Somatic Experiencing

Somatic experiencing (SE) is a body-focused approach to treating trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress disorders. It was originally developed by Dr Peter Levine.Levine, P. (2010). What is Somatic Experiencing? [online] Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Available at: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/#about [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].

Dr. Levine developed the SE framework after studying the animal nervous system in response to stress, as he realised that animals are constantly under threat of death, yet show no symptoms of trauma.

  • In response to danger, animals complete a full sequence of noticing, reacting, recovering from the threat. As soon as the threat is passed, the body returns to baseline and the nervous system is effectively “re-set” in preparation for the next challenge
  • In contrast, humans often interrupt the full cycle of response to danger and trauma, becoming physiologically “stuck” in the fight, flight or freeze state. This can lead to stored and unresolved trauma which can be reactivated when triggered by circumstancesSaint-Laurent, R. and Bird, S. (2015). Somatic Experiencing: How Trauma Can Be Overcome. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/201503/somatic-experiencing [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018]. Levine, P. (2010). How SE Works. [online] Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Available at: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/#about [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].

How it works

SE works to resolve this stuck physiological state, allowing the patient to complete the full sequence of response to danger when they are reminded of the traumatic event.

SE brings the focus to the patient’s body rather than just their thoughts or emotions, in an attempt to restore the nervous system’s normal cycling between hypervigilance and rest.Saint-Laurent, R. and Bird, S. (2015). Somatic Experiencing: How Trauma Can Be Overcome. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/201503/somatic-experiencing [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].

In order to achieve this, SE works through three main premises:

Helping the patient to understand that the trauma isn’t caused by the traumatic event itself, but by the physiological response to the perceived threat which has caused imbalances in the nervous system.

SE therefore differs from exposure therapy methods used for treating PTSD in that it does not require extensive retelling of the traumatic events. Instead the focus is on the body memory.Levine, P. (2010). How SE Works. [online] Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Available at: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/#about [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018]. Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel‐Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312.

Guiding the patient gently through the normal process of internal sensation by exposing them to controlled ‘triggers’ in a repeated, rhythmic pattern. This enables the patient to gradually learn how to keep arousal at a low level during the processing of traumatic triggers.Levine, P. (2010). How SE Works. [online] Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Available at: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/#about [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018]. Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel‐Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., & Ross, G. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312.

Helping the patient to experience the natural flow between states of different intensity (e.g. excitation vs baseline) and to fluctuate easily between these states easily, thereby restoring balance to the nervous system.Saint-Laurent, R. and Bird, S. (2015). Somatic Experiencing: How Trauma Can Be Overcome. [online] Psychology Today. Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-intelligent-divorce/201503/somatic-experiencing [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018]. Levine, P. (2010). How SE Works. [online] Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Available at: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/#about [Accessed 19 Oct. 2018].