Somatic Experiencing?
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and stress disorders. Somatic Experiencing focuses on the body’s natural ability to release and recover from traumatic experiences. As compared to traditional talk therapy, Somatic Experiencing emphasizes restoring the nervous system’s balance by addressing the physiological effects of trauma stored in the body.
This approach helps individuals tune into physical sensations, emotions, and movements related to their trauma, allowing them to gradually process and release stored energy. By working with these body-based experiences, clients can feel more connected to themselves, improve emotional regulation, and restore a sense of safety.
How Does Somatic Experiencing Work?
Somatic Experiencing works by addressing the physical responses to trauma that can leave the nervous system in a state of dysregulation. Trauma can cause people to feel “stuck” in fight, flight, or freeze responses, leading to chronic stress, anxiety, or other physical and emotional challenges.
During Somatic Experiencing sessions, clients are guided to:
- Notice body sensations related to their trauma in a safe and non-intrusive way.
- Gently explore physical responses, emotions, or memories that arise.
- Allow their body to discharge energy that was trapped during the original traumatic experience, such as shaking, deep breathing, or small movements.
- Re-establish a sense of safety and regulation in the nervous system.
Somatic Experiencing progresses at the client’s pace, ensuring that they remain within a “window of tolerance,” a range in which emotions and sensations are manageable.
Benefits of Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing offers several benefits for those recovering from trauma, stress, or anxiety including:
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Experiencing?
If you or someone you know is suffering from any of the trauma related symptoms listed below then Somatic Experiencing can help! This treatment will also support personal growth and help those seeking deeper body awareness and emotional regulation.
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety or panic disorders
- Depression with underlying trauma
- Emotional or physical effects of abuse or accidents
- Chronic stress or burnout
- Persistent physical symptoms without a clear medical cause
Differences Between Somatic Experiencing and Traditional Therapy
Somatic Experiencing focuses on the body’s physical sensations and the nervous system’s responses to trauma. While traditional therapies primarily focus on thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The goal is often to help clients change maladaptive thinking patterns or process emotions related to past events.
Somatic Experiencing starts with a (Bottom-Up Approach) focusing on body sensations (such as tension or tightness) and works toward emotional or cognitive insights. Traditional therapies often take a top-down approach, starting with thoughts and emotions.
Somatic Experiencing relies heavily on non-verbal awareness, including noticing physical sensations, body movements, or autonomic responses like breath or heart rate. While Traditional therapy is talk-based, with sessions focused on discussing emotions, life events, and problem-solving strategies. In-depth discussions and narrative processing are common in approaches like talk therapy or psychoanalysis.
Somatic Experiencing helps individuals process trauma without having to recall or re-tell the traumatic event. While traditional therapy often involves narrative-based processing, where clients talk through traumatic experiences and emotions.
Somatic Experiencing emphasizes nervous system regulation by helping clients return to a balanced state after trauma has caused dysregulation (fight, flight, or freeze responses). While traditional methods like CBT, the emphasis is on cognitive restructuring, teaching clients to challenge and change negative thoughts, which can lead to emotional change and better behavior patterns.
Somatic Experiencing is client-paced and works slowly to prevent emotional overwhelm. It often involves fewer but longer sessions focused on deep regulation and healing. While traditional therapy can follow structured sessions, like weekly appointments over several months, with progress often measured by changes in behavior or thought patterns.