What is Somatic Experiencing (SE)?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a psychosomatic method for healing trauma. SE literally means ‘experiencing in the body’. The premise of SE is that during a stressful or traumatic event, tension becomes trapped in the body. When tension accumulates chronically, it becomes nervous system disrupted. This has consequences on a physical, emotional, and mental level.
Unload
SE focuses on guiding awareness of your bodily sensations and finally completing the natural reactions to traumatic events. The blocked survival energy is discharged in a gradual manner, and balance and resilience can once again be restored to the nervous system.
How did Somatic Experiencing originate?
The founder of Somatic Experiencing is Dr. Peter A. Levine, who holds a doctorate in medical biophysics and in psychology. Peter Levine saw that wild animals are subject to high levels of stress, but do not become traumatized. He discovered that animals instinctively know how to regulate and discharge the intense energy released during survival behaviors (fight, flight, freeze).
As humans, we tend to block these natural discharging responses, which leads to a buildup of tension. Peter Levine developed the Somatic Experiencing method to complete these physiological reflexes after all, so that the balance in the nervous system can be restored. Somatic Experiencing is based on findings from psychology, neuroscience, and physiology.
How does Somatic Experiencing work?
Somatic Experiencing works with the ‘felt sense’, the awareness of bodily sensations, feelings, and movements. Examples include:Â
- warmth
- tingling
- goosebumps
- heartbeat
- breathing
Because it works directly with bodily sensations, it is not strictly necessary that you know what the traumatic event was. The method is usually practiced sitting down, always with clothes on, and touch is only used in consultation.
Resources
Somatic Experiencing begins with becoming aware of resources that support your processing process. Examples of internal resources are:Â
- humor
- ground contact
- sense of power
- creativity
- intelligence
External resources can be any form of support, such as:
- friends, pets, family
- a nice place
- positive memories
Contact with resources provides a sense of confidence and peace in the body.
Release tension
The premise is that the stored survival energy, the tension, is released in small doses. You do this by pendulating between your resources and the experienced sensations. From peace and trust, to the restlessness, back to peace and trust. Back and forth continuously, so that it is manageable and safe for your system.
You are learning to regulate, so that you can also apply this when you encounter triggers in your daily life.
What symptoms is Somatic Experiencing for?
Somatic Experiencing is suitable for various forms of trauma that have been overwhelming to the nervous system:
- Surgeries at a very high age, high fever, drowning, suffocation, birth trauma
- Developmental trauma or emotional trauma due to neglect in early childhood, loss of a loved one, a loveless upbringing
- An attack from which you could not escape, sexual abuse, violence, war
- Physical injuries from surgeries, anesthesia, burns, poisoning, severe falls, head injuries, car accidents
- Having witnessed a traumatic event
- Natural disasters
- Intergenerational trauma
The complaints that have arisen as a result of trauma are very diverse, for example:Â
- flashbacks
- hyperactivity
- panic
- nightmares
- sleep disorders
- fibromyalgia
- burnout
- migraine
- chronic fatigue
- anxieties
- depression
Where can I find a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner?
Upon completing the three-year training program, a person may call themselves a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP).
Search the map for an SE Practitioner near you.
Where can I find more information about Somatic Experiencing?
Reading tips
- Imagery rescripting – Remco van der Wijngaart
Viewing recommendations
- Imagery rescripting by the therapist – role play – Loes Marquenie – Psyflix
- Imagery rescripting in the brain
- DVD
Fine Tuning Imagery Rescripting, 36 scenes about the applications of ImRs
Watch tip
Origins of Somatic Experiencing
Video with Peter Levine
Reading tip
Waking the Tiger – Peter Levine
Trauma treatment with body-oriented therapy
In collaboration with
Lucas van Gool
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner since 2006, expert by experience and founder of Life Force Fitness.
