Somatic experiencing is a type of therapy that was developed by Dr. Peter Levine in the 1970s. It is based on the principle that humans are naturally resilient and can heal from trauma if they are given the right tools and support.
The goal of somatic experiencing is to help people release the stored energy from past traumas so that they can live more fully in the present. This is done by teaching people how to regulate their nervous system so that they can better respond to stressors in their environment.
Have you ever been in a situation where your body just seems to take over? Your heart races, your palms get sweaty, and you feel like you can’t think straight. In the moment, it feels like the most intense thing you’ve ever experienced. But then, just as suddenly as it arrived, the feeling passes and you’re left wondering what on earth just happened.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. We’ve all had these kinds of experiences, and they’re actually more common than you might think. What’s happening is that your body is going into what’s known as “fight or flight” mode. It’s an evolutionary response that our bodies have developed to help us deal with potentially dangerous situations.
However, in today’s world, we often find ourselves in situations that trigger this response even though there is no actual danger present. This can lead to a lot of negative consequences, both physically and mentally. That’s where somatic experiencing comes in.
A study published in the journal PLoS One found that somatic experiencing was associated with reductions in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms, depression, and anxiety.
Another study, published in Traumatology, found that somatic experiencing was effective in reducing PTSD symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and avoidant behaviors in a group of veterans who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Somatic experiencing is a type of therapy that can help people to regulate their nervous system and improve their ability to cope with stressors in their environment. The goal of somatic experiencing is to help people become more aware of their bodily sensations and learn how to regulate them in a healthy way.
One of the things that makes somatic experiencing unique is that it takes a bottom-up approach to healing. That means instead of focusing on thoughts and emotions (the top-down approach), somatic experiencing focuses on the body and its nervous system (the bottom-up approach).
The theory behind somatic experiencing is that our nervous system is constantly sending information up to our brain about what’s going on in our environment. When we experience something traumatic or stressful, this information gets stuck in our nervous system and we become “traumatized.” Somatic experiencing aims to release this stuck energy so that we can heal from our trauma and move on with our lives.
