Peter Levine, the creator of Somatic Experiencing®, chose the tiger as the emblem of this form of therapy because SE seeks to reconnect us to the innate, passionate aliveness that wild cats embody so powerfully

What is Somatic Experiencing® (SE)?

Somatic Experiencing® is a body-oriented therapy focused on healing trauma. It centres on creating more choice in our body, mind and spirit after we’ve gone through traumatic experiences.

Many of us know that therapy can help us to change the stories we tell ourselves, yet in order to feel whole it can also be important to change the body's story. Somatic Experiencing® is a modality which asks, "where do you feel your 'story' in your body?".  Using the body's language of sensations as one of our guides, we reconnect the story held by our body with our hearts and minds.  

What is trauma?

Many of us have experienced overwhelming situations in our lives.   Sometimes these situations are merely stressful, meaning that we get over them and that we quickly no longer feel their effects. However, some experiences are so overwhelming, emotionally affecting, dangerous or soul-crushing that they leave a deep imprint on every level of our being.

Overwhelm and trauma is often a fact of life. Most of us, not just soldiers or victims of abuse or attack, have been traumatized. The sources of trauma are wide-ranging; they include accidents, childhood neglect or abuse, exposure to violence, falls, serious illness, sudden loss of a loved one, surgeries, medical and dental procedures, difficult births, natural disasters, and even high levels of stress and toxicity during gestation in the womb.

Not all traumatic events will create symptoms; however, trauma related symptoms are rampant in our modern lives. Symptoms of unresolved trauma can include:

• Panic or anxiety (including panic attacks)

• Hypervigilance

• Chronic pain of all kinds

• Sleep disorders

• Chronic tension

• Addictions of all kinds

• Migraines

• Gastrointestinal disorders

• Sexual dysfunctions

• Dissociation

• And many others

What can I expect from a session?

A Somatic Experiencing® practitioner will spend a few sessions resourcing, establishing safety, and helping you to establish a comfortable connection to your body. You should feel a sense of confidence in the containment during the early process. As the work progresses, therapist and client will help the client to find a safe, easy flow between thoughts, emotion and sensations. A good Somatic Experiencing practitioner will work with your body’s pace to manage and integrate difficult experience in an empowering way.