Somatic Experiencing (SE): Understanding Dr. Peter Levine’s Trauma Remedy

By William Schroeder, LPC

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a type of remedy developed by Dr. Peter Levine to assist people who’ve skilled trauma. Merely put, it’s based mostly on the concept that trauma is saved within the physique and may manifest as bodily and emotional signs. SE focuses on releasing this saved power by working with the physique’s pure mechanisms for processing and resolving traumatic experiences.

What are the important thing ideas of Somatic Experiencing:

1. Trauma as a physiological response: SE argues that trauma is not only a psychological expertise however a physiological response to an awesome occasion. When confronted with a threatening scenario, our our bodies instinctively activate the struggle, flight, or freeze response. If these responses should not in a position to full or are interrupted, the physique could maintain onto the power, which might result in signs of trauma.
2. Working with the physique: SE offers one other outlet for working with trauma As an alternative of solely speaking in regards to the traumatic occasion, SE works with the physique’s sensations and actions to assist launch the saved power. By observing and dealing with the physique’s responses, SE might help people reconnect with their our bodies and launch the strain held of their muscle tissues, organs, and nervous system. It’s a really inside out strategy, if you’ll.
3. Titration and Pendulation: Two essential ideas in SE are titration (slowly processing small quantities of trauma at a time) and pendulation (shifting between states of activation and leisure). These approaches assist forestall retraumatization and overwhelm in the course of the therapeutic course of.
4. Useful resource-building: SE additionally helps people construct sources and develop coping expertise to deal with tough feelings and sensations. These sources will be inside (e.g., feeling grounded and linked to the physique) or exterior (e.g., supportive relationships and secure environments).

How does Somatic Experiencing assist people who’ve skilled trauma?

1. Releasing saved rigidity and power: By working with the physique’s pure responses, SE helps launch the power that has been caught resulting from incomplete struggle, flight, or freeze responses. This might help scale back bodily and emotional signs related to trauma.
2. Constructing resilience: By constructing sources and serving to people course of their traumatic experiences, SE can enhance their capability to deal with stress and challenges sooner or later.
3. Reconnecting with the physique: Many individuals who’ve skilled trauma could really feel disconnected from their our bodies or battle with physique consciousness. SE helps people reconnect with their our bodies and develop a more healthy relationship with their bodily sensations.
4. Bettering total well-being: By addressing the physiological and psychological results of trauma, SE might help enhance total well-being, together with bodily well being, emotional stability, and interpersonal relationships.

Is Somatic Experiencing proof based mostly?

Since its inception, researchers and clinicians have been finding out SE’s efficacy. There are a restricted variety of analysis research on Somatic Experiencing, however the physique of proof has been rising. A number of research have urged that SE will be helpful for people with post-traumatic stress dysfunction (PTSD) and different trauma-related points.

Among the proof contains:

1. Naturalistic Research: These are research the place SE is utilized in real-world settings with out the rigorous controls of a randomized scientific trial. A few of these research have indicated optimistic outcomes for people who acquired SE remedy.
2. Randomized Managed Trials (RCTs): A couple of RCTs have investigated the effectiveness of SE. A few of these research have proven that SE will be efficient in decreasing trauma-related signs, though extra high-quality RCTs are wanted to ascertain SE as a gold commonplace, evidence-based therapy.
3. Qualitative Research: These research collect detailed narratives from contributors, which might present wealthy perception into their experiences. Some qualitative research on SE have reported that contributors felt a profound sense of aid and enchancment in trauma signs after present process the remedy.

It’s important to strategy proof with a nuanced perspective. Whereas there may be proof suggesting that SE will be efficient for some people, the physique of analysis continues to be comparatively small, and extra high-quality, large-scale research are wanted. Moreover, what works for one particular person could not work for an additional, so it’s all the time important to contemplate particular person components and desires.

Bonus: Peter Levine discussing trauma and the way Somatic Experiencing helps