Somatic Experiencing

Often people want to know a little more about Somatic Experiencing.  Somatic Experiencing or SE was developed by Peter Levine especially for re-negotiating and healing the after-affects of traumatic events. It is also a profound way of working through deep conditioned patterns, patterns that by the time you are an adult, you may already be quite skilled at describing and understanding, yet still find yourself getting hooked by them.

Direct work with mindful attention to the body brings the nervous system back into regulation, positively affecting mood, confidence, and the capacity to meet life’s current challenges with vitality.

What does SE work look like? When we talk in sessions, the focus is on the story your body needs to resolve, rather than on analysis or intellectual understanding. I help you stay within your range or resilience, where you feel most comfortable and alive, rather than moving into highly activated nervous system states of fight, flight, or freeze. Most clients find that they benefit more from being helped to slow down and be present in telling only a snippet of their story.

SE is a very different process than trying to “get it all out” verbally, which is often over-stimulated or numbing. With SE, we learn the cues of the nervous system, work to slow down, and allow the body to renegotiate and release excess stress from past events.

Sometimes a session involves physical movement, especially to resolve incomplete survival responses. When it’s useful, I also offer SE Touch Support (or guide you in self-contact) to aid your nervous system in recognizing the safety of this moment. These are only some aspects of SE and body-oriented modalities.

Many clients do not have a specific “event” or “issue” but just know that something is “off” in their body and relationships, and they want to be healthier and more fully present. If you’re wondering if you would benefit from this work, please contact me so that I can hear what your issues are, and we can find out if this is a good fit for you.

If you are a trauma or healthcare professional looking for Case Consultation in Somatic Experiencing and/or embodiment for therapists, please see the Case Consultation page for more information.