Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing is a modality developed by Dr. Peter Levine as a “bottom-up” approach to healing trauma (bottom up is body-focused, as opposed to “top down,” which is standard talk therapy). SE is about completing the trauma threat response. When this cycle is incomplete, it leads to trauma being stored in the body and manifesting as either physical pain, anxiety, ocd, depression, borderline, ptsd, complex ptsd.
In the sessions, we initiate a state of deep relaxation and then briefly bring up something that is triggering. We notice what comes up in the body and then return to the parasympathetic state. Session by session, bit by bit, we build up resiliency and can work with more deeply rooted traumas, sometimes without even talking about the trauma.
