Somatic Experiencing
What is Somatic Experiencing®?
The body-based trauma therapy Somatic Experiencing® (SE®) aims to treat trauma and its effects through the body. In contrast to purely cognitive or top-down therapy methods such as classic talk therapy, SE® integrates the body as a central element in the healing process.
The basis for this approach is the scientific knowledge and work of Peter Levine that trauma is essentially an overwhelm of the autonomic nervous system that puts a permanent strain on it. This often results in all sorts of complaints which make life difficult in the long term, panic attacks, sleep disorders, concentration problems and pain symptoms being the most common ones among them. Our autonomic nervous system cannot be consciously controlled by our will, which is why accessing via the body is key to healing from trauma.
Peter A. Levine, PHD
Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., is a renowned psychologist and author known for his work in trauma treatment and somatic psychology. He was born in the United States in 1942 and holds a doctorate in medical biophysics from the University of California at Berkeley.
Levine developed the trauma therapy method called «Somatic Experiencing®» (SE®), which aims to regulate the energy stored in the body after traumatic events.
SE® is based on the idea that after traumatic experiences, people often remain in a «frozen state» or dysregulated physiological arousal, which can lead to long-term psychological and physical problems. Through targeted physical awareness and gentle interventions, SE® helps people restore their natural self-regulation abilities and overcome the effects of trauma.
