Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing™ (SE) is a body-centered therapy approach aimed at resolving trauma by focusing on bodily sensations. It helps release stored trauma energy to restore the body's natural equilibrium.
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"Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness." - Peter Levine
About SE
Somatic Experiencing (SE™) is a body-centered therapeutic model used in a variety of professions - psychotherapy, medicine, coaching, teaching and yoga therapy - to treat trauma and stress-related disorders. It is based on a multidisciplinary approach integrating physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices and medical biophysics, with over forty years of clinical application, spearheaded by Dr. Peter A. Levine.
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The SE approach releases traumatic shock, essential for transforming post-traumatic stress disorder and emotional and attachment wounds during early development. It assesses where a person is “stuck” in fight, flight or freeze responses, and offers clinical tools for resolving these frozen physiological states.
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SE is frequently used to help clients who have experienced trauma related to war, natural disasters, invasive medical interventions, physical and sexual assault, emotional abuse, neglect and complex enduring trauma.
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By observing and noting how trauma manifests itself in the bodies of the people we work with, we can more effectively target the root causes of trauma symptoms.
Reccomended
Reading List
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In An Unspoken Voice by Peter Levine
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Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma by Peter Levine
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An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey by Peter Levine
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Nurturing Resilience: Helping Clients Move Forward from Developmental Trauma by Kathy Kain & Stephen Terrell