Somatic Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Somatic Psychotherapy, as I use it, explores sensations and patterns in the body, while also working with thoughts, emotions, images, dreams, etc.  As we become more embodied, we can become more present in the moment, able to experience ourselves and our aliveness more fully.  Our nervous system has room to move out of survival mode and reset. Emotions and meaning become more accessible and clear.

I am certified as a Somatic Experiencing (SE) practitioner.  SE, a form of somatic psychotherapy, is a psychobiological approach to resolving trauma, anxiety, and stress.  Developed by Peter Levine, this method works to re-regulate the nervous system after the deregulating effects of traumatic experiences.  SE can be helpful in healing from specific, single traumas, developmental traumas, early attachment issues, and general anxiety, all of which can create patterns of bound up survival energy in the nervous system.

Through a process of reconnecting with body awareness and learning to track physical sensations, a person’s capacity to experience difficult emotions and sensations expands.  Intrinsic, none ego driven movement can be accessed, facilitating the discharge of the survival energies that are bound in the nervous system. We find that as the nervous system begins to re-regulate, emotions and thinking patterns begin to shift also.