what is Somatic Experiencing (SE)?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a therapeutic approach focused on relieving trauma by addressing physical sensations, rather than cognitive or emotional symptoms. Somatic experiencing shares a basis with the idea that traumatic memories are, in part, held in both the body and the mind. Physical release through somatic experiencing can help reprocess or address mental symptoms of post-traumatic stress.
Somatic experiencing emphasizes the body's ability to heal trauma by releasing stored stress and tension through guided awareness of bodily sensations during times of stress.
Key principles include titration (gradual exposure to traumatic memories), pendulation (alternating between distress and comfort), and completion (allowing the body to finish its natural response to trauma).
Benefits of Somatic Experiencing
Somatic experiencing offers a different approach to addressing trauma and trauma-related mental health issues. The mind and body are interconnected, and that connection is especially strong in cases of post-traumatic stress.
The body reacts physically to stress and trauma, and traumatic events can result in physical symptoms, including increased heart rate and muscle tenseness.
Somatic experiencing can help link these feelings of stress to their respective physical reactions, and through them, begin to reprocess and address traumatic experiences. Some of the benefits of somatic experiencing include stress reduction, emotional regulation, and improvements in mental and physical wellbeing.
How Does Somatic Experiencing Work?
Somatic experiencing sessions are a step-by-step process, guided by an experienced mental health professional.
The process begins with body awareness. It’s important to focus on different parts of the body, and become conscious of how they feel – tense muscles, aches, lumps in the throat, an uneasy stomach – especially in response to stress.
Once physical awareness is established, the next step is to focus on something mentally positive: a pleasant image, nice smell, a heart-warming memory, or a relaxing setting.
Then, the client is asked to take note of their physical reaction to a positive change of scenery. Do they feel less tense? Do they feel calmer? Is there any sense of physical relief?
A therapist can then work on beginning to relieve feelings of tension and physical stress in response to stressful emotions and traumatic memories, indirectly at first, while asking a client to relieve that tension through positive memories and pleasant thoughts.
How Somatic Experiencing Works at Resolutions
The original framework for somatic experiencing relies on Sensation, Imagery, Behavior, Affect, and Meaning. Sensation focuses on bodily awareness. Imagery focuses on visual thoughts that elicit certain emotions. Behavior is on the therapist’s side, observing your body language in response to the therapeutic conversation. Affect has to do with how your emotions shift during the session. Meaning refers to the point of close for each session, where the session’s goals and progress are discussed, and conclusions are drawn from the experience.
Somatic experiencing sessions at Resolutions aims to provide an alternative path towards trauma treatment, alongside our other trauma-related treatment modalities.
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