Somatic Experiencing
‘Trauma does not have to be a life-sentence’- Peter Levine
Trauma is not just an event from the past. For people who experience trauma, it continues as a repeated, unpleasant experience in the present. They can feel it as pain, tightness, breathlessness or discomfort in the body and sometimes as bad memories or nightmares.
Trauma prevents one from thinking clearly, focusing or making decisions. They feel anxious, scattered, afraid, and are unable to calm themselves or soothe their emotions. They even have difficulty in asking for help from others.
Trauma makes one feel separated or broken into several pieces. Sometimes, they may find themselves constantly getting into dangerous situations and taking risks with their lives. At times, getting into dangerous situations is a way of numbing the pain or fear that they experience. At other times, they alternate between getting ready to run fast and save their lives and feeling like they are stuck and have no energy to even move.
As a Somatic Experiencing therapist, I bring in presence and attunement in an environment of safety, comfort and trust. I enable clients to slow down so their body does not feel like it is constantly running away from danger. I offer them a space for healing to take place, slowly and surely, by way of curiosity, joy and openness. The goal is to help them be more with their sensations and feelings in the present moment, deal with stressful or traumatic events from the past so that they move with hope and confidence in the now and in the future.
Trauma is not just an event from the past. For people who experience trauma, it continues as a repeated, unpleasant experience in the present. They can feel it as pain, tightness, breathlessness or discomfort in the body and sometimes as bad memories or nightmares.
Trauma prevents one from thinking clearly, focusing or making decisions. They feel anxious, scattered, afraid, and are unable to calm themselves or soothe their emotions. They even have difficulty in asking for help from others.
Trauma makes one feel separated or broken into several pieces. Sometimes, they may find themselves constantly getting into dangerous situations and taking risks with their lives. At times, getting into dangerous situations is a way of numbing the pain or fear that they experience. At other times, they alternate between getting ready to run fast and save their lives and feeling like they are stuck and have no energy to even move.
As a Somatic Experiencing therapist, I bring in presence and attunement in an environment of safety, comfort and trust. I enable clients to slow down so their body does not feel like it is constantly running away from danger. I offer them a space for healing to take place, slowly and surely, by way of curiosity, joy and openness. The goal is to help them be more with their sensations and feelings in the present moment, deal with stressful or traumatic events from the past so that they move with hope and confidence in the now and in the future.