Somatic Experiencing for Trauma and Depression

SE is a promising treatment approach not only for PTSD, but also for depression. A pilot study with individuals identifying as LGBTQIA shows that as little as 10 sessions are sufficient to decrease symptoms related to depression and somatization and increase the quality of life (Briggs et al., 2018). Moreover, SE not only decreases symptoms related to the neurophysiology, such as anxiety, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, and migraines in clients but also in practitioners enrolled in the 3-year SE practitioner training (Winblad et al., 2018). A 3-year longitudinal study based on self-report measures demonstrates that during this time, participants experienced increased quality of life, while symptoms related to anxiety and somatization decreased. These studies demonstrate the effectiveness of SE for a western and non-western clientele in the treatment of depression, as well as trauma-related symptoms and conditions.

References

Briggs, P. C., Hayes, S., & Changaris, M. (2018). Somatic Experiencing® Informed Therapeutic Group for the Care and Treatment of Biopsychosocial Effects upon a Gender Diverse Identity. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 9. doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2018.00053

Winblad, N. E., Changaris, M., & Stein, P. K. (2018). Effect of Somatic Experiencing Resiliency-Based Trauma Treatment Training on Quality of Life and Psychological Health as Potential Markers of Resilience in Treating Professionals. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 12. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00070