Somatic Experiencing Explained
Heal, recognize, and release through Somatic Experience (SE) – a body-mind therapy focused on trauma healing by drawing attention to the body. By developing a deeper attunement to the body, SE can help expel buried trauma, building a new slate for long-term healing.
SE emphasizes the role of our nervous system and the body’s innate ability to heal itself by recognizing and processing stored trauma through awareness of physiological experiences. In doing so, SE teaches patients to identify internal and external resources that offer new ways to cope with stress and trauma responses.
What Can One Expect in a Somatic Experiencing Session?
To better understand the process of Somatic Experiencing, let’s explore the core aspects of an SE session and what it may look like for you.
Establishing Safety and Trust:
Upon arrival, the client enters a safe, calm, and welcoming space. Here, your Somatic Experiencing Therapist will encourage open dialogue, allowing both the patient and therapist to begin building a sense of safety and trust.
Body Awareness:
Once trust has been established, your therapist may ask about your physical responses to stress or trauma. They may ask you to recall a time of anxiety or overwhelm to help you identify and analyze the sensations you experience. Whether it’s tightness in the jaw or butterflies in the stomach, this prompt helps to identify the physiological response to triggers.
Titration:
This part of the session involves breaking down traumatic experiences into smaller, digestible parts. This gradual approach helps mitigate feelings of overwhelm, allowing you to analyze bodily sensations without attempting to suppress them.
Pendulation:
This core principle of SE involves moving between discomfort (associated with stress and trauma) and ease (safety and comfort) to help restore balance in the nervous system and in turn, guide the patient toward a more neutral, adaptable state.
Resourcing:
This process involves identifying and connecting with positive experiences, strengths, and supportive aspects of life. Pulling from both internal and external sources, resourcing can serve as anchors to help lower dysregulation and promote comfort throughout your session.
Integration:
A skill developed over the duration of your session(s), integration assists the client in incorporating the lessons learned from their experiences into daily life, promoting healing, emotional resilience, and a deeper understanding of one’s emotions to then sustain long-term growth.