What is Somatic Experiencing?
A Bottom-Up Approach to Trauma Healing
Somatic Experiencing® (SE TM ) is a body-based form of therapy developed by Dr. Peter Levine, author of Waking the Tiger and In an Unspoken Voice. It was developed to help people heal from trauma, shock, and chronic stress. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which usually works from the “top down” by starting with thoughts, SE works “bottom up,” beginning with the body to help restore regulation in the nervous system and support mental health.
Where SE is Practiced
SE is used in many professional settings, including psychotherapy, bodywork, medicine, coaching, and physical therapy. Sessions vary depending on the practitioner’s scope of practice. Some SE work is done through dialogue alone, while others may incorporate touch as part of the process.
Types of Trauma SE Can Address
Somatic Experiencing can be helpful for a wide range of experiences, including:
How SE works:
At its core, SE is about collaborating with the nervous system’s innate self-regulatory capacity. The central focus of SE is creating the conditions that allow the body to do what it’s naturally designed to do: complete and integrate overwhelming experiences; move through activation, and return to settling.
For many people, SE can help reduce symptoms of PTSD and chronic stress. Even when symptoms remain, it often changes how we relate to them—making symptoms feel less overwhelming and easier to live with. Beyond symptom relief, many notice shifts such as feeling more connected to themselves, to others, to nature, and to their environment. SE can also support the restoration of healthy aggression and healthy boundaries, a greater ability to feel “safe enough” more often, the capacity to experience moments of rest and relaxation, and more resilience in meeting the ups and downs of life.
To learn more about SE, you can read the extended blog post here.
About the Author
Audrey Burke, LMBT NC #22197, SEP, CYT-200
Audrey Burke, owner of Restorative Presence, is a licensed massage and bodywork therapist and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner based in Durham, NC. She specializes in trauma-informed somatic work, including Somatic Experiencing ® and Transforming Touch ® , with a focus on supporting people healing from developmental trauma, shock trauma, and chronic nervous system dysregulation.
Disclaimer: This blog is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical or psychological advice.