Through this method, practitioners work on releasing this stress from the body.
Somatic experiencing helps them increase awareness of their internal experience (interoceptive, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic sensations).
Typically, most therapy uses our cognitive skills to access our memories or traumas via “top-down” methods.
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You will begin with simply noting what you are feeling in your body.
Somatic experiencing therapy can help by relieving the emotions, stress, and pain that have detrimental effects.
For example, it can help relieve stress and pain associated with muscle tension.
Benefits of Somatic Experiencing Therapy
The trauma that is held within the body may lead toemotional dysregulation.
One aspect of this dysregulation is thefreeze response,our bodys primitive defense against danger.
This response would activate if someone were being chased by a tiger.
The freeze response in the human body is akin to an animal “playing dead.”
It is said that the body doesnt know how to distinguish physical trauma from mental trauma.
One study looked at the efficacy of somatic experiencing interventions following a 2004 tsunami in India.
The results indicated that a three-year somatic experiencing training course significantly improved quality of life and psychological symptoms.
A 2021 scoping literature review found that the current research on somatic experiencing therapy shows promise.
This may also be known asfeeling triggered.
This may feel uncomfortable, but that is the point.
His organization offers training in this particular approach.
you’ve got the option to find a list of practitioners on theirwebsite.
What to Expect
Be prepared for your practitioner to ask you about your trauma history.
A good practitioner should recognize and respect that and work with you to feel safe as you disclose more.
What Does a Session Look Like?
They will then ask questions centered around assessing how your body is responding to your trauma and stress.
The therapeutic process will involve facilitating states of arousal triggered by the trauma and sensations of safety and calm.
You will learn to safely ride these somatic experiences out as you begin to heal.
Find out which option is the best for you.
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