The hectic pace of the world leaves many people overwhelmed by stress and trauma, struggling to regain emotional balance.
While traditional therapies can be helpful, they often focus on the mind, leaving the body’s role in healing unaddressed. Somatic Experiencing Therapy (SET) offers a different approach.
Focusing on the body’s natural ability to heal itself, SET helps individuals release trauma stored in the body, promoting a deeper sense of well-being and resilience.
This innovative therapy taps into the powerful connection between the mind and body, allowing for more holistic recovery.
Whether you’re dealing with stress, trauma, or extreme emotions, somatic therapy could be the key to unlocking lasting healing and balance. Discover how this approach can help your emotional and physical well-being journey.
What Is Somatic Experiencing Therapy?
Somatic Experiencing Therapy (SET), created by Dr. Peter Levine, is a type of therapy that focuses on how the body can help heal trauma. The main idea behind SET is that trauma is stored in the body, and this can show up as physical tension, chronic pain, or emotional problems. Unlike traditional therapies that mainly focus on talking through mental issues, SET zeroes in on the body’s role in dealing with trauma.
In SET, clients are encouraged to pay attention to their physical sensations and learn how to release the stored energy from traumatic experiences. This approach helps the nervous system to reset and recover, leading to improved balance, resilience, and emotional health.
By focusing on the body’s responses, SET provides a gentle but effective way to address and heal trauma.
How Does Somatic Experiencing Therapy Work?
SET works by helping individuals become more aware of their physical sensations. In a session, the therapist guides clients to tune into their internal experiences—such as tension, tingling, or warmth—and gently process these sensations without being overwhelmed.
Rather than completely diving into a traumatic memory, SET focuses on small, manageable steps, allowing the body to release the stored tension gradually.
Here are a few critical techniques used in Somatic Experiencing Therapy:
Body Awareness
In Somatic Experiencing Therapy, clients are encouraged to focus on subtle physical sensations and bodily movements. This involves paying close attention to how different areas of the body feel, identifying any discomfort or tension, and tracking these sensations over time.
By becoming more attuned to these internal signals, clients can better understand where and how trauma is being held in their bodies, leading to more effective healing.
Pendulation
This technique in SET involves gently shifting between feelings of distress and calm. By navigating these emotional states in a controlled way, clients help their somatic nervous systems recalibrate and process trauma gradually.
Pendulation allows clients to experience relief from distress while remaining engaged in the healing process, fostering a more balanced and manageable approach to addressing traumatic experiences.
Titration
In SET, rather than revisiting traumatic events in their entirety, clients work with smaller, manageable segments of the trauma. This technique helps prevent the overwhelming feelings that can come with re-living traumatic experiences all at once.
By focusing on these smaller pieces, clients can address trauma in a way that minimizes the risk of re-traumatization and supports gradual healing.
Resource Building
Therapists help clients develop both internal and external resources to create a sense of safety and support during therapy. This can include identifying and cultivating positive memories, using grounding techniques to stay present, and establishing safe spaces where clients feel secure.
By building these resources, clients enhance their ability to cope with trauma and maintain emotional stability throughout the healing process.
The Benefits of Somatic Experiencing Therapy
Somatic Experiencing Therapy offers a wide range of benefits, particularly for individuals who have experienced trauma, chronic stress, or anxiety.
Here are some of the key advantages:
- Healing from Trauma: SET helps release trauma stored in the body, addressing its root causes and alleviating symptoms such as flashbacks, anxiety, and emotional numbness.
- Stress Reduction: By working with the body’s natural rhythms, SET calms the somatic nervous system, promoting relaxation and a sense of safety.
- Improved Emotional Regulation: Clients develop a better ability to manage and cope with overwhelming emotions, allowing them to face life’s challenges more resiliently.
- Enhanced Mind-Body Connection: As individuals become more attuned to their body’s signals, they gain insight into how their emotions and physical sensations are interconnected.
- Long-lasting Healing: SET promotes sustainable healing by addressing both the physical and emotional aspects of trauma rather than simply managing symptoms.
Who Can Benefit from Somatic Experiencing Therapy?
Somatic Experiencing Therapy can be beneficial for a wide variety of individuals, including those dealing with:
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Anxiety and panic disorders
- Chronic pain and tension
- Grief and loss
- Depression and emotional numbness
- Burnout or work-related stress
- Attachment and relationship issues
Whether the trauma stems from a singular event, such as an accident or assault, or from chronic exposure to stress, SET offers a gentle and effective pathway toward healing.
How Somatic Experiencing Therapy Fosters Resilience
One of the most empowering aspects of somatic therapy is its ability to build resilience. Trauma can disrupt the body’s ability to regulate itself, leaving individuals in a perpetual state of fight, flight, or freeze. Through SET, clients learn to reconnect with their bodies, understand their responses, and gradually restore balance to their nervous system.
As a result, clients develop a stronger sense of self-awareness, empowering them to navigate future stressors with more ease and adaptability. This resilience extends beyond trauma recovery, allowing individuals to feel more present, grounded, and capable of facing life’s challenges.
Start Your Healing Journey with Somatic Experiencing Therapy
At NuVista Therapy, we believe in the transformative power of Somatic Experiencing Therapy to help individuals heal from trauma and reclaim their sense of well-being. We are here to assist you if you’re ready to start your healing journey and explore how SET can benefit you.
Contact NuVista Therapy today to schedule a consultation and explore how Somatic Experiencing Therapy can help you achieve healing through body awareness. Our practice offers a range of services, including solution-focused therapies, to address various conditions and support you in your journey toward emotional and physical well-being.
By incorporating the body’s natural healing capacities, SET offers a unique and effective approach to trauma recovery. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, chronic pain, learning disabilities, or unresolved trauma, this therapy provides a path toward resilience, emotional balance, and a more fulfilling life.
