Somatic Experiencing (SE)
“Trauma is not just an event that took place sometime in the past; it is also the imprint left by that experience on mind, brain, and body.”
Bessel van der Kolk
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based approach to healing trauma, stress, and nervous system dysregulation developed by Peter A. Levine. This approach is based on the understanding that trauma is not only stored in thoughts and memories, but also within the body and nervous system.
When overwhelming experiences occur, the nervous system may become stuck in survival responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown. Even after danger has passed, the body can continue reacting as though threat is still present.
Somatic Experiencing helps clients gently reconnect with their bodies, regulate their nervous systems, and release stored survival energy in a safe and gradual way.
Rather than focusing only on talking through experiences, SE emphasizes body awareness, nervous system regulation, and creating a greater sense of internal safety and stability.
What does Somatic Experiencing look like in therapy?
Somatic Experiencing sessions often focus on helping clients notice body sensations, nervous system responses, and patterns of activation or shutdown with curiosity and compassion.
Therapy may include:
Increasing awareness of body sensations
Tracking nervous system activation
Grounding and regulation techniques
Breath and movement awareness
Identifying fight, flight, freeze, or shutdown responses
Building internal safety and stability
Processing stress and trauma gradually
Developing greater mind-body connection
SE does not require clients to relive traumatic experiences in detail. Instead, therapy works slowly and carefully to help the nervous system process unresolved stress while increasing capacity for regulation and safety.
At Nashville Counseling Associates, Somatic Experiencing is often integrated alongside EMDR, Brainspotting, mindfulness, attachment-focused therapy, and relational approaches to support deeper healing.
Somatic Experiencing could be right for you if you experience or relate to any of the following...
- Trauma or PTSD symptoms
Chronic anxiety or panic
Hypervigilance or feeling constantly “on edge”
Emotional numbness or shutdown
Burnout or nervous system exhaustion
Difficulty relaxing or feeling safe
Stress-related physical symptoms
Dissociation or disconnection from the body
Chronic overwhelm
Difficulty regulating emotions
Attachment wounds or relational trauma
Persistent tension or holding stress in the body
Sleep difficulties or restlessness
Feeling stuck in survival mode
How can Somatic Experiencing help you?
- Many individuals living with anxiety, trauma, burnout, or chronic stress feel disconnected from their bodies or trapped in survival mode. Somatic Experiencing helps clients better understand and regulate nervous system responses while building greater resilience and emotional balance.
Somatic Experiencing can help clients:
Reduce anxiety and panic symptoms
Improve nervous system regulation
Decrease hypervigilance and chronic stress
Heal trauma and PTSD symptoms
Improve emotional regulation
Reduce feelings of overwhelm or shutdown
Increase grounding and body awareness
Improve sleep and relaxation
Strengthen emotional resilience
Feel safer and more connected within themselves
Our Approach to Somatic Experiencing
- At Nashville Counseling Associates, we believe healing involves more than insight alone. The body and nervous system often carry the effects of stress and trauma long after painful experiences have passed.
Somatic Experiencing offers a gentle and compassionate way to reconnect with the body, increase nervous system regulation, and develop a greater sense of safety, grounding, and resilience. Our therapists tailor this work to each client’s pace and comfort, helping clients move toward healing without becoming overwhelmed or retraumatized.
Interested in healing under this therapeutic approach?
Reach out and we will connect you with a qualified therapist.
