What is Somatic Experiencing® therapy?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE), the life work of biophysicist and psychologist Dr Peter Levine PhD,is a pioneering naturalistic body-oriented form of trauma therapy based on his observations of wildlife. SE® focuses on restoring self-regulation by releasing pent-up survival energy and emotional bodily stress which has become trapped within the autonomic nervous system following a traumatic experience.
Studies have shown that animals in the wild have a built in ability to rebound from a persistent environment of danger. They literally “shake off” the residual energy that was activated through trembling, panting, shaking and rapid eye movements. In this way they complete the motor movements which were impaired in order to survive a traumatic experience. This is a natural mechanism and one we share with our animal friends.
So why do humans suffer from traumatic symptoms? We are more complex and have a superior rational brain. Basically we think too much and get caught up in words which are often paired with judgement. Animals do not have words to judge their feelings and sensations, hence the healing process of returning to balance is not impeded by guilt trips, shame or mind games. Without skill to guide these involuntary reactions of the nervous system, these instincts can be frightening,remain suppressed and impact our health and way of being.Trauma is not in the event but in our physiological reaction to it. The response is very individual. The experience of navigating these symptoms with an SE® therapist establishes greater resilience within the autonomic nervous system and can prevent future symptoms from developing. Somatic Experiencing® aims to safely release traumatic shock held in the body, allowing for a natural transformation of the symptoms of PTSD. Children are equally affected by shock trauma and developmental trauma. Often we carry this into adulthood and its impact begins to present symptomatically and relationally in later life.
What does Somatic Experiencing® therapy help with?
Symptoms of Overwhelm or Traumatic Stress
Traumatic symptoms are not caused by the ”triggering” event itself. They stem from the leftover survival energy that has not been resolved and discharged due to a disturbance in the self-regulatory capacity of our autonomic nervous system and physiology. Each time we are not able to return to a relaxed ‘normal’ state our nervous system becomes more hypersensitive or unresponsive and we are more likely to be affected by events, actions or experiences that previously may not have had an impact. Over time, after months or years, symptoms of the following types may arise:
Overwhelming emotional responses such as shame, anger, depression
Insomnia, poor sleep, nightmares, night terrors
Indecisiveness and feelings of overwhelm
Digestive problems, e.g. irritable bowel syndrome, spastic colon
Immune system problems
Skin disorders
Environmental sensitivities
Physical, mental or emotional exhaustion
Mood swings, shame, depression, rage, aggression, lack of self worth, easily irritated
Feelings of helplessness and powerlessness
Mental ‘blankness’ or spaced-out feelings
Amnesia, forgetfulness
Attraction to dangerous situations or people
Addictive behaviour: smoking, alcohol dependency, drug abuse
Avoidance behaviour: avoiding places, activities, memories, situations or people
Attachment difficulties in nurturing, bonding or committing to others or receiving from others
Psychosomatic illnesses, particularly some headaches, migraines, neck and back problems
Involuntary behaviour: tics, jerking limbs
Fears and terrors
Anxiety, including chronic low level anxiety
Panic attacks and phobias
Heart palpitations, breathing problems, dizziness
Hyper vigilance, being on guard or over alert
Hyperactivity
How is Somatic Experiencing® different from other forms of therapy?
The more traditional cognitive and emotional based ‘talk’ therapies can be considered as being “top-down” approaches. They focus on insight and emotions first and only secondarily focus on somatic responses to trauma. Talking about the trauma can have an adverse effect as the person can be re-traumatised with the flooding of reactions and overwhelm that arises during the process if their nervous system is not able to regulate itself.
In contrast Somatic Experiencing® is a “bottom-up” approach. It focuses on the brain stem – the reptilian brain and its survival-based functions that are not under conscious or emotional control. Access to these instinctual action and arousal systems is through the mode of physical bodily sensations, imagery and motor patterns. In the process of working with the ‘felt sense’ of the body other elements of the trauma experience may arise such as meaning and emotions. Thus cognitions and emotions are included in SE® practice but they are secondary or derivative from physical sensations through the bottom-up process. SE® uses techniques and interventions that work directly and gently with the neurophysiology of the body. SE® avoids some of the issues that catharsis, re-enactment or talking about the story may create, such as re-traumatisation or re-arousal of intense emotional states. These can be frightening or too confronting for clients and may discourage them from continuing on their healing journey.
Meet John McLane
Certified Rolfer™
CERTIFIED SEP
Meet John McLane
Certified Rolfer™
CERTIFIED Somatic experiencing Practitioner®
John is a certified Rolfer™, trained by BARSI (British Academy of Rolfing® and Structural Integration) in London, a satellite school of ERA (European Rolfing® Association). He is also a Certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) and accredited by the Gaia House Teaching Council to offer meditation courses and day long retreats.
“Somatic Experiencing® therapy allows the leftover survival energy of an overwhelming experience to resolve and discharge, enabling the self-regulatory capacity of our autonomic nervous system and physiology to return with greater resilience.” – John McLane