Somatic Experiencing

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Somatic Experiencing is the life work of psychotherapist Dr Peter Levine.   It draws on traditional wisdom about the body as well as on modern neuroscience to make sense of our human experiences.  Its aim is to gently release traumatic experiences that may have been stored in the body and in the nervous system over time. 

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One definition of trauma is any experience that is too much, too fast, too soon, and for too long (Peter Levine).  These experiences often leave us feeling shaken and emotionally vulnerable, unable to regulate our nervous system and our bodies.  To better cope with such situations, we may go into ‘survival mode’ that may ultimately stop us from feeling fully alive or live in a permanent state of hyper arousal or overwhelm that leaves us feeling exhausted and on high alert. 

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Although we often sense that there is another way of relating to the world around us, we may feel stuck and unable to change on our own, hence the need to work with someone who understands the way trauma is processed in our body.

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Throughout our sessions together, I use some grounding techniques and body awareness tools to help you track your nervous system, re-frame and process some of the more difficult emotions that may present themselves by discharging some of the energy that may be stuck in your body and then help you integrate the changes that have taken place. 

Although often gentle and subtle, Somatic Experiencing often leads to profound changes in the way we relate to ourselves and to the world around us. 

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