Somatic Experiencing (SE)
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-oriented approach used for healing and resolving trauma. It is based on the observation and understanding of how animals in the wild respond and recover from stressful and life-threatening situations.
Somatic Experiencing works on the principle that trauma gets trapped in the body when there is interference in the renegotiation process of our autonomic nervous system (ANS), leading to post-traumatic stress symptoms. SE provides a gentle way of working with sensations, arousal and activation, and thwarted survival responses by increasing resiliency and resources, as well as building capacity to tolerate what is happening inside us in small, incremental amounts (a technique called titration).
The benefits of a mind-and-body approach
SE utilizes “bottom-up processing” which means utilizing afferent (from body to brain) pathways. It directs attention to our internal sensations, both visceral and Musculo-skeletal, as well as environmental awareness and imagery. This differs from regular talk therapy that utilizes “top-down processing” which is primarily based on cognitive or emotional experiences which misses many avenues of healing.
- Targets the Autonomic Nervous System which is the main drive for our symptoms/behaviours – where trauma originates
- Works in a slow, gentle way as to not overwhelm
- Will gradually help increase your tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions.
- Re-establish your body’s natural ability to shift between activation and deactivation
- Unfreeze the body’s ability to respond appropriately
- Rediscover your own innate resiliency
- Learn to experience your body in the present moment – no longer live in the past
A somatic, trauma informed approach to healing the mind, body and our relationships.
Elizabeth on our team is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in training, and is currently completing the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institutes three-year program.
