Understanding Somatic Experiencing

Creating connection and safety in the body and mind

What is Somatic Experiencing (SE) Therapy

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) therapy reconnects the body and mind in a process of self-healing to resolve trauma symptoms and relieve recurring stress. A holistic modality with decades of successful clinical practice and trials, it regrounds the natural mind-body reconnection to process the past, fully experience the present moment, and build future resilience.

Somatic Experiencing is based on the concept that unresolved trauma or stress can create long-lasting emotional and even physical distress. Sometimes, we learn to distract or numb ourselves in order to keep functioning in our daily lives. In many ways, the subconscious mind speaks through the body — and when we don’t regularly feel safe, we forget how to listen to and speak its subtle language.

Somatic Experiencing understands the body’s trauma responses as natural, and at one point, vital for our survival. It’s important to remember that you are not broken, you are stuck in survival mode — and there is a way to thrive again.

Through Somatic Experiencing, we can begin to safely access the emotions and experiences we’ve suppressed, release our frozen or stuck energy from the old trauma or triggers, and attain deep and lasting healing. Somatic Experiencing rebalances the nervous system, giving us resilience for future stressors and a lighter, more connected relationship with the passing moments of everyday life.

How Somatic Experiencing Works

Somatic (meaning “of the living body”) works to rebalance the nervous system so we can successfully move through stress, discomfort, and pain. The goal of Somatic Experiencing isn’t necessarily to reexamine or relive traumatic events but to explore, process, and release the bodily sensations that are associated with those feelings.

This is done by gently allowing emotions stored in the body to surface, feel through them and come back to regulation, much like riding a wave.

Therapy involves learning about your nervous system, and deepening your awareness of bodily sensations. It also helps access your inner peace, strength, and sense of regulation through a technique called “resourcing.” Eventually, you will begin to revisit and process memories by tracking sensations and moving between states of nervous system arousal to calm, until you are able to remember the story without reliving the physical and emotional stress.

Why Somatic Experiencing is Effective 

Developed by Peter Levine in the 1970s, Somatic Experiencing is rooted in the concept of our natural fight-flight-freeze response. Dr. Levine observed how wild animals recover from traumatic experiences, like a deer evading a mountain lion, and noticed they released adrenaline after a threat was gone by trembling, shaking, or running. This physical release allowed them to return to their normal, regulated state — without developing PTSD or a lasting trauma response, as is common for humans. 

Humans have this same capacity to naturally release and reset after a traumatic event, but we often stop this release process because we have to “keep it together,” for ourselves or others. When this happens, the energy can become stuck, and we remain in a state of fight-or-flight instead of relaxed homeostasis.

The difference between Somatic Experiencing and other therapies is that SE brings the body into the healing process. SE brings us from a state of hyperarousal and constriction to a state of safety, security, and expansiveness. When we learn to see our body as a friend — and not so unlike a wild animal that needs occasional release — we can grow our confidence and capacity to experience physical sensations and emotions without feeling overwhelmed.

What Somatic Experiencing Helps Address

Somatic Experiencing can be beneficial for everyone — we all have a body, and many of us experience everyday life feeling detached from our physical selves. Somatic Experiencing can be most effective for treating aspects of:

  • Trauma

  • Anxiety

  • PTSD

  • Chronic Pain

  • Grief

  • Addiction

Is Somatic Experiencing Safe?

Somatic Experiencing is an empowering therapy modality that is safe and effective. While it doesn’t involve fully sharing and reliving past trauma, like some other therapies, you may experience a feeling of “activation” or fight-or-flight arousal as feelings surface from past events. This discomfort is momentary, and important — your therapist will be there to support and guide you through the process of feeling, expressing, and releasing the energy, so you can move forward from the past with more freedom. You will develop a personal toolkit for self-soothing with greater resilience moving forward.

The potential benefits of Somatic Experiencing include:

  • Reducing physical and emotional symptoms related to trauma and stress

  • Increased awareness and understanding of physical sensations and their connection to emotions

  • Regulation of the nervous system, promoting a sense of safety and calm

  • Regulation of the emotions and ability to self-soothe

  • Healthy coping mechanism for stress and triggering situations

  • Greater connection to and trust in one's body and intuition

  • Improved overall wellbeing and quality of life

Do you feel like Somatic Experiencing might be right for you?

Our somatic therapists help rebalance your nervous system to move through stress and discomfort, toward inner peace and calm. Reach out to us to get started.