Somatic Experiencing is Used to Resolve Shock Trauma and Release Chronic Somatic Holding Patterns
I am a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) with extensive training in the use of touch for neurophysiological and neuroaffective regulation.
Somatic Experiencing™ (SE) is a method for resolving shock trauma and relieving chronic stress. Founded by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is an approach that assists the biological completion of the fight, flight or freeze response which, in turn, can resolve shock trauma and release chronic somatic holding patterns.
Trauma is not caused by an event but rather develops as a nervous system response to being overwhelmed and unable to fully process stimulation. Overwhelming traumatic reactions may result from a wide variety of stressors such as accidents, invasive medical procedures, sexual or physical assault, emotional abuse, neglect, war or natural disasters.
Humans can process high-intensity emotional states, but our adaptive survival strategies often override the natural discharge of excess energy through an array of emotional defenses and unconscious fears of our bodily experience. This often results in disturbances in our sleep, digestion, respiration, and immune system functions. Unresolved physiological distress can lead to an array of physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral symptoms.
Watch this Video with Peter Levine from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute
Watch video here.
The SE approach facilitates the completion of self-protective responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body to address the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is done by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult and complex bodily sensations and emotions.
SE does not require the traumatized person to recount or relive the trauma. Quite often traumatic experiences can be fully processed without any explicit discussion of the events. SE can skillfully process the person’s reactions to those events and bring many of the body’s systems out of shock and into present time. SE offers the opportunity to resolve the body’s instinctual responses in a contained and supported way. This can bring about or restore inner balance enhance resilience to stress to increase the capacity for a better life.
*This section was derived from the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute website.
