Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-based approach to healing trauma that works directly with the nervous system. Traditional therapy works with the narrative of our experience; talking through events as a way to release their activation/charge. SE works with what I call the story beneath the story. What is underneath that narration is a somatic dialogue of behaviors, impulses, sensations, images, and emotions that, if slowed down and attuned to, tell their own story about where trauma lives and how to heal it.

Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE is based on the idea that trauma isn’t just about what happened—it’s about what didn’t get to happen; actions or movements that needed to be taken, words that needed to be spoken that weren’t able to ‘complete’ and so they remain stuck in the body. Levine’s research on animals in the wild showed that even though they regularly face danger, they don’t stay traumatized. That’s because their bodies naturally release stress after a threat passes. Humans, however, tend to suppress these natural responses, leaving us suspended in cycles of stress, anxiety, or shutdown.

Somatic Experiencing helps gently guide the body back to a sense of safety and completion, so you can move beyond survival mode and into states of ease, connection, and presence.

Stress speeds us up, so the first step is to slow things down.

One of the key principles of Somatic Experiencing® is titration—which means working with small pieces of stored trauma at a time, so the nervous system can process them without becoming overwhelmed. Instead of diving straight into the hardest moments, we take a gentle, step-by-step approach, paying close attention to the body’s natural responses.

This might look like:

+ Noticing shifts in breathing, body temperature, or muscle tension

+ Following impulses toward movement that help release stored energy

+ Observing images, emotions, or memories that surface naturally

When we experience a threat—that could be actual like a dangerous person, it could also be perceived like a pile of laundry or a work email—regardless, our nervous system automatically activates into protective responses like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. If we weren’t able to fully process those responses at the time, that survival energy can get stuck in the body, showing up as tension, anxiety, numbness, or other disruptive symptoms.

In session, we work slowly and intentionally to help your body complete what was left unfinished, restoring your ability to self-regulate and feel more present and empowered. 

• Chronic pain

• Sexual/physical abuse

• Grief and loss

• Medical procedures

• Auto accidents

• Falls or head injuries

• Natural disasters

• Developmental ruptures (neglect, abandonment, emotional/physical abuse)

• Systemic oppression

• Transgenerational/ancestral trauma

• Spiritual/religious abuse

• Psychedelic ruptures

• Nervousness, anxiety, and/or panic

• Zoned out, numb, or dissociative

• Being "on guard" all the time

• Difficulty sleeping due to ruminating thoughts

• Depression or pervasive feelings of helplessness/hopelessness

• Immobility – feeling stuck and without options

• Diminished interest in life

• Chronic fatigue or very low energy

• Headaches

• Digestive and immune system issues

• PMDD

• Hormonal imbalances

• Pelvic tension/numbness

• Physical/emotional rigidity