About Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing® is a potent psychobiological method for resolving symptoms of nervous system interruption, chronic stress and trauma. Created by Dr. Peter Levine based on the observation that prey animals in the wild rarely experience trauma, despite facing life threatening circumstances on a regular basis.

Trauma, though generally regarded as a highly charged state in which someone has experienced a single, significant, life threatening event, for most of us trauma arises more subtly. Regardless of the cause, trauma is not the result of the event itself but the result of the body, psyche and nervous system not processing the events, resulting in a feeling of not being safe even when safety is present. 

Traumatic experience and nervous system interruption can lead to symptoms such as anxiety, persistent physical discomforts, disconnection, exhaustion, overwhelm, emotional responses that don't make sense, injuries or wounds that won't heal, babies who fall in the "high needs" category, developmental delays, disorganized reflexes and more.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) draws on various tools to gently, non-judgementally, and without catharsis or re-traumatization, find the stress patterns in your physiology and psychology to allow naturalistic change and healing to occur. Together the practitioner and client find what tools are most effective and comfortable for the client, including talk, touch, exploration of images, beliefs, emotions, and movements of the body.

With resolution of these past stresses and traumas our physiology and psychology find new equilibrium, a greater sense of emotional and physical well-being, greater tolerance for stressful events with quicker, easier recovery from stress, and more.

Clients progressively discover the experience of resilience.

To learn more about SE, you can explore the following resources:

TraumaHealing.com

Levine, P. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Levine, P. and. Kline, M. (2007). Trauma Through A Child’s Eyes: Awakening the Ordinary Miracle of Healing. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.

Levine, P. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books.