Somatic Experiencing
Cont’d…
Somatic Experiencing® is the life’s work of Dr. Peter A. Levine, resulting from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics, together with over 45 years of successful clinical application.
Dr. Levine's explorations into how animals deal with threat led to the development of Somatic Experiencing® (SE), which is highly effective in dealing with the effects of overwhelm on the nervous system.
The SE approach facilitates the organic release of traumatic shock and re-organisation, which are key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma.
SE employs awareness of body sensations to help people "renegotiate" and heal, rather than re-live or re-enact trauma
SE’s guidance of the bodily “felt sense”, allows the highly aroused survival energies to be safely experienced and gradually discharged.
SE “titrates” experience (breaks down into small, incremental steps), rather than evoking catharsis – which can overwhelm the regulatory mechanisms of the organism.
SE is supported by scientific research. The method is based upon the observation that wild prey animals, though threatened routinely, are rarely traumatised. Animals in the wild regulate and discharge high levels of energy arousal, providing them with an inbuilt “immunity” to trauma that enables them to return to normal in the aftermath of highly “charged” life-threatening experiences. Humans, on the other hand, are readily overwhelmed and often subject to the traumatic symptoms of hyper arousal, shutdown and dysregulation.
Testimonial
"I have done talk therapy, CBT, tapping, many methods of energy healing, journalling, mindfulness and meditations, but the only thing that shifted my flight/fight/freeze pattern has been Somatic Experiencing®. In the short time we have been working together, I have shifted so much, I have made a significant impact on my chronic fatigue, my anxiety attacks and my inability to 'ignore' baiting from my abuser. It has been so wonderful - after literally almost 20 years of trying so many different methods and 4 years of extreme distress, I can't sing the praises of the work you do highly enough!" ~ Stephanie (psychic reader and psychology graduate)