Somatic Experiencing: A Body-Centered Approach to Healing Trauma
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, designed to help individuals heal from trauma by focusing on the body’s natural ability to release tension and restore balance in the nervous system. Unlike traditional talk therapies, SE primarily addresses how trauma is stored in the body and works with the nervous system to resolve symptoms and restore emotional and physical well-being.
In this blog, we’ll explore what Somatic Experiencing is, how it works, and how it can help heal trauma and its long-lasting effects.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-based trauma therapy that focuses on relieving the physiological effects of trauma. It is grounded in the understanding that trauma impacts the body’s nervous system and that many of the symptoms of trauma (like anxiety, dissociation, hypervigilance, or chronic pain) arise because the body’s natural survival responses (fight, flight, freeze) have not been fully processed or released.
In SE, trauma is not viewed as an event itself but as the body’s inability to process and resolve the energy generated during a traumatic experience. When we face a life-threatening or overwhelming situation, the nervous system mobilizes a tremendous amount of energy to help us survive. However, if this energy is not discharged, it can remain “stuck” in the body, leading to ongoing symptoms of distress and dysregulation.
The goal of SE is to help individuals release this stuck energy, allowing the nervous system to return to a state of balance and resilience. By working with the body’s natural impulses and physical sensations, SE helps trauma survivors safely access and process these experiences without becoming overwhelmed.
How Does Somatic Experiencing Work?
Somatic Experiencing focuses on gently helping the individual connect with their bodily sensations, which are often the key to unlocking and releasing stored trauma. The process does not require revisiting or recounting the traumatic event in detail; rather, it emphasizes developing an awareness of the body’s physical responses to trauma and guiding the nervous system through its natural healing process.
Here’s how SE works:
1. Tracking Sensations (Somatic Awareness)
One of the core techniques in SE is the practice of tracking bodily sensations, such as tightness, tingling, or heat. These sensations can provide insight into how the body is holding onto trauma. By becoming aware of these sensations in a safe and controlled environment, the client learns to stay present with their body’s responses rather than disconnecting or feeling overwhelmed.
For example, someone may notice tension in their chest or shoulders when discussing a stressful memory. In SE, the therapist helps the individual stay with that sensation, allowing the body to process and release the underlying energy associated with it.
2. Titration
SE uses a method called titration, which involves approaching traumatic sensations or memories in small, manageable doses. This prevents the individual from becoming overwhelmed or re-traumatized. Rather than diving deeply into the trauma all at once, SE works with fragments of the experience, allowing the nervous system to gradually release stored energy in a safe, regulated way.
For instance, a person might feel a small flutter of anxiety when thinking about a traumatic event. Instead of fully engaging with the memory, SE focuses on working with just that sensation of anxiety, helping the individual discharge it bit by bit.
3. Pendulation
Pendulation is the process of moving between states of distress (trauma-related sensations) and states of safety or calm. SE teaches individuals to move back and forth between these states, which helps them develop greater tolerance for difficult sensations while also reinforcing feelings of safety and relaxation.
The pendulation process helps the nervous system find balance, moving out of trauma-driven patterns of hyperarousal (fight/flight) or hypoarousal (freeze/shutdown) into a more regulated state.
4. Discharge and Completion of Survival Responses
Trauma often leaves the body in a state of incomplete survival response, where the nervous system remains stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. SE aims to complete these responses by encouraging the body to release the stored energy associated with them. This might involve small physical movements, such as shaking or deep breathing, which allow the body to naturally discharge tension and stress.
For example, an individual might notice an impulse to push with their arms or run with their legs when recalling a traumatic experience. SE supports these physical impulses, helping the body “complete” the action that was interrupted during the traumatic event. Once these movements are completed, the nervous system can reset itself, and the individual can begin to heal.
How Trauma Affects the Nervous System
To understand how Somatic Experiencing heals trauma, it’s important to grasp the basics of how trauma affects the nervous system. Trauma disrupts the autonomic nervous system, which controls our body’s stress responses. The autonomic nervous system has two main branches:
- Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS): The SNS is responsible for the fight or flight response. When we perceive a threat, the SNS activates, increasing heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension to prepare the body to respond to danger.
- Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS): The PNS is responsible for the rest and digest response, which promotes relaxation and recovery after the threat has passed.
In cases of trauma, the nervous system can get stuck in a state of hyperarousal (SNS dominance) or hypoarousal (PNS dominance), leading to symptoms like:
- Hyperarousal: Anxiety, panic attacks, irritability, hypervigilance, or difficulty sleeping.
- Hypoarousal: Depression, emotional numbness, dissociation, or fatigue.
Somatic Experiencing helps restore balance between these two systems by guiding the body through the natural process of activating and deactivating these responses in a safe and controlled manner. This allows the nervous system to return to its normal state of flexibility and resilience.
How Somatic Experiencing Helps Heal Trauma
Somatic Experiencing addresses trauma in a way that is gentle, body-centered, and focused on the nervous system’s natural healing abilities. Here are some of the key benefits of SE for trauma recovery:
1. Restores Nervous System Regulation
Trauma disrupts the body’s ability to regulate stress and emotions. SE helps the nervous system return to a state of balance, reducing the symptoms of hyperarousal (anxiety, panic) or hypoarousal (numbing, dissociation). By completing the body’s natural stress response, SE allows the nervous system to reset itself, which leads to greater emotional stability and resilience.
2. Reduces Trauma Symptoms Without Re-Traumatizing
Unlike therapies that require re-experiencing or retelling the traumatic event, SE focuses on the body’s physical sensations. This makes it particularly effective for individuals who struggle with flashbacks, dissociation, or an inability to recall the trauma. SE allows trauma to be processed gradually, without the risk of overwhelming the individual.
3. Heals the Body-Mind Connection
Trauma often causes a disconnection between the body and mind. SE helps individuals reconnect with their bodies in a safe and empowering way, allowing them to listen to and understand the body’s signals. This renewed connection fosters a sense of embodiment, safety, and presence.
4. Helps Process Traumatic Energy
SE provides a safe and controlled way to release the pent-up energy that remains stuck in the body after a traumatic experience. By completing survival responses like fight, flight, or freeze, the body can discharge the energy and move out of trauma-based patterns of behavior.
5. Improves Emotional and Physical Health
Many trauma survivors suffer from chronic pain, fatigue, or other physical symptoms related to trauma. SE can help release physical tension and restore a sense of well-being. As the nervous system regulates and the body processes stored trauma, individuals often experience improvements in both their emotional and physical health.
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing can benefit individuals who have experienced a wide range of trauma, including:
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Developmental trauma or childhood trauma
- Complex trauma from ongoing abuse or neglect
- Trauma from accidents, surgeries, or medical interventions
- Anxiety, depression, or emotional dysregulation
It is particularly helpful for individuals who feel stuck in patterns of hypervigilance, dissociation, or emotional numbness and for those who experience chronic physical symptoms as a result of trauma.
Conclusion
Somatic Experiencing offers a powerful, body-centered approach to healing trauma by addressing how trauma is stored in the nervous system. By gently guiding individuals to release stored energy and process traumatic experiences through the body’s natural impulses, SE helps restore balance, resilience, and emotional well-being. Whether used alone or in conjunction with other therapeutic methods, Somatic Experiencing can be a transformative tool in the journey to trauma recovery.
If you’re interested in Somatic Experiencing, it’s important to work with a trained SE practitioner who can guide you through this process in a safe and supportive environment. Lakshmi Om is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner with years of training in somatic trauma resolution.