understanding somatic experiencing®

The Roots of Somatic Experiencing®

Somatic Experiencing has helped individuals work through trauma for over 45 years. Peter Livine developed Somatic Experiencing as a naturalistic approach to the healing and resolution of trauma. SE is a holistic and multidisciplinary modality that draws wisdom and techniques from stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics. It is currently taught throughout the world as an effective method for resolving symptoms of traumatic stress.

Symptoms of Trauma Somatic Experiencing has been helpful in treating:

• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, PTSD

• PTSDEmotional and behavior issues

• Depression

• Chronic Fatigue

• Anxiety

• Chronic pain

• Insomnia

What to Expect in a Somatic Experiencing Session

• Learning to track physical sensations:

You will learn how to regulate your nervous system by becoming aware of and tracking sensations in your body. This learned skill is invaluable in helping you heal, process, and overcome the effects of trauma.

• Resourcing & Orienting:

At the beginning of a session, you will orient yourself to the present moment and identify a resource, which can be anything that instills a sense of calm and wellbeing. This resource is something that you will return to throughout the session and brings you back to a place of presence and peace.

• Titration:

After you establish your personal resource, and acquaint yourself with simple orienting, we will begin the practice of titration. With guidance, you will access a small amount of activation that is associated with the bound energy held in your body from the traumatic experience. Gently, we will look for impulses in your body from your survival instinct that did not get a chance to complete. This stuck energy could present as bodily movements, emotions or vocalizations. The work of SE is to help facilitate a release of the bound stress energy in a way that is not overwhelming to your nervous system. During this time, we will work together to implement different SE techniques to facilitate healing. If, at first, working in the body is overwhelming, we will focus outside the body, and then in time, when you are ready, move inside the body. We will always work at a pace that is supportive to healing.

• Pendulation - The Power of Rhythm & Flow:

Penduation is a natural and rhythmic process for moving between the parasympathetic and the sympathetic nervous system. A flow between rest and activation. SE techniques facilitate the process between brief states of small activation around a traumatic incident, and a flow to a place of strength and calm, the established resource state. This gentle expansion and contraction is a mirror of a healthy and resilient nervous system. This can lead you to feel more open, balanced, empowered and whole. As your nervous system begins to heal, you will have a better capacity to make choices in how you respond to triggers and experiences in your daily life.

• Integration and The Art of Transition:

At the end of each SE session, we will spend 5-15 minutes in a space of transition, so when you leave your nervous system is settled and the experience has had an opportunity to be integrated. A beautiful thing about SE, is by working with your present moment awareness and following your sensations, you are guiding the SE session and are the one healing yourself. This modality is a journey to personal empowerment.