Trauma
Trauma is a fact of life. Despite what most people think, trauma does not reside in the external event that induces physical or emotional pain, nor even in the pain itself, but in our becoming "stuck" in the responses to those events, as if they were occurring in the present moment. Trauma affects brain, mind and body; however, it is the body that is most affected by it and often is neglected in the psychotherapy of trauma. Many approaches to treating trauma aim to correct faulty cognitions and/or try to access and express emotional content, leaving the body bereft of the attention it deserves as the bearer of most of the traumatic experience. If the body is not included in trauma renegotiation, the effectiveness of any method used is likely to be short lived.
Somatic Experiencing®
Being caught in trauma narrative prevents us from becoming free of trauma itself
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body awareness oriented, “bottom-up,” approach for the treatment of stress and trauma. It is a naturalistic, psycho- biological method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress by re-establishing the natural ability to self regulate. This approach helps to build resilience and enhances the individual’s capacity to have new bodily (interoceptive) experiences, those that contradict the previous traumatic ones of fear, overwhelm and helplessness. In addition, the SE approach releases traumatic shock, often locked in muscles and body tissues.
SE offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, freeze, or collapse responses, and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated and repetitive psycho-physiological triggers. Through contacting primal sensations that support core autonomic self-regulation and coherence, Somatic Experiencing allows the body to speak its mind. In doing this, the processing moves upwards from these core sensations, towards feeling/emotions and ultimately cognitions. This way both mind and body are given an equal place in a new integrative treatment of trauma.
SE offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, freeze, or collapse responses, and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated and repetitive psycho-physiological triggers. Through contacting primal sensations that support core autonomic self-regulation and coherence, Somatic Experiencing allows the body to speak its mind. In doing this, the processing moves upwards from these core sensations, towards feeling/emotions and ultimately cognitions. This way both mind and body are given an equal place in a new integrative treatment of trauma.