Somatic Experiencing ®

Awareness of Body Sensation

SE employs awareness of body sensation to help people “renegotiate” and heal rather than re-live or re-enact trauma. SE’s guidance of the bodily “felt sense,” allows the highly aroused survival energies to be safely experienced and gradually discharged. Touch work may be employed in support of the renegotiation process. SE “titrates” the experience (breaks down into small, incremental steps), rather than evoking catharsis – which can overwhelm the regulatory mechanisms of the body.

This work can result in a number of benefits to you, such as relief of traumatic stress symptoms, increased resiliency, and resourcefulness. Like other modalities of healing, it may also have unintended negative side effects, such as sleep disturbances, frightening memories, or unfamiliar and uncomfortable body sensations. Such reactions are not uncommon and can be attended to in the course of our work together. It is important you are aware that there are other forms of body-oriented and somatic modalities that may also be helpful to you. It is also important you are aware that I am not a therapist and that it is sometimes advisable to do this work while supported by someone with that training and licensure.

The Somatic Experiencing® approach facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions. (https://traumahealing.org/about-us/)