What Is Somatic Experiencing And How Might It Help You?
Somatic Experiencing is a dynamic biologically based trauma modality. Somatic Experiencing (SE) was developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine as a result of over 45 years of interdisciplinary studies drawing on the fields of psychology, biology, stress physiology, ethology, neuroscience, medical biophysics, and indigenous healing practices. SE emerged from the best elements of research science, therapeutic application, and traditional healing techniques.
Specifically, Somatic Experiencing tracks the subtle sensations of the body to facilitate the release of trauma shock, the driver in the formation of PTSD, as well as early developmental attachment wounds and trauma. The underlying structure of SE suggests the body holds all the experiences it has encountered, positive and negative, sometimes becoming stuck in the overwhelm of fight, flight, and freeze response.
Specifically, Somatic Experiencing tracks the subtle sensations of the body to facilitate the release of trauma shock, the driver in the formation of PTSD, as well as early developmental attachment wounds and trauma. The underlying structure of SE suggests the body holds all the experiences it has encountered, positive and negative, sometimes becoming stuck in the overwhelm of fight, flight, and freeze response.
But what does all that mean for you?
Your body and nervous system has had experience of all kinds layered into it from conception forward. These experiences include the quality of the intrauterine environment (Mom's stress hormones, for example), attachment issues with caretakers, adverse childhood experiences, relational traumas, falls, surgeries, dentistry, catastrophes, accidents, inescapable assaults, rape, war, tsunamis, earthquakes, and on and on and on. These negative, painful and frightening experiences are often stored in the body as incomplete fight, flight, and freeze response. Incomplete responses can drive your anxiety, explosivity, relationship choices, decision making in general, personality quirks, and how you think about yourself and your world.
Another way to articulate the impact of experience on the body is to say your body may be holding on to unresolved physical pain, idiopathic pain, and injuries that have refused to heal, based on the emotions that have been trapped in your nervous system. Your body is rich in experience and in its capacity to heal, both on the physical and emotional levels. All our bodies hold a tremendous amount of experiences, loss, grief, and the residue of unresolved conflicts. It also holds our joy, well-being, and sense of positive self-esteem. We can use these emotions and experiences to create healing.
Another way to articulate the impact of experience on the body is to say your body may be holding on to unresolved physical pain, idiopathic pain, and injuries that have refused to heal, based on the emotions that have been trapped in your nervous system. Your body is rich in experience and in its capacity to heal, both on the physical and emotional levels. All our bodies hold a tremendous amount of experiences, loss, grief, and the residue of unresolved conflicts. It also holds our joy, well-being, and sense of positive self-esteem. We can use these emotions and experiences to create healing.
Somatic Experiencing involves tracking the
subtle and not so subtle sensations In your body.
Somatic Experiencing, which could be described as a desensitization treatment, facilitates identifying sensations, cultivating increased levels of comfort and capacity to "be with" both subtle and significant sensations (so important when learning how to be with anxious feelings without tipping over into panic or overwhelm), and increases emotional and systemic resiliency. You can literally feel your way into higher levels of well-being. And healing. I see it happen in my practice every day.
Very often, Somatic Experiencing can take you where talk therapy and insight alone--as powerful as they can be-- doesn't go. With SE we can slip past the intellectualizing, defended mind and find resolution and healing for long-held traumas right in the body.
Very often, Somatic Experiencing can take you where talk therapy and insight alone--as powerful as they can be-- doesn't go. With SE we can slip past the intellectualizing, defended mind and find resolution and healing for long-held traumas right in the body.
Somatic Experiencing informs all the work I do.
Understanding and becoming aware of the how your body actually feels is a huge asset in coping with anxiety and experiences of all kinds. Even my couples find a big benefit in learning how to be with their bodies and develop higher levels self-awareness and self-regulation. So important. Somatic Experiencing can be utilized as a stand alone therapy or as an adjunct therapy for other work you are doing with myself or another therapist. If you have questions about whether Somatic Experiencing might be beneficial for you and would like to learn more, please give me a call. I'll warn you, though, I'm biased! I believe all bodies benefit from the great systemic support Somatic Experiencing provides.
Somatic. It’s a big word that means “body.”
You have one. We can use it to promote your
healing and your Well-Being.
VICTORIA WALLACE SCHLICHT, MA, LMFT, SEP
[email protected]
1151 Dove Street, Ste. 285, Newport Beach, CA 92660
714.914.5565
"MAY YOU BE WELL.
MAY YOU BE HAPPY.
MAY YOU BE FREE OF SUFFERING."
~TIBETAN HEART MEDITATION
[email protected]
1151 Dove Street, Ste. 285, Newport Beach, CA 92660
714.914.5565
"MAY YOU BE WELL.
MAY YOU BE HAPPY.
MAY YOU BE FREE OF SUFFERING."
~TIBETAN HEART MEDITATION