Somatic Experiencing
Trauma is in our nervous systems, not in the event.
I believe everybody can experience the benefits of Somatic Experiencing, whether the “something” causing suffering is recent or if it happened decades ago.
The founder of Somatic Experiencing, Dr. Peter Levine, reminds us that
I work with clients across the U.S. who are navigating trauma, chronic stress, and nervous system dysregulation - especially those who have tried other approaches and are still searching for relief.
Growing up with immigrant with parents and a grandparent who survived poverty and war, I have a unique understanding of how generational patterns are passed down - and how possible it is to change them with the right support. This lived experience continues to inform the way I work: with care, respect for the nervous system, and a deep belief in our capacity for repair.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a gentle, body-based approach to releasing trauma and chronic stress.
When we experience overwhelming events—such as accidents, medical procedures, loss, ongoing fear, abuse, or conflict—our survival brain triggers a massive surge of fight, flight, or freeze energy to protect us. If that energy isn't fully discharged, it becomes physically bound in our muscles and nervous system, leaving us stuck in a chronic state of bracing, anxiety, or exhaustion.
We cannot think our way out of trauma; we must feel our way out.
Rather than rehashing old stories, SE gently guides you to track your physical sensations at a safe, manageable pace. Unlike talk therapy which takes a “top-down” approach through story, SE takes a “bottom-up” approach through your nervous system and the felt sense.
By listening to the body, we allow the nervous system to complete its natural self-protective responses, unburdening the root cause of your symptoms and restoring your innate capacity for balance, vitality, and peace.
What to Expect in a Session
Safety First
We always begin by grounding your system. We take the time to identify your unique internal and external resources—the exact things, memories, or places that help you feel anchored, supported, and completely in control.
We gently explore the direct physical language of your nervous system—tracking sensations like warmth, expansion, coolness, or tightness. We focus on the how your body is carrying stress right now, without needing to dive into or rehash painful stories.
Noticing Your Body
Titration
(Taking Small Steps)
Trauma happens when a system experiences too much, too fast, too soon. In our work, we do the exact opposite. We focus on just one tiny, manageable piece of an experience at a time, allowing your body to process it slowly and safely.
Pendulation
(The Natural Flow)
Your nervous system naturally moves in a rhythm. We mirror that rhythm by gently looping between challenging physical sensations and your calming or neutral resources. This natural fluid movement prevents your system from becoming flooded or overwhelmed.
Integration
We pause to track how your body feels as the survival energy finally discharges and releases. This allows your nervous system to fully assimilate the shift, mapping new neural pathways of balance, resilience, and ease.
Somatic Awareness Vocabulary Guide
When we experience trauma or chronic stress, our brains default to analytical "storytelling." To heal, we must shift our attention out of the narrative and into the direct, physical language of the nervous system. This vocabulary list helps to track, name, and gently witness the physical sensations moving through your body.
Sample List of Somatic Sensations
Temperature
Thermal energy sensations held in your tissues and nervous system.
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Warm / Hot: Radiant, glowing, simmering, flushed, burning, steaming.
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Cool / Cold: Chilly, icy, frosty, shivering, numbing, refreshing.
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Neutral: Room-temperature, regulated, unnoticeable, temperate.
Pressure & Density
Sensations of structural weight, bracing, or muscular holding patterns in your body.
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Heavy: Weighted, like a stone, leaden, grounded, anchored, sinking, dense.
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Light: Airy, floating, weightless, hollow, spacious, buoyant, empty.
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Tight / Bound: Constricted, squeezed, knot-like, compressed, banded, braced, rigid.
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Open / Loose: Expanded, spacious, fluid, loose, soft, yielding, relaxed.
Movement
& Vibration
Tracking sensations of kinetic discharge or activation of survival energy (fight or flight)
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Fast / Active: Buzzing, vibrating, racing, pulsing, tingling, electric, trembling, jittery.
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Slow / Quiet: Still, humming, creeping, trickling, slow-motion, frozen, stagnant.
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Rhythmic: Throbbing, beating, expanding and contracting, undulating, flowing.
Texture
& Shape
Shapes or textures that help the brain stem visualize and externalize what it is holding.
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Sharp: Prickly, piercing, stabbing, needle-like, stinging, acute.
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Dull: Aching, throbbing, diffuse, cloudy, fuzzy, generalized.
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Textured: Rough, jagged, smooth, silky, gritty, sticky, velvety, hard.
Breath
& Internal Space
Tracking the visceral, internal landscape of your chest, solar plexus, and belly.
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Constricted: Shallow, held, caught, suffocated, tight, guarded, knotted.
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Expansive: Deep, full, fluid, easy, clear, open, continuous, effortless.
Download the guide to somatic sensations here.