Psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing
Welcome to my psychotherapy and Somatic Experiencing practice. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a naturalistic form of healing that will help you learn how to settle and release physiological activation from your body. Very often this process helps people to reduce stress and return to a sense of regulation and mastery in their lives. SE will support you in learning how to attend to uncomfortable sensations in your body and gently unwind them through your conscious attention. SE is particularly useful in managing stress because so many of the symptoms are physiological. If you would like to read more about SE, visit our website at www.traumahealing.comor read In an Unspoken Voiceby Dr. Peter Levine. During SE practice, your therapist might utilize other psychotherapy methods and will discuss these with you.
Benefits and Risks
SE may offer you many benefits such as an increase in your ability to self-soothe and feel empowered. However, there may also be risks as with any treatment that focuses on healing trauma. Although SE is designed to help you resource and work with manageable amounts of discomfort, you may experience challenging feelings, images, or thoughts. Furthermore, as with any stress reduction treatment, there can be no guarantee that you will reach your goals. That said, many people report that SE has helped them tremendously and has created positive change in their lives. Learning how to reorganize “body memory” is often a vital to learning how to relax and calm your nervous system.
SE Session Format
SE sessions are done seated in a chair or couch depending on your preference. You will be asked to share an impression of the sensations that you feel in your body, such as tightness, heat, shakiness, expansion, relaxations, etc. I will teach you ways to track, or follow, these sensations with your awareness and come to a place of rebalance.
Touch
SE is not a form of massage. I may offer you touch support for the following reasons: grounding, containment, supportive, mobilization, or awareness building. You will always be asked before being touched and have the right and my full support to decline. If you do not feel comfortable with touch, or if the session does not call for it, session work will not include touch.
Confirmation
It is a great honor for me to work with you and share my knowledge of Somatic Experiencing. I hope to teach you skills that will help you reduce stress in your life. It takes strength and courage to explore greater self-awareness, and I feel privileged to support you in reaching your goals.
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