SOMATIC EXPERIENCING® (SEᵀᴹ)

A naturalistic, and neurobiological, body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress-related disorders; restoring the authentic self with self-regulation, relaxation, wholeness, and aliveness.

“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not have to be a life sentence. ” — Peter A Levine, PhD

The SEᵀᴹ Approach

The Somatic Experiencing® method is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma and other stress disorders. It is the life’s work of Peter A. Levine, PhD, resulting from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, psychology, and indigenous healing practices, together with over 50 years of successful clinical application. The SEᵀᴹ approach releases traumatic shock and restores connection, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental childhood/attachment trauma. It offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, freeze or fawn responses and provides clinical tools to resolve these fixated physiological states.

Somatic Experiencing® therapy focuses on healing trauma by addressing the physical sensations that arise in the body during traumatic experiences. Somatic Experiencing® therapy is based on the idea that traumatic experiences can cause a dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system, which can lead to a range of trauma symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Somatic Experiencing® (SEᵀᴹ) training programs are only designed to be accessible to therapists with an existing modality.

The Science

Trauma may begin as acute stress from a perceived life-threat or as the end product of cumulative stress. Both types of stress can seriously impair a person’s ability to function with resilience and ease, and live in the here-and-now. Trauma may result from a wide variety of stressors such as accidents, invasive medical procedures, sexual or physical assault, emotional abuse, neglect, war, racial discrimination, oppression, natural disasters, loss, birth trauma, or the corrosive stressors of ongoing fear, conflict, and childhood trauma/chronic shaming.

“You don’t have to know the facts of your story to be able to reprogram the symptoms or the outcomes.” — Peter A Levine, PhD

How it Works

Human beings have an innate ability to overcome the effects of diverse traumas. The SEᵀᴹ approach facilitates the completion of self-protective motoric responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body and nervous system, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions, building their capacity for containment and resilience.

Nature's Lesson

Beginning in the 1970’s, Peter’s explorations into how animals deal with threat led to the development of the Somatic Experiencing® method (SEᵀᴹ), a method that is highly effective in dealing with the effects of overwhelm on our nervous system. SEᵀᴹ is a clinical methodology based upon an appreciation of why animals in the wild are not traumatized by routine threats to their lives, while humans, on the other hand, are readily overwhelmed and often subject to long-lasting traumatic symptoms of hyperarousal, shutdown, and dysregulation.

How Animals Discharge Shock

Dr. Levine was inspired to study stress on the nervous system when he realised that animals in the wild are constantly under threat of death from predation, yet rarely show symptoms of trauma. He discovered that deep trauma has to do with the third survival response to perceived life threat, which is freeze and collapse. When fight and flight are not options, both animals in the wild and humans freeze and immobilise, like “playing dead.” This makes them less of a target. The freeze and collapse response is time-limited; in other words, it needs to run its course and allow the massive energy that was prepared for fight or flight to discharge through spontaneous gentle inner shaking and trembling. If the immobility phase does not complete, then that charge stays trapped, and, from the body’s perspective, is still under threat and often continues to perceive the world from that perspective. Somatic Experiencing® works to release this stored energy and turn off this threat alarm that causes dysregulation and dissociation.

Don't Re-live, Renegotiate

The traumatic past event isn’t what causes long-lasting trauma, it is the overwhelming trapped response to the perceived life-threat that is causing an imbalanced nervous system. Somatic Experiencing’s aim is to help one access the body memory (procedural memory) of the event, not the story. It is not necessary to share the details of your trauma history to do SEᵀᴹ. The objective is to diffuse the power of the narrative and remap the body memory to regain aliveness and flow.

Take your Time

Titration is the slow release of compressed survival energy. Somatic Experiencing® operates in cycles, where you sense your way through the normal oscillations of internal sensation – contraction/expansion, pleasure/pain, warmth/cold – but only at the level that you can handle without becoming overwhelmed. This repeated, rhythmic process helps you to develop a greater capacity to handle stress and stay in the present moment, where you belong.

“Taking time is very important—as body time is much slower than cognitive time or emotional time.” — Dr. Levine

The Process of Somatic Experiencing Therapy

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” — Dr. Levine

Initial Stages

The initial stages of Somatic Experiencing® therapy involve establishing a sense of safety and trust between the therapist and the client. The therapist helps the client to identify the physical sensations that arise in their body when they feel stressed or triggered. This process is called resourcing, and it involves identifying internal and external resources that can help the client feel more grounded and present in their body.

Middle Stages

The middle stages of Somatic Experiencing® therapy involve working with the client to process traumatic memories and experiences. This process is called titration, and it involves working with small pieces of the traumatic experience at a time, rather than overwhelming the client with the entire experience all at once. The therapist helps the client to pendulate between the traumatic memory and a resource, such as a pleasant memory or a physical sensation, to help regulate their nervous system. The overall length of processing varies greatly, depending on the nature of the related trauma.

Final Stages

The final stages of Somatic Experiencing® therapy involve integrating the traumatic experience into the client's life in a way that promotes resilience and healing. This process is called completion, and it involves helping the client to find meaning and purpose in their experience, and to develop a sense of empowerment and agency over their life. The therapist may use a variety of techniques, such as touch, movement, and meditation, to help the client feel more present in their body and to promote relaxation and healing. All SEᵀᴹ practitioners have an additional modality. Gentle bodywork integrated with SEᵀᴹ is particularly effective for early developmental trauma.

Somatic Experiencing® therapy is a powerful tool for healing trauma and promoting resilience. This therapy can be particularly helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma related to accidents, loss, physical sensations, anger, grief, or natural disasters. It is also helpful for individuals who have experienced trauma related to sexual or physical assault, emotional abuse, neglect, or oppression. Somatic Experiencing® therapy can help individuals to develop a greater sense of homeostasis and to improve their quality of life.

Bottom Up Processing

Like other somatic psychology approaches, Somatic Experiencing® is a body first approach to dealing with the problematic (and oftentimes physical) symptoms of trauma. It helps individuals create new experiences in their bodies; ones that contradict those of tension and overwhelming helplessness. This means that healing isn’t about reclaiming memories or changing our thoughts and beliefs about how we feel, it’s about exploring the sensations that lie underneath our feelings and beliefs, as well as our habitual behavior patterns.

Understanding Somatic Experiencing®

SEᵀᴹ recognises that trauma symptoms are not solely psychological but also physiological and that the nervous system plays a crucial role in the development and maintenance of those symptoms.

SEᵀᴹ is based on the premise that the body has an innate ability to heal itself and that trauma symptoms are often the result of incomplete or interrupted physiological responses to traumatic events. By focusing on physical sensations and bodily experiences, SEᵀᴹ aims to help individuals complete those responses and restore their natural state of homeostasis.

SEᵀᴹ emphasises the importance of resourcing, which involves identifying and strengthening internal and external resources that can help individuals cope with stress and trauma. These resources can include physical sensations, memories, emotions, and relationships. By learning to access and utilise these resources, individuals can increase their resilience and improve their quality of life.

SEᵀᴹ also utilises various techniques to help individuals regulate their nervous system and manage overwhelming emotions. These techniques include pendulation, titration, grounding, and resourcing. Pendulation involves moving back and forth between sensations of safety and sensations of discomfort, while titration involves breaking down overwhelming experiences into smaller, more manageable parts. Grounding techniques help individuals stay connected to the present moment and their physical surroundings, while resourcing techniques help individuals access positive experiences and emotions.

SEᵀᴹ can be used to treat a wide range of trauma-related issues, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety, anger, grief, and chronic pain. It has been shown to be effective for both children and adults and can be used in conjunction with other forms of therapy or as a standalone treatment.

SEᵀᴹ is grounded in the principles of somatic psychology, neuroscience, ethology, and indigenous healing practices. SEᵀᴹ can be used by psychologists, psychotherapists, first responders, and anyone else interested in healing trauma and improving their mental health.

Somatic Psychology: SEᵀᴹ incorporates the understanding of how the mind and body interact, especially in the context of stress and trauma. Somatic psychology emphasizes the importance of bodily experiences in psychological health.

Neuroscience: SEᵀᴹ is informed by neuroscience in understanding how trauma impacts the brain and nervous system. It uses this knowledge to help regulate the nervous system and promote healing.

Ethology: Ethology provides insights into instinctual responses and behaviours, particularly in response to threat or trauma. SEᵀᴹ uses this understanding to address how trauma affects instinctual fight, flight, or freeze responses.

Indigenous Healing Practices: SEᵀᴹ integrates wisdom and practices from indigenous cultures, acknowledging the holistic and interconnected nature of healing. This includes a focus on the balance of mind, body, and spirit, as well as a deep connection to nature and community.

OUR PRACTITIONERS

John McLane

I’m John McLane, a body oriented therapist, Certified in both Somatic Experiencing® and Rolfing® Structural integration. I am inspired by what happens when people learn to listen to their bodies and rediscover their natural ability to complete what has been held physically in the nervous system.

My path towards becoming a somatic therapist began in 2010 whilst attending extended silent meditation retreats. The importance of embodiment was clear but accessing and remaining with a broad felt sense of the body proved challenging. Fortunately I was steered towards Rolfing® and other somatic therapies. As a whole new world opened up, I felt intrigued and called to train and help others to integrate and heal from the impact of past events which impacts their nervous system and ability to be fully present. I am particularly interested in how trauma affects us physically, as well as mentally, and how touch enables us to process long held patterns of physical and emotional bracing.

I graduated as a Certified RolferTM in January 2017 after studying at the British Academy of Rolfing® Structural Integration. I have since qualified as a Certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner (SEP) after three years of study with SOS Internationale. I am now an assistant on the full SEᵀᴹ training course in London with SOS Internationale and committed to continued education.

Somatic Experiencing® (SEᵀᴹ) supports the emotional and mental aspects of the mind-body. In SEᵀᴹ, trauma refers to incomplete reactions in the nervous system. It is not an event that causes trauma, it is the nervous system’s capacity that determines whether we integrate an experience or get stuck. This can happen in response to an acute event like a car accident, injury, surgery, combat, etc or it could be from ongoing stress like chaos, abuse in the home or a demanding, fast-paced work environment.

Our nervous system is designed to enable our survival and often does so by overriding the vulnerable expressions of an experience by prioritising what it perceives is needed to stay alive in the moment. When we are unable to remain present during an overwhelming experience, this suppressed energy stays in the body, tethering us to the past. These injuries to the nervous system accumulate, deepening tension patterns and demand excessive energy for the body to manage.

In a safe environment of non-judgment and attunement, I can help you to understand and resolve symptoms of trauma, overwhelm and chronic stress by connecting with your body and understanding the patterns your nervous system has learnt to adopt. As these patterns are gently explored and released, the events and unspoken narrative which informed the body’s need to brace and hold can be allowed to speak, creating long lasting and meaningful change. You will be supported to experience and discover your own resourcefulness and the new possibilities this can bring in order to move forward with curiosity, creativity and trust.

I offer Somatic Experiencing® Therapy (SEᵀᴹ) or Rolfing®, integrated with elements of SEᵀᴹ. Rolfing® and SEᵀᴹ compliment one another as body centred somatic therapies. Trauma is held in the body, particularly in our joints and connective tissue (fascia). Over time this can become compounded and gives rise to the many bewildering symptoms and syndromes of unresolved trauma.

“Mr. Duffy lived a short distance from his body.” – James Joyce, Dubliners

As a Rolferᵀᴹ I work with people from diverse backgrounds, including musicians, athletes, dancers, yoga students/teachers, company executives and people who simply want the classic Rolfing® series and/or a kinder more connected relationship with their bodies.

People also come seeking improved performance in sports and the arts, help with chronic pain, or relief and resolution from the many bewildering symptoms and syndromes of unresolved trauma. As a lifelong musician, I am particularly interested in how creativity and our desire to express is connected to, and either enhanced or hindered by, our posture and habitual ways of being and moving in the world.

I enjoy helping people to enquire into how their posture, presence, and ability to connect to themselves and others is rooted in the narrative and river of their lives via the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Through a rich combination of Rolfing®, movement work and somatic enquiry, our habitual holding patterns and incomplete reactions within the autonomic nervous system can be understood, resolved, and released.

I offer Rolfing® and/or Somatic Experiencing®, independently or integrated.

The combined therapeutic approach of Rolfing® and SEᵀᴹ often shines a revealing light on ‘how’ we have been showing up in life. A compassionate dialogue between body and mind addresses the reasons ‘why’, creating lasting and meaningful change.

I look forward to working with you.

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