Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing, a gentle yet powerful approach to healing trauma.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a method developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine. It has been highly effective in helping people resolve trauma symptoms and chronic stress. SE works by releasing traumatic shock—the natural human response to physical and psychological threats, trauma, and stress (both immediate and accumulated) with a fight, flight, or freeze response.

All mammals commonly react to stress and shock with one or more of those responses. Humans, however, have the ability to override the natural release of those responses after the threat has passed and can instead end up replaying or “stuck” in the inciting incident. When we don’t resolve the shock on a physiological basis, any number of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral functions can be compromised.

SE does not require you to relive trauma. Rather, it enables me to guide you in developing tolerance for uncomfortable bodily sensations and suppressed emotions. By helping you carry out natural responses and release energy bound up after a natural response to trauma, SE gets to its root cause. Through the slow, gently guided process, you can effectively reset your nervous system, restore balance to your inner life, and become more resilient in responding to stress.

woman in repose