Somatic Experiencing ® is a body-oriented therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine to help people release and heal trauma that is stored in the nervous system. It is based on the understanding that trauma is not just a psychological experience but is held in the body, affecting the way our nervous system functions.
Traumatic experiences can keep our nervous system stuck in chronic states of fight, flight, freeze or fawn and leading to symptoms such as restlessness, fatigue, chronic inflammation, anxiety, insomnia, chronic illness or pain and fear.
Tuning into the physical sensations linked to past trauma, we can complete our natural responses to danger and free up trapped survival energy. When the body and nervous system return to a state of safety and inner calm, you regain your ability to be in connection with yourself and others and to meet life's demands while respecting your needs and your boundaries.
What is an SE session ?
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First, we will ensure you feel comfortable and grounded. SE is not about reliving trauma but about building safety in the body first.
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Instead of focusing only on the story of what happened, we focus on the physical sensations that are linked to past experiences, such as tension, warmth, tingling, or tightness and track these sensations with curiosity and without judgment.
Unlike talk therapy, which may bring up intense emotions all at once, SE works with small, manageable steps (titration) to avoid overwhelm. I will help you to gently explore stored stress without reactivating it too strongly.
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Many trauma symptoms arise because the body wasn’t able to fully respond to danger (e.g., fight, flight, freeze). Through awareness, micro-movements, or breath, SE allows these incomplete responses to finally release in a controlled, safe way.
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In a calm, grounding presence, helping your nervous system learn what safety and regulation feel like. As the session closes, you might notice a greater sense of ease, spaciousness, or connection to yourself.
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Each SE session is unique and tailored to what your nervous system needs in the moment. Over time, this work builds resilience, reduces anxiety and stress responses, and allows you to experience life with more presence and ease.
The body keeps the score !
The large majority of people worldwide have traumatic experiences in their lifetime, which can have major impacts on their health and well-being. While we might not be able to recall traumatic events in our explicit memory, the impact is likely to live on in our physiology.
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Somatic Experiencing sessions help you to release the imprints of trauma and return to your natural state of relaxation, curiosity, aliveness and resilience.
