Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented therapeutic approach to healing trauma and stress disorders, developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on building awareness of bodily sensations to release stored tension from traumatic events.
Key Points:
- Core Principle: Trauma can become “stuck” in the body’s nervous system; gentle exploration of sensations helps complete the natural fight/flight/freeze response.
- Process: Slow, mindful tracking of body sensations, titrating between safety and trauma-related sensations to prevent overwhelm.
- Applications: PTSD, anxiety, chronic pain, and various stress-related conditions.
- Complementary Approach: Often used alongside talk therapy or other modalities to integrate both cognitive and somatic processing.
