Somatic Experiencing
What Is Somatic Experiencing®*?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a highly effective, evidence-based and body-centered psychotherapy method for resolving trauma and PTSD, as well as addressing and releasing stress and anxiety.
In the 70s, Dr. Peter Levine began researching how animals in the wild cope with the threats that surround them all the time. He noticed that other mammals are routinely confronted by highly dangerous, life threatening situations and don’t exhibit signs of trauma like humans do, despite the similarities between our nervous systems. He theorized that our neocortex—our logical, thinking brain—prevents us from allowing our nervous systems to complete trauma reactions. Instead, trauma gets stuck in our bodies, creating entrenched patterns of trauma response, and we find ourselves reliving the trauma event as though it is happening in the present. Even when we might understand, rationally, that we are not in danger, our nervous system enters a state of intense distress.
With this new understanding, Dr. Levine created the SE method of resolving trauma from the inside out.
The Somatic Therapy Process
We now understand that trauma is stored in the body. When you encounter a sight, sound or other sensation that reminds you, even unconsciously, of the traumatic experience, your rational mind suddenly finds itself in the back seat. Your reptilian and mammalian brains take over, and your nervous system becomes flooded. Your heart races, your palms sweat and your stomach churns. Your body prepares to fight or flee, leaving you feeling deeply unsafe and on-edge.
Trauma can also work in the opposite direction—moving from body to mind instead of from mind to body. For example, your heart might begin racing because you’re walking quickly. Even though all is well, your brain might understand your elevated heart rate as a warning of danger. You might suddenly feel worried and threatened, even if you are not entirely sure why.
Somatic healing seeks to interrupt that rapid, repetitive movement of traumatic energy. The goal is to help you attune to your body, establish safety and bring yourself to a more grounded, safe, relaxed state. Then, you and your therapist can work to purposefully remove the trauma, guiding it gently through your nervous system so that, from a regulated state, you can complete the fear response that became stuck so long ago.
Working below the rational mind to get right to the root of the stuck trauma, SE can help you rediscover and develop two essential skills. They are:
Interoception –Your ability to feel and sense what is happening in your body.
Instead of feeling panicked and not knowing why, you can begin to understand what triggers that unpleasant sensation of your muscles clenching and chest tightening. Instead of moving through life under a cloud of unnamed, floating fear, you can let your physical sensations guide you toward answers. As you learn to recognize sensations in your body, you can understand them as just that—sensations. Then, you can interrupt the movement of traumatic energy and restore yourself to a state of calm.
Proprioception – Your ability to understand where your body is in space.
It’s common for people who have experienced trauma to disassociate from their bodies. This is one of the natural ways we cope with perceived danger. In moments of intense distress, you may even lose awareness of the world around you. SE can help you return to the world and engage in the present moment.
One extremely effective method of somatic therapy is called “table work.” I begin by placing my hand on your back where your kidneys are located. This signals your body to enter a more grounded state. During table work sessions, you can eventually experience what it feels like to be settled, safe and calm at a deep level. From that state, you can become deeply aware of your present sensations and experiences, and begin to unravel the entrenched trauma patterns causing you pain.
Overall, you can develop a renewed ability to engage with life as it happens. You can let go of the past and move forward into a lighter, freer life.
My Approach to Somatic Experiencing®
I have been practicing SE since 2008, after many years of hypnotherapy work. With my hypnotherapy clients, I noticed that phobias and fears always included sensations in the body. All of my experience as a counselor demonstrates this truth: for the mind and spirit to find true healing, the body needs release.
As we work together, I will start by inviting you to share your story, if you have one available to you. Then, we will go through some mindfulness exercises to help you become present in the therapy room. First and foremost, I aim to establish a therapeutic relationship built on safety and trust.
Then, we will gently approach the somatic treatment process. We will work slowly and carefully, touching the edges of the trauma and then moving back to a place of safety, helping the pain, panic, discomfort or numbness to gradually lessen and eventually disappear.
In sessions, I will remain aware of and attuned to your needs, and I will not push you to go further than you are ready. Therapy is a safe space for you to reestablish and protect your boundaries, which were breached at the time of the trauma. I will continuously check in with you and honor your needs in the moment so you are not re-traumatized.
SE is highly effective on its own, but it can also serve as a wonderful adjunct trauma therapy to other, more traditional talk therapy methods. SE goes beyond those methods, working at a deeper level to create lasting healing. If you are already seeing another therapist for talk therapy, don’t stop! SE can help you make greater progress with the therapy methods you are already utilizing.
No matter what you’ve survived, know that it is possible to feel safe, secure and whole again. Even if it seems that nothing else has brought you the relief you crave, SE can release the trauma that has become stuck in your nervous system. With gentle guidance and the right approach, you can heal at your very core.
You Can Discover Safety Within Yourself
Your life doesn’t have to be limited or defined by patterns of fear. If you are struggling with the aftereffects of trauma, or if you believe there is a way to live with greater freedom, I invite you to call 408-357-3736 for a free 15-minute phone consultation to discuss how Somatic Experiencing can help you heal. My office is located in Los Gatos.
*Trademarked by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., or the SE Trauma Institute.
