Somatic Experiencing - A Body-First Approach

Somatic Experiencing is a bottom-up approach that focuses on trauma healing. This approach recognizes that trauma is stored on the level of the nervous system and therefore responsible for its dysregulation. Such dysregulation adversely affects an individual’s physical, mental and emotional experience. The goal of therapy is the completion of self-protection responses, which were not completed when the traumatic event occurred, and the subsequent release of stored up energy in the autonomic nervous system. SE requires counsellors practicing within this modality to be acutely attuned to the level of nervous system arousal in clients.

SE recognizes that trauma affects various aspects of a person’s experience and therefore works not only with bodily sensations, but also with emotions, cognitions, and the realizations clients derive from therapy; unlike mind-body dualism, SE considers body, mind, feelings, and meaning-making as interconnected. Curious to try? Contact us to book!