How Somatic Therapy Facilitates Healing
What is Somatic Therapy?
As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in-Training, I often integrate this body-based therapy in my work. The body serves as the gateway to your healing, wisdom, and power. To quote J. Cole “ The only revolution starts right inside of you,” revolution begins in the body. Somatic Experiencing® is a therapeutic approach created by Dr. Peter Levine, a scientist who observed animals in their natural habitats. Through his studies, he found that while these animals frequently face threats, they rarely exhibit signs of trauma. He discovered that they have the ability to release traumatic energy from their bodies, which protects them from trauma symptoms. Levine recognized that humans, being mammals as well, share this biological capacity. Somatic therapy aims to assist individuals in processing and healing from stress and trauma by focusing on areas where they may feel "stuck" in their recovery from traumatic experiences.
Somatic therapy can enhance individuals' awareness of their bodies, alleviate stress, and help them address emotional and physical issues. The SE™ approach encourages the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of trapped survival energy stored within the body, targeting the root causes of trauma symptoms. We achieve this by gently guiding clients to build their tolerance for challenging bodily sensations and suppressed emotions. We know that trauma isn’t about the event that happened to you. Trauma is about how that experience changed your nervous system. This process involves stabilizing trauma, reprocessing memories, and ultimately achieving integration.
How Somatic Therapy Facilitates Healing:
Increased Body Awareness: Can help individuals become more attuned to bodily sensations, which can lead to greater self-awareness and understanding of how emotions and stress manifest.
Development of Self-Regulation Skills: Teaches individuals to manage their physiological responses to stress and trauma, enhancing emotional stability and minimizing the chances of re-traumatization.
Strengthening Inner Safety: Empowers individuals by helping them gain control over their physical and emotional states, which promotes resilience and a sense of empowerment.
Release of Stored Tension: Addresses physical tension and chronic muscle tightness caused by stress and trauma. By focusing on these sensations, somatic therapy can help release this tension, alleviating physical symptoms while supporting emotional healing.
Facilitating Emotional Processing: By connecting bodily sensations with emotional experiences, somatic therapy encourages deeper emotional processing, leading to a holistic healing journey that addresses both physical and emotional trauma.
Increased Mindfulness: Fosters mindfulness and presence through body awareness, contributing positively to overall mental health and well-being.
Let’s talk about Somatic Psychotherapy. If you’re interested in Somatic therapy, a great place to get started is a free consultation to talk about what it’s like to work together and see if we’re a good fit. Contact me today to schedule a free phone consultation; I look forward to connecting!
Waking the Tiger by Dr. Peter Levine