What is SE?

Somatic Experiencing® is a body-oriented approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine, a leader in cutting-edge trauma treatment. While studying the stress responses of animals in their natural environment, he discovered that trauma is not the event, it’s the biological and physiological response to the event. As an SE practitioner, I support the healing process by helping clients locate, notice, and describe what they feel while working to stabilize emotional and physiological distress. 

How does it work?

Somatic Experiencing addresses both shock trauma and developmental/relational trauma. Shock trauma is caused by a single traumatic event or near-death experience. Developmental/relational trauma is the relational damage that occurs during early development.

The aim is to be present in the here and now, explore choices and options, and create stability and flexibility in relationships and lives. Accessing the nervous system and bypassing the thinking brain allows for more safety, containment, and emotional regulation. These states affect heart-rate variability, coherent breathing patterns, greater self-awareness, and regulation.