Somatic Experiencing, Trauma Resolution and Nervous System Support
About Somatic Experiencing®
What is Somatic Experiencing®?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-based approach to healing trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE works with the connection between the body, brain, emotions, and nervous system to help us understand and gradually shift the patterns our bodies develop in response to overwhelming experiences.
Rather than focusing only on the story of what happened, SE invites us to become curious about what is happening in the body: sensations, emotions, movements, impulses, breath, posture, images, and patterns of activation or shutdown.
Trauma and chronic stress shape the way our nervous systems respond to the world. We may become easily overwhelmed or activated, disconnect or shut down, feel chronically tense or vigilant, or find ourselves repeating protective patterns long after the original threat has passed.
SE works gently with these patterns, helping us recognize our nervous system's signals and discover greater capacity, flexibility, choice, and connection.
Who can benefit from SE?
You do not need to identify as having experienced trauma to benefit from Somatic Experiencing. At its heart, SE is a practice of learning to understand and work with your nervous system.
I work with people navigating trauma and chronic stress, anxiety, grief and loss, relationship challenges, difficult emotions, disconnection or shutdown, and patterns of overwhelm. Others come to SE simply because they want to feel more embodied, present, connected, and at home within themselves.
SE can support the development of:
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greater body awareness and connection
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nervous system regulation and resilience
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increased capacity for difficult emotions
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a greater sense of choice and agency
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healthy boundaries
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connection with self and others
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greater access to pleasure, playfulness, vitality, and joy
Our nervous systems are not fixed. Through awareness, curiosity, practice, and safe connection, we can develop new ways of responding to ourselves and the world around us.
What can I expect in an SE session?
There is no single formula for a Somatic Experiencing® session. Each session is collaborative and shaped by what you are experiencing in the present moment.
We will talk, but unlike traditional talk therapy, I will also invite you to notice what is happening in your body: sensations, emotions, breath, posture, movement, impulses, images, or places where you feel more settled or supported.
If connecting with your body feels unfamiliar, that's completely okay. Sensation is a language, and learning to listen to it is a skill we develop together.
We will explore foundational SE practices, including:
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Tracking — Developing awareness of sensations, emotions, movements, and other signals from your body.
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Resourcing — Discovering experiences, sensations, movements, memories, or connections that offer a sense of support, strength, ease, or grounding.
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Titration — Approaching difficult sensations or emotions in small, manageable amounts rather than overwhelming the nervous system.
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Pendulation — Gently moving awareness between experiences of difficulty and experiences of greater ease, support, or capacity.
Throughout the process, you remain in control of your experience. You do not need to recount every detail of something that happened to you, and there is no pressure to produce a particular emotional or physical response.
Over time, SE can help you become more familiar with your nervous system's signals, develop greater capacity for difficult experiences, and discover more flexibility and choice in how you respond to stress, emotions, relationships, and everyday life.
Some people come to SE for a handful of sessions around a particular issue, while others choose to work together over a longer period of time. There is no predetermined timeline. The process is individual to you.