intelligence after just four weeks. Average SEI™ scores rose from 90.4 to 99.5, representing +10.1% growth in overall EQ.

%

BROAD PARTICIPANT IMPACT

88% of participants (15 of 17) demonstrated measurable growth in emotional intelligence, showing that improvement was experienced broadly across the group rather than limited to only a few individuals.

%

IMPROVED CONSEQUENTIAL THINKING

The most significant gain was in Consequential Thinking (+12.2%), indicating an increased ability to pause, reflect, and respond intentionally rather than react impulsively.

%

Products & Services Delivered

Six Seconds’ Emotional Intelligence Assessment™

SEI – Six Seconds’ Emotional Intelligence Assessment is a validated psychometric tool for measuring emotional intelligence, used by over 500,000 people worldwide. It provides in-depth feedback on specific EQ competencies and results and is ideal for 1:1 coaching or advanced training.

Somatic Training

A somatic training program designed and delivered by Sarah, integrating body-based awareness and nervous system regulation practices to build emotional intelligence and support lasting behavioral change.

Antioch University EdD Partnership

This research was conducted through Antioch University’s Doctorate in Education program with a specialization in Social Emotional Learning, developed in partnership with Six Seconds.

Want to improve performance with emotional intelligence?

Contact us to learn more about Six Seconds products and services: