Somatic Experiencing®: How Your Body Can Heal From Trauma

Have you ever felt like your body remembers things you wish it could forget, a sudden tightness, a racing heart, or a sense of shutting down, even when life is calm? These are not signs of weakness. They’re your nervous system’s way of trying to protect you.

Somatic Experiencing (SE), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a gentle, body-based approach that helps you complete the stress and trauma responses that may still be “stuck” in your system. It offers a pathway back to balance, safety, and connection.

Understanding Somatic Experiencing

Unlike traditional talk therapy that relies mainly on words, SE works directly with the body. It’s based on the understanding that trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in the story of what happened.

Animals in the wild regularly face danger, but they rarely develop trauma symptoms. Why? Because their bodies naturally release the survival energy after the threat passes. Humans have the same capacity, but we often override it, leaving our systems frozen in fight, flight, or shutdown. SE helps us restore this natural rhythm.

The Three Survival States

SE works closely with the autonomic nervous system, which shifts between three states:

• Calm & Connected (ventral vagal state)
  You feel grounded, present, and open to connection.

• Mobilized (fight or flight)
  The body gears up to protect you with tension, anxiety, or urgency.

• Shutdown (freeze/dorsal vagal state)
  When survival feels impossible, the system collapses. You may feel numb, heavy, or disconnected.

• Trauma can trap you in these protective modes long after the danger is over. SE provides tools to gently guide the body back into safety and presence.

What Healing Looks Like in SE

In sessions, we don’t dive headfirst into painful memories. Instead, we move slowly, in small, manageable steps, a process known as titration. We listen to your body’s cues, notice sensations, and allow the nervous system to release stored energy at a safe pace.

Some of the skills include:

• Orienting: using your senses to notice safety in the present moment.

• Grounding: reconnecting with your body through breath, touch, or movement.

• Pendulation: gently shifting between tension and ease so the body can reset.

• Integration: giving time for new feelings of calm to settle in.

These small moments of regulation accumulate, gradually restoring resilience and capacity.

Why SE Matters for Trauma and Anxiety

Trauma isn’t only about big events. It can come from ongoing stress, medical procedures, phobias, immigration challenges, or even life transitions. The body holds these experiences, often showing up as:

• Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance

• Physical pain or tension

• Trouble sleeping or digesting

• Feeling detached or shut down

SE helps by giving your body a chance to “finish” what was interrupted, unlocking energy that has been trapped, and creating space for new experiences of safety and vitality.

A Simple Somatic Practice to Try

Next time you feel overwhelmed, try this:

• Pause and notice three things you see in the room.

• Place your hand on your heart or stomach and take one slow breath.

• Notice if any small shift happens, warmth, softening, or even a sigh.

Even these tiny steps help signal to your nervous system: you are safe now.

How I Integrate SE in Our Work

In our sessions, I use Somatic Experiencing together with other modalities’ insights as a map. We’ll explore your body’s signals, honor your survival responses, and practice simple techniques that help you return to balance. Our therapeutic relationship itself becomes a safe space for your system to relearn trust and connection.

Over time, you’ll build greater capacity to stay present, regulate stress, and feel grounded in your own body.

From Stuck to Free

Healing through SE isn’t about erasing the past it’s about teaching your body that the present is safe. Bit by bit, you can move from surviving to truly living, from feeling stuck to feeling free.

🌱 You don’t have to walk this path alone. If you’re curious about Somatic Experiencing and how it can support you, I’d be honored to accompany you on your journey toward healing and wholeness.