Somatic Experiencing: What Is It and How Can You Benefit from It?

Trauma is a big word and most of us immediately think of the big, horrible traumas that some experience. However, 70% of adults in the United States have experienced a traumatic experience in their lifetime, and experiences like divorce, chronic health conditions, emotional abuse, sudden relocation loss of a pet, and having a child can all be challenging and cause a trauma response in the body.

Somatic Experiencing is a naturalistic approach to resolving trauma. It is the work of Dr. Peter Levine, an expert in the field of stress and trauma, who says, “Trauma originates as a response in the nervous system and does not originate in an event. Trauma is in the nervous system, not in the event.” I love this because it allows us to work with the body and the body’s innate wisdom and capacity to heal. I love that this work is so helpful without us needing to go into the details of the trauma.

Our nervous system is capable of restoring equilibrium, and if this innate self-regulating function has been blocked or disturbed, trauma symptoms can develop. Healing happens in the present because, really, that is all we ever have. By learning to feel what is happening in the body now, in this very moment, we can identify patterns and responses in our nervous system. Identifying our patterns gives us the capacity to regulate, which then begins to heal symptoms of chronic and traumatic stress and dysregulation from shock trauma and developmental trauma.

When I first heard of Somatic Experiencing a few years ago, it just sounded like it made sense. After years of therapy, thousands of dollars spent on self-improvement and healing modalities, I still often had the feeling of something being ‘stuck’ in my body. Despite all the work I had already done, I had a sense of a piece that still needed more attention. I found a therapist who is SE trained, and over the last year it has really has been transformative to learn about my own nervous system. This experience has made such a difference in my life that I wanted to learn more and be able to share this with others. I’ve recently started a three-year training program to be a Somatic Experiencing practitioner, and I can’t wait to incorporate this into my coaching and Pilates sessions.

If you’re interested in learning more, please reach out! I will be incorporating some practice sessions into the next few months and would love to chat with you if you’re interested!