When we think about trauma, we often focus on our thoughts and emotions: the flashbacks, the anxiety, the emotional weight. But trauma doesn’t just live in the mind. It settles into the body too. That’s where Somatic Experiencing (SE) comes in.

Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing is a body-based approach to healing trauma. It helps release the tension, stress, and emotional residue that can become stored in the nervous system after difficult or overwhelming experiences.

Rather than diving into painful memories head-on, SE invites you to gently tune into your body’s signals, helping your system complete responses that may have gotten stuck, and guiding you toward a greater sense of ease, safety, and presence.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing is grounded in the idea that trauma is not just a psychological event. It is also a physiological one.

When something overwhelming happens, your body responds by going into fight, flight, or freeze. But if your body does not get a chance to fully process the event, that energy can stay stuck in your system, showing up later as chronic tension, anxiety, pain, or disconnection.

SE works by helping you slowly and safely reconnect with the sensations in your body so that trapped energy can be released and your nervous system can return to balance.

Learning to Listen to the Body

One of the first steps in SE is simply learning to notice what your body is feeling. This might sound easy, but for many people who have lived with trauma, tuning into physical sensations can be unfamiliar or even uncomfortable.

In a session, you are gently guided to notice subtle things like warmth, tightness, tingling, or heaviness. These small physical cues can carry important information about where your body is holding onto stress.

By learning to pay attention in a slow and supported way, you begin to build trust with your body again. That can be a powerful part of the healing process.

Releasing Trapped Energy Gently

SE uses a method called titration, which means working with difficult sensations or memories in small, manageable pieces. You do not need to relive the trauma or talk about every detail. Instead, you move through it gradually and safely with enough space to stay grounded and regulated.

This slow and gentle approach allows your nervous system to complete the responses it could not finish at the time of the trauma. That is often where true healing begins, not by pushing through, but by listening and allowing.

Regulating the Nervous System

Our nervous systems are designed to move between activation and rest. But when trauma is left unresolved, that natural rhythm gets disrupted. You might feel stuck in a hyper-alert state, constantly on edge, or you might feel numb and disconnected.

Somatic Experiencing helps restore that natural flow. As your nervous system begins to regulate again, you may notice that stress becomes easier to handle, emotional responses feel more balanced, and you feel more connected to your body and your surroundings.

Physical and Emotional Healing Together

What makes SE different from many other approaches is how it works with both the body and the mind, not just one or the other.

Many people report physical changes such as fewer headaches, less muscle tension, better sleep, and even improved digestion. Others notice a shift in how they relate to themselves, their emotions, and the world around them.

Healing does not always look dramatic. Sometimes, it is as simple as being able to take a deep breath, feeling your feet on the ground, or noticing that something inside has softened.

How SE Can Support You

Somatic Experiencing can be especially helpful for:

• PTSD and trauma recovery

• Chronic stress or anxiety

• Recovery from accidents or surgeries

• Grief, loss, or heartbreak

• Feeling disconnected from your body

• Unexplained physical symptoms such as fatigue or pain

This work is not about forcing change. It is about allowing space for your system to find its own way back to balance, and that kind of change often lasts.

Key Benefits of Somatic Experiencing

• Natural Healing: SE works with your body’s innate ability to heal without needing to relive every detail of the trauma.

• Symptom Reduction: Clients often report relief from chronic pain, anxiety, sleep issues, and tension.

• Nervous System Regulation: SE helps you better understand and manage your body’s stress responses.

• Greater Resilience: Over time, you may notice a deeper capacity to face challenges, respond instead of react, and stay grounded in your everyday life.

Somatic Experiencing is a gentle, body-centered path toward healing. If you have been feeling stuck in patterns of stress, overwhelm, or physical tension, or if traditional talk therapy has not quite reached the root of what you’re feeling, SE may offer something different.

By reconnecting with your body’s wisdom and allowing space for old energy to release, it becomes possible to feel more whole, more grounded, and more at home in yourself.

If this approach resonates with you, I would be honoured to explore it with you.