Somatic Experiencing™ (SE) is a body-focused therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine to support healing from many types of trauma, including:
acute stress (like a car accident or assault)
cumulative stress (living with a chronic illness, for example)
developmental attachment interruption (like childhood abuse or neglect).
As Dr. Levine proposes, unresolved trauma of any type can be stored in the body and should be processed physiologically as well as cognitively and emotionally.
Somatic Experiencing™ techniques focus on developing this connection between your body, emotions, and thoughts and can be helpful for addressing symptoms related to trauma or PTSD as well as anxiety, depression, substance misuse, chronic pain and mood dysregulation among others.
Mental health counselors, doctors, physical therapists, and other healing professionals use SE techniques to address trauma by working with the body's natural processes. These SE professionals are guided by a few core principles:
Our autonomic nervous system, made up of the sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) systems, influences our responses to stress.
Animals in the wild “discharge” the energy accumulated during stress through physical processes. Humans often shut down this discharge, which can cause the nervous system to become dysregulated.
This dysregulation can show up as symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and emotional dysregulation. These symptoms can influence our behavior and limit our effectiveness in the world.
How does SE work in session?
The SE approach emphasizes increasing your capacity for self-awareness and self-regulation. These skills help you process your current symptoms safely, not only reducing the risk of re-traumatization during therapy but also building your resilience and ability to manage stress in the future.
At a pace that’s comfortable for you, we’ll work together to increase awareness of how your physical body feels by using skills that feel safe to you. Some skills might include movement, mindfulness or meditation, breath, or visualization.
We will build on these self-awareness skills to increase your capacity for self-regulation—your ability to notice, allow, and manage autonomic nervous system responses without feeling out of control or completely shut down.
We’ll then explore your responses to traumatic or stressful experiences, track where they might feel “stuck” and renegotiate the completion of those stuck responses through your natural autonomic nervous system functioning.
Because your mind and emotions are just as important as your body in this process, we will also make space for your thoughts and feelings as we work. SE techniques are just one part of a comprehensive approach to your healing.
** Do you have additional questions about Somatic Experiencing™ or want to get started?
Call or email Jennifer Watson at 480-490-4486 or jennifer@bebalancedcounseing.com to schedule or arrange a free 15 minute, phone consultation.