Growing Capacity for Living with Change ~ Awakening Self Healing through Connection ~ In Service to Community and the Greater Earth Body
Somatic Experiencing® and Trauma Healing
Link to Somatic Tools for Resiliency in the time of Corona
For new clients: After scheduling your first session using the online scheduler, please follow this link to New Client Intake Form
Liberation from trauma is possible. There are so many ways that our body’s natural healing and recovery impulses are interrupted along our life journey. AND, the human body is incredibly resilient. We can see this in how so many continue living very productive and fulfilling lives given personal histories of abuse, dislocation, tragedy and despair. It turns out we can wake our body up from states of freeze and paralysis and also bring a sense of regulation to body’s that are stuck in the roller coaster ride of high highs and low lows. Rooted in the observation of wild animals, there is a growing body of experiential knowledge and empirical evidence that human nervous systems respond with regulatory health and balance if given the proper container of support and guidance.
What is Somatic Experiencing®?
The Somatic Experiencing® method (SE®), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a potent psychobiological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. It resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, enhances resilience to stress, and increases people’s vitality, equanimity, and capacity to actively engage in life. The SE® approach can also release traumatic shock, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma.
What is a typical session like?
The Somatic Experiencing® trauma resolution method does not require a re-telling or re-living of the traumatic event, although sometimes we will go into content around the event or during the event so that your system can feel some activation. From this place, SE® offers the opportunity to engage, complete, and resolve, in a slow supported way, the body’s instinctual fight, flight and freeze responses. When appropriate, SE® touch will be used, to support and facilitate the release of trauma throughout the body.
What if I live out of the area?
SE® sessions can be done online. I use Zoom Room for distant sessions and have worked with clients effectively this way. Please schedule your appointment using the Zoom Room Online Somatic Experiencing Session option below.
What kind of trauma can SE® treat?
Somatic Experiencing® can effectively treat developmental traumas (such as childhood neglect and abuse and ongoing medical and/or physical issues) and shock traumas (such as motor vehicle accidents, assaults, operations and falls).
What are some common symptoms that may indicate unresolved trauma?
anxiety, phobias, excessive thinking/worrying, and panic attacks
depression, quick mood swings, feeling stuck or lethargic, chronic fatigue
sleep disturbance, digestion problems, difficulty making decisions
isolating or avoidance behaviors, shyness, shame
attraction to extreme sports, dangerous situations
being extra sensitive to sound, light, touch, or transitions
emotional triggers, chronic physical illness, startle response, feeling jumpy, social anxiety, outbursts, or addictive behavior
Some results you may experience from our work together:
Feeling more calm, safe and supported in the world
A felt sense of internal resource, clarity and general ease in the body
Less anxiety, irritability, frustration, anger or other emotional triggers
More stress resilience - the ability of the nervous system to regulate in situations that in the past may have caused a fight, flight or freeze response.
Improved Sleep
More comfort with social engagement - improvement in the quality of relationships
An overall experience of being more PRESENT.
How long does SE® take?
The length of time and number of sessions will depend on several factors, including the severity and duration of the trauma(s) and the degree to which the trauma has effected the nervous system. It will also depend on your personal health and wellness goals. We will be in dialogue about this in our initial consultation session and will assess our progress throughout our time working together.