Somatic Experiencing (S.E.) was founded by Dr. Peter Levine in the 1970s.

“It is an evidence-based healing modality that specializes in trauma healing and stress management using psychology, physiology, biology, neuroscience, meditation, and mindfulness practices.  Trauma may begin as acute stress or a cumulative amount of stress over time.  Accidents, invasive medical procedures, assaults of any kind, emotional abuse, neglect, loss, or the corrosive stressors of ongoing fear and conflict all can put enormous strain on us and can severely impact our lives.”

S.E. is a therapy I am enormously excited about and love providing for my clients, and I do believe it is the future for therapy.  During a session we will focus on getting in touch with our bodies and the sensations present within us. Sometimes these feelings have been present anywhere from recent past events to decades old wounds.

Here’s the cool part: S.E. focuses on the positive and pleasurable feelings first.  For many trauma survivors, being in the body is not somewhere they choose to hang out in because that’s where the pain is.  But, with S.E. we go slow and with the positive to strip away the undesirable bit by bit.  Overwhelm, anxiety, anger, and other stressors gradually lose their potency while you gain control, develop resiliency, and truly feel like you have overcome the chains of the past.  It’s not uncommon for clients to really look forward to therapy instead of a sense of dread or fear about it.

In fact, it’s not uncommon for clients to experience euphoria as the body heals from releasing the stuck energy caused by trauma.  I’ve also witnessed many times where the client’s loved ones notice a change for the better in them.  Like a stone thrown into a lake causing ripples to expand outward, a sort of “therapeutic ripple” happens where they too feel better.  Less conflict, better boundaries, and stronger intimacy also happen naturally and much more deeply.  Fear weakens as courage grows.   

PTSD, anxiety, depression, and excessive stress do not have to be with you for the rest of your life. If you are interested in taking a slightly different approach to therapy, whether you are a seasoned meditator/mindfulness junkie or are a newbie to these concepts, I invite you to contact me today so you can heal your past for the last time.