Somatic Experiencing

“The single most important thing for…people is to feel safe in their own bodies”
– Bessel van der Kolk

Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress issues. When we experience trauma, or even just stress, our bodies naturally respond in ways to maintain our safety in the moment, through Fight, Flight or Freeze responses. These responses are inherent in all bodies when we experience traumatic or stressful situations and are completely normal. In fact, we can thank our bodies for keeping us safe! These responses often stay with us well past the traumatic event and we can get “stuck” in states of Fight, Flight or Freeze. It’s like your body still thinks it’s in the middle of that stressful moment. This can result in symptoms including anxiety, depression, other mental health struggles and even physical symptoms. Through Somatic Experiencing, we recognize the body’s response to stressful events, and begin renegotiate the experience at the body level. This means that we bring awareness to your bodily sensations, movements and responses during therapy sessions. It is a gentle and effective approach to healing past trauma, that doesn’t require the re-living or recounting of it. For more information, check out this link: https://traumahealing.org/about-us/