What happens during a Somatic Experiencing session?  

Somatic Experiencing is a process of noticing and releasing sensations as they arise, moment by moment and breath by breath.  That is because the effects of undischarged trauma reside in our bodies and nervous systems, in the present moment.  It is not necessary to revisit the traumatic event, which happened in the past, in order to obtain relief now.  

Trauma is defined as any event that violated our boundaries and overwhelmed the capacity of our nervous system to cope.  Over a lifetime, we encounter many kinds of trauma: a serious fall or sports injury; an auto accident; emotional neglect; verbal, physical or sexual abuse; a serious illness; or even surgery (which, despite its beneficial intent, is still perceived by the body as an assault).  Babies and children may be overwhelmed by prenatal or birth trauma; severe bullying or peer group pressure; physical injuries; or even medical procedures that require restraint against their will. 

Mammals are wired with three responses to such overwhelming trauma: fight, flight or freeze.  These responses are life-saving and occur instantaneously:  they are not under our conscious control.  But when a trauma sends us into the "freeze" mode (because it is impossible to fight or flee in that particular situation), the trauma energy can’t be discharged.  As a result, it can remain locked within our nervous system for months or years. 

Somatic Experiencing is a powerful process that helps us release that locked-in trauma and constriction.  While animals do this naturally, by twitching or shaking the trauma off, most people do just the opposite:  we constrict our muscles, clench our jaws, and hold tension in our neck and back, in an effort to "hold it together.”  Over time, this kind of bracing can result in constricted breath; tight muscles and joints; chronic pain; gastrointestinal problems; headaches; and other chronic conditions and syndromes.

In order to gently reverse and unwind this pattern, Somatic Experiencing leads clients through a very specific process that invites the body to complete the fight or flight response which was involuntarily frozen during the moment of trauma.  As the activation is released, the muscles begin to relax, the breath deepens, the pain dissipates, and there is often a sense of lightness and joy. 

Clients often say, “I feel like my old self again!”  They may notice that the world literally looks brighter than it did before, because their eye muscles have released some of their hyper-vigilance and can now take in more information.  Pain also becomes less intense or even disappears, as the diaphragm loosens and there is more breath and spaciousness in the body. 

One of the added benefits of Somatic Experiencing is that it teaches clients how to monitor their own nervous systems on an on-going basis. By learning to focus on their "felt sense" (rather than the thoughts in their heads), clients learn to track sensations in their body.  This awareness makes it possible for them to monitor their activation, notice if someone is pushing their boundaries, sense if danger is around the corner, and thus prevent future traumatization.

To find out whether Somatic Experiencing is right for you,

please call Daphne at 301-949-0378 for a free consultation.