Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing (SE™) is a body-based, psychobiological approach to understanding human beings.

SE™ allows us to rebalance our nervous systems, tap into the body’s innate capacity for recovery, and increase our resiliency.

  • plate with cracks mended with gold

    Heal trauma and stress

    SE™ was created as a body-oriented therapeutic model for healing trauma and other stress disorders

  • ferris wheel photo

    Regulate the nervous system

    Release stuck patterns of fight, flight, and freeze

  • heart in rainbow chalk dust

    Become more embodied

    As we heal, we can be more fully ourselves and live more completely in our bodies

  • hot air balloons in sky

    Build resiliency

    Expand capacity to handle difficult emotions and situations

How Somatic Experiencing works:

  • The body’s response to stress or threat is a cycle which includes activating our fight, flight, or freeze responses, surviving the threat, and completing the pattern to return to a more relaxed state.

  • A healthy nervous system cycles through activation and relaxation easily and smoothly.

  • When that response cycle can’t complete, the nervous system can get “stuck” in a state of high alert, and thwarted survival energy can get trapped in the body. This can lead to symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma.

  • Gently increasing our tolerance for difficult sensations and carefully completing small stress response cycles can help us release the stuck energy, allowing our nervous systems to become healthier and more resilient.

Somatic Experiencing is multidisciplinary and used by a wide range of professions. In somatic therapy, SE™ is part of learning to regulate the nervous system, manage chronic symptoms, feeling safe, and embracing joy.

To discuss how we can use Somatic Experiencing to help you, schedule a curiosity call.

You can also learn more about SE™ at the Somatic Experiencing Institute.