What is Somatic Experiencing ?

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a gentle, body-based approach to healing trauma and chronic stress. Rather than focusing only on thoughts or talking through past events, SE helps you tune into the body’s natural signals to restore a sense of safety, balance, and regulation.

Trauma isn’t just stored in memory—it lives in the nervous system. When overwhelming experiences occur, the body may stay stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze long after the danger has passed. Somatic Experiencing works by helping the nervous system gradually release this stored stress, allowing your body to return to a state of greater ease and resilience.

When might Somatic Experiencing be helpful in our work together?

When clients feel stuck and traditional talk therapy isn’t quite reaching the root of the issue, I often weave in Somatic Experiencing. SE gently shifts attention to the body, helping us access and resolve patterns held in the nervous system. This approach supports deeper healing by allowing change to emerge naturally—without forcing insight or reliving past experiences.

Somatic Experiencing may help if you are experiencing:

• Anxiety, chronic stress, or nervous system overwhelm

• Trauma or PTSD (including developmental or relational trauma)

• Feeling stuck in fight, flight, or freeze responses

• Difficulty calming your body or mind

• Emotional reactivity, irritability, or mood swings

• Numbness, shutdown, or disconnection

• Trouble sleeping or relaxing

• Body-based symptoms such as tension, headaches, or fatigue

• Feeling unsafe, on edge, or hypervigilant

• Challenges that haven’t fully resolved with talk therapy alone