What is Somatic Experiencing®?

Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma symptoms and chronic stress developed by Peter Levine. Drawing from neuroscience, psychology, biology, and stress physiology, SE™ recognizes that trauma impacts both the mind and body and does not need to become a lifelong pattern.

Rather than focusing only on thoughts or memories, SE™ works with the nervous system to gently release survival responses connected to fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. Trauma can become “stuck” within the body and nervous system, often showing up as anxiety, hypervigilance, shutdown, chronic tension, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty feeling safe and connected. SE™ helps increase awareness of bodily sensations and nervous system states to support regulation, resilience, and healing.

Somatic Experiencing may support healing related to:

• PTSD and chronic stress

• Anxiety and depression

• Developmental and attachment trauma

• Chronic pain and muscle tension

• Sleep and digestive concerns

• Emotional overwhelm and nervous system dysregulation

What to Expect in an SE™ Session

SE™ sessions combine talk therapy with body awareness practices that help you notice and track sensations within the body. Sessions may include grounding exercises, breath awareness, resourcing, and gradual processing of traumatic experiences in a way that feels manageable and supportive.

A central part of SE™ is learning to work gently and gradually with the nervous system without becoming overwhelmed. Together, we explore physical sensations, emotions, and patterns connected to past experiences while building greater capacity for regulation, safety, and resilience in the present moment. This approach allows the nervous system to slowly process and release stored survival energy at a pace that supports long-term healing.

SE™ can be especially helpful for individuals who feel stuck in patterns of hypervigilance, anxiety, emotional reactivity, numbness, or shutdown, or for those who have found that traditional talk therapy alone has not fully addressed the impact of trauma on the body and nervous system.

Clients remain fully clothed during sessions, and any supportive touch is always discussed beforehand and used only with consent when appropriate.