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“The body keeps the score. It remembers what the mind tries to forget.”
– Bessel van der Kolk
3 types of Somatic Therapy
Here are three types of Somatic Therapy:
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Somatic Experiencing (SE): Developed by Peter Levine, SE focuses on the body's natural ability to heal itself from trauma. It helps individuals release stored tension and trauma by paying attention to bodily sensations and gently guiding the body through a process of discharge and re-regulation.
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Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP): Created by Pat Ogden, SP integrates somatic and cognitive-behavioral approaches to trauma therapy. It focuses on the connection between the body and the mind, using body awareness, movement, and mindfulness techniques to help individuals process trauma stored in the body.
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Body-Mind Centering (BMC): This approach, developed by Bonnie Bainbridge Cohen, combines movement, touch, and anatomy to explore how the body and mind interact. It uses embodied practices to help individuals become more aware of their bodily experiences, supporting healing through movement and touch.
These therapies emphasize the importance of the body in trauma recovery, helping individuals process and release stored trauma through physical awareness and regulation.
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FAQ: Somatic Experiencing Therapy
What is Somatic Experiencing Therapy ?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-oriented therapeutic approach that focuses on the psychophysiological consequences of traumatic events. SE is based on a generalized psychobiological model of resilience (Levine, 1997). According to SE, post-traumatic stress symptoms arise from a prolonged overreaction of the innate stress system.
Source: Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., & Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing – effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023.
Talk therapy vs Somatic therapy ?
Talk therapy focuses on verbal exploration of thoughts and emotions, while somatic therapy targets the mind-body connection, using physical sensations and techniques to release stored trauma and stress.
Does insurance cover somatic therapy ?
Yes, most insurance plans cover somatic therapy, depending on whether the therapist is recognized under your specific insurance plan.
Example of Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy
Example of Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy
Therapist: "I am feeling a sudden exhaustion with you, do you feel that when we started talking about your trauma?"
Client: "Yes I always feel that but I didn't notice it happens when I talk about my trauma specifically."
Therapist: "Can you help me understand how you feel that tiredness ?
I am calling it exhaustion, tiredness, what would you call in in your own words ?"
Client: "Brain fog"
Therapist: "Can you help me understand how you experience Brain fog ?
I am experiencing it drowsiness, sadness, a weight suddenly coming over me, how about you ?"
Client: "Yes all those things, yes the drowning aspect is familar to me."
Therapist: "Would it be helpful if we stay with this emotion and explore this a bit with me ?"
Client: "Yes."
Therapist: "Great let's go into a few exercises,
I'm going to explain the exercises to you first before going into them if that's ok"
This is an example of somatic therapy, where the therapist uses their own physical experience to guide the client in becoming more attuned to their own bodily sensations. The therapist invites the client to notice and describe how their body feels in response to trauma-related discussion, helping to bring attention to physical sensations like exhaustion, brain fog, and drowning.
This approach encourages the client to explore emotional experiences through the body, which can help in processing trauma.
By focusing on these sensations, the client can gain insights into their emotions, and the therapist can lead them through somatic exercises to release and integrate these feelings.
From here we would usually adapt other models to tailor the experience for the client in their presenting concerns and therapy goals.This approach is typically effective, as clients often report becoming more aware of their triggers between sessions, helping them avoid spiraling.