SEXUAL HEALTH

Exploring Somatic Experiencing® – need to know basics.

This blog has been prepared for you by registered psychologist and board approved supervisor, Julie Kruss. Julie is an intermediate level trained Somatic Experiencing practitioner.  

What is Somatic Experiencing®?  

Somatic = relating to the body.  

“Somatic” may sound like one of those technical terms from a science textbook, but it simply means “relating to the body.” In therapy, it refers to understanding how trauma is stored in the body, its effects, and how we can address and process it. 

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body and nervous system-focused therapeutic approach that can be especially helpful for individuals recovering from trauma. 

It was first developed by Dr Peter Levine. He noticed that animals threatened in the wild rarely show symptoms of trauma, and instead seemed to have the ability to ‘shake it off’ and return to a healthy state.  

But what about humans? Like animals, humans react to threat and danger via fight, flight, freeze responses. These help them to survive! However, humans get ‘stuck’ in these processes even when the threat has gone. Put simply, SE® aims at processing and moving out of this ‘stuck state’.  

What would an SE session/s look like?  

  • Initially the SE® therapist will set up the counselling space, get you settled, and perhaps orientate you to the room and the present moment. It is also normal to feel anxious, and take as long as you need to settle in. There is no expectation that you will launch into trauma memories straight away! They would then start assessing your needs, hopes and presenting issues. The initial stages of SE® are very much focused on building rapport with you, as well as increasing resources and stabilization techniques.  
  • The focus of SE® is bottom-up, rather than top-down processing. Initial sessions may focus on assisting you to recognise and access bodily sensations (this can be hard when we have been socialised to ignore these!). Whilst sensation is the initial focus of SE®, your therapist may also explore imagery, behaviour, affect and meaning.  They may also provide education on aspects relating to SE®, such as the impacts of trauma on the nervous system, and the flight, fight, freeze, flop and fawn responses.  
  • You might be asked to access a small amount of traumatic material and explore that somatically – you do not have to tell specific details of your experience to do this. With the support of your therapist, you may then explore pendulation – moving back and forth between difficult material and the resources you have established initially. For example, the therapist may get you to explore another sensation in your body that helps you feel calm or grounded, or they may get you to look around the room and notice something that you like. You may also begin to track the sensations and how they emerge and change.  
  • The purpose of SE® is to go slow – looking at the smallest bits of trauma first, going little by little (titration). You know when you open a shaken coke bottle, and it sprays everywhere? We don’t want that to happen with the trauma memories, so it is important to slow things down! 
  • SE® can help you move towards completion of the flight, fight, freeze, flow, fawn etc responses. You may also become more aware of your body sensations, more in touch with yourself, and your boundaries and needs. 
  • Finally, the therapist will want to make sure that you are back in the present moment before you leave the session. This might mean using more of the resources you established initially and orientating to the here and now.  

Common terms in SE® practice:  

Resourcing: These are things that you find supportive or help you be more in the present moment. The therapist might help you find inner resources e.g., places in your body that feel supportive. These can also be external e.g., something in the room. 

Bottom-up and top-down counselling approaches: Top-down approaches focus on cognitions, or thoughts (e.g., cognitive behavioural therapy), bottom-up approaches focus more on sensations. Both are valid means of therapy and can also be used in conjunction.  

Flight, fight, freeze, flop…and Fawn: These are our ingrained survival responses. Most people have heard of flight, and fight. Freeze and flopping occurs when someone is unable to fight or flee. Fawn is only just starting to be recognised – its best described as people pleasing behaviour.  

Pendulation: This means transitioning between a state of activation to a state of calm. For example, you might find the therapist helps to guide you from noticing physical sensations linked to trauma, towards noticing other more calming sensations. This helps you address the trauma without feeling overwhelmed.  

Tracking: Noticing body sensations as they emerge, being curious, and not judging them. You might notice your therapist asking questions like: ‘where in your body are you noticing that?’, ‘what do you feel in your body, or what do you notice as you turn your attention inwards?’ 

Titration: Like pendulation, this helps keep your nervous system from being overwhelmed. You will start to explore the traumatic material somatically, but only little by little.  

Important things to know:  

  • SE® or any trauma therapy should follow the basic trauma informed principles. In other words, it prioritises – Safety, Trust, Choice, Collaboration, Empowerment.  
  • SE® should always be at your own place, there is no rush. In fact, it can be helpful to explore when you need to slow down, how to say no, and how you know you need to say no!   
  • Creating a therapeutic relationship and safety is always a priority.  
  • You might spend more time on resourcing, and that is ok.  
  • You don’t have to spend all the time exploring challenging sensations – it is equally as important to see if you can start to access positive sensations and explore what feels good.   

Why might I want to explore SE® or somatic work in therapy?  

There are many therapies out there, which is great because one size does not fit all! It’s important to find one (or a combo!) that resonate with you. Why might you want to try somatic experiencing or incorporating more somatic work into your therapy sessions? It could be the right fit if you’re looking to move beyond traditional talk therapy, if you’re curious about mind-body connection and how your nervous system responds to or holds trauma.  

Simple at home SE® related activity to try. 

If you have been liking what you’ve read so far and would like to dip your toe in the water with an exercise, here are some thoughts and something to try if you are feeling up to it.

  • You can get started on resourcing techniques at home. 
  • Start small! 
  • Remember to discontinue anything that is uncomfortable or is triggering for you. 
  • Sometimes it is helpful to start doing these activities when you are feeling ok, rather than when you are distressed.  
  • For some survivors of trauma, breathing exercises can be triggering. Although this exercise does not include this, it is seething to be mindful of.  

Orientating exercise:  

  • Look around the room you are in now.  
  • Spend some time just letting your eyes wander. You can also move your neck to look at all corners of the room. There is no rush. Just let your eyes go where they want to go.  
  • When you are ready, notice something that grabs your attention, something that you like in this space. It might be a picture, plant, or even just a wall colour. It can be the smallest thing! 
  • Spend some time noticing what sensations you are experiencing. Be curious, its hard – but be as non-judgemental as you can! 
  • And when you are ready to finish the practice, bring yourself back by expanding your view back to the whole room, and if it feels ok, move your head to look around again. Move in a way that feels gentle for you, perhaps wriggling your toes, stretching or feeling your feet on the floor.  

Further questions to expand your experience:  

  • Where do these sensations show up in your body? E.g., in your stomach, in your shoulders?  
  • Do the sensations have a colour, a size, a shape?  
  • Do they have texture, are the soft, hard? Do they move around your body? Do they stay the same or do they change?  
  • Did you feel like you wanted to be closer or further away to the sensation/s?  
  • What is it like just noticing these sensations?  
  • What happens to your thoughts, your behaviour when you access these sensations?  
  • When might this activity be useful for you in the future?  

If any of this information has resonated with you, or piqued your curiosity, reach out via our Contact Us page or call 1300 442 836.  

Our statement of utility:  

Please note that the exercises and information provided here are not a substitute for professional therapy. Any therapeutic exercises or techniques you engage with should be done in a way that feels safe and comfortable for you. If any exercise feels triggering or overwhelming, we strongly encourage you to seek support from a qualified professional. If this has brought up something urgent or distressing for you, please reach out to 000 if you require emergency assistance, or Lifeline on 13 11 14 or QLife on 1300 555 727.