Somatic Experiencing® (SE™)
Somatic Experiencing is a pioneering body awareness approach that lends itself to in helping people heal from trauma and reclaim their body as a place of safety.
It focuses on experiencing the ‘felt sense’ in the present moment to integrate and relieve the physical, emotional and physiological effects of post traumatic stress disorder and other stress related health problems.
WHY
The father of Somatic Experiencing® (SE™), Dr. Peter A. Levine, PhD developed this approach after observing that prey animals, whose lives are routinely threatened in the wild, are able to recover readily by physically releasing the energy they accumulate during stressful events.
Humans however, predisposed to socio-cultural factors tend to override natural ways of regulating the nervous system, which results in feelings of shame, pervasive thoughts, judgments, and fears. Somatic Experiencing aims to help people move past the place of feeling “stuck” in processing a traumatic event, restore trust and safety within and regain a state of flow in life.
As a body-oriented psychotherapy approach SE™ provides us tools to reconnect to the innate ability we have to overcome trauma, utilising the awareness of sensations in the body (or somatic experiences) to help people re-negotiate and resolve the effects of their trauma. The approach allows the instinctual actions that were unable to complete at the time of the trauma to be gradually integrated and shifted in present time.
While gently pacing the process so that each individual can safely assimilate the changes within their nervous system, SE® helps return a sense of aliveness, relaxation and wholeness to the individual.
SOMATIC EXPERIENCING
WITH JESSICA
METHOD OF SOMATIC EXPERIENCING®
Somatic Experiencing aims to restore the body’s ability to self-regulate in the face of stress in order to achieve balance and integrity.
SELF - REGULATION
Somatic Experiencing sessions involve the introduction of small amounts of traumatic material and the observation of a client’s physical responses to that material, such as shallow breathing or a shift in posture. A key component to enhancing one’s ability to self-regulate is the practice of “pendulating” between the sensations associated with trauma, and those that are a resource of strength and comfort. SE practitioners proceed carefully and cautiously to avoid re-traumatising or triggering the client, helping people to develop the ability to employ self-regulating strategies.
BODY WISDOM
Somatic Experiencing sessions involve the introduction of small amounts of traumatic material and the observation of a client’s physical responses to that material, such as shallow breathing or a shift in posture. By relaying directly to the body, we utilise its innate mechanisms to regulate and dissipate the high levels of energy arousal associated with the defensive survival behaviours of fight, flight or freeze.
SENSATION
During a session, Jessica will frequently check in with you to assess and record somatic sensations that may be imperceptible to the eye - such as feelings of heaviness, tightness, or dizziness. This helps you bring conscious awareness to the body, as a key component to enhancing your ability to self-regulate and build your resources of strength and comfort in the present moment. Jessica adopts the SE™ model as a foundation in her facilitation with clients, both in therapeutic and coaching context to help people reclaim their bodies as a place of safety and transformation.
CORE INTEGRATION
With a foundational approach to transformation, integration, and embodiment, Jessica combines her signature 'Higher Heart’ medicine and a total of 8 x SE™ 60min sessions in a comprehensive 3 months journey, connecting the client to the experience of their innate healing wisdom and restore self-confidence. this program is for anyone ready to rebuild self love and core intactness regardless of past experiences.
THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SOMATIC EXPERIENCING THEORY
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), which includes the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), and the enteric nervous system (ENS), is triggered into action when we’re faced with adversity and it governs the fight, flight, or freeze instinct. Although designed to self-regulate, the ANS can become dis-regulated when full expression of one’s response to trauma is repressed or response to stress is inhibited. As a result, the body continues to respond as if it is under threat. Somatic experiencing is founded on the premise that negative symptoms of trauma—such as anxiety, hyper-vigilance, aggression, and shame—result from denying the body the opportunity to fully process the traumatic event.
Every individual is unique in the capacity to handle and digest traumatic events. Some are able to recover completely, while others stay riddled with unresolved trauma that can lead to larger mental and physical health concerns, such as posttraumatic stress (PTSD), sleep problems, mood swings, or immune system problems.
Somatic Experiencing aims to restore the body’s ability to self-regulate in order to achieve balance and integrity.
Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.
-Peter A. Levine
ARE YOU ON THE JOURNEY OF TRAUMA HEALING?
Or want to learn more about Somatic Experiencing?
I’D LOVE TO HEAR FROM YOU…