Somatic Experiencing® is the life’s work of Dr. Peter A. Levine, resulting from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics, together with over 50 years of successful clinical application.
"The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect."
— Dr. Peter A. Levine
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing® operates under the following principles:
‣ The body has a natural ability to heal itself from trauma and stress when given the right support
‣ Trauma is not just a psychological issue, but it’s also stored in the body and manifests in physical symptoms and sensations.
‣ Trauma can result in a state of “freeze” where the body is stuck in a state of immobility or over-arousal where the body is in a constant state of hyper-alertness.
‣ In order to heal from trauma, the body needs to be allowed to complete its natural fight, flight, or freeze response.
‣ Your Somatic Experiencing® practitioner will guide you to become more aware of what’s happening in your body in a safe and regulated manner.
‣ Becoming more aware of your inner experience and allowing the body to complete its natural response helps to release pent-up energy and tension, re-balance the nervous system and reduce the symptoms of trauma and stress.
Overall, the goal of Somatic Experiencing® is to help you regulate your nervous system and find greater resilience and well-being in the face of trauma and stress.
Somatic Experiencing® offers a system to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, or freeze responses and provides tools to help release and free these fixated physiological states.
Fight, flight, and freeze are three automatic physiological responses that the body can have when confronted with a perceived threat or danger:
‣ Fight refers to the body’s instinctual response to confront a perceived threat or danger. This can involve an increase in heart rate, blood pressure, and muscle tension, as the body prepares to fight off the perceived threat.
‣ Flight refers to the body’s instinctual response to flee from a perceived threat or danger. This can involve an increase in heart rate, respiration rate, and blood pressure, as the body prepares to escape from the perceived danger.
‣ Freeze refers to the body’s instinctual response to immobilize or “play dead” in the face of a perceived threat or danger. This can involve a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration rate, as the body enters a state of stillness and immobility.
These responses are an adaptive survival mechanism that have evolved over time to help human beings respond to threats and danger in their environment. However, in the context of trauma, these responses can become dysregulated, leading to ongoing symptoms and difficulties in daily life. Somatic Experiencing® aims to address this dysregulation by working with the body’s natural self-healing mechanisms to restore a sense of safety and harmony in the nervous system.
Somatic Experiencing® offers a unique and effective approach to healing trauma that is grounded in the body and its physical experiences. By emphasizing safety and encouraging active engagement with present experiences, Somatic Experiencing® invites you to move towards greater well-being and resilience.
A few principles of Somatic Experiencing®:
‣ Focus on the body: Somatic Experiencing® emphasizes the importance of the body and its physical sensations in the healing process. Rather than solely relying on talking, Somatic Experiencing® encourages you to tune into your bodily experience as a means of healing trauma.
‣ Emphasis on safety: Somatic Experiencing® places a strong emphasis on creating a safe and supportive environment. The practitioner will work with you to establish a sense of safety and security before delving into deeper inner experiences.
‣ Focus on the present moment: Somatic Experiencing® is an active technique that encourages you to engage with your experience in the present moment and to develop and refine your somatic awareness of what’s here now.
Somatic Experiencing® is also a gentle process that respects the organic, natural rhythm of the nervous system. At its heart are three key components: tracking, titration, and pendulation.
‣ Tracking involves paying attention to your inner bodily experiences, such as tension or discomfort, and allowing them to be experienced without judgment.
‣Titration involves slowly and gently exploring these sensations in a way that feels manageable, rather than overwhelming.
‣ Pendulation involves moving back and forth between sensations of discomfort and sensations of relaxation, creating a sense of balance and safety in the body.
“I want to thank you again for our session. Last night I felt grounded and joyful and as I sat on the couch watching a movie I was aware that I wasn’t worrying and my heart wasn’t pounding. Today I am feeling much better than the last two months as well. I’m completely amazed. I keep testing myself which I know I should stop – I guess I am just so blown away at how different/better I feel. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
“I am very grateful for the beautiful and powerful healing session with you. (...) I am reveling in a state of greatly enhanced energy and have experienced absolutely no tiredness whatsoever. I am much more alert, much more present. I am optimistic and enthusiastic with a sense of joie de vivre.”
“Serge is a gifted energy worker. Healing takes place through the human energy field, so when I needed help with improving my health and increasing vitality, I turned to Serge. His ability to hold a safe space and channel energy is impressive. (...) What impressed me the most, however, were the expanded states of consciousness I enjoyed as a result of working with Serge. Blissful and Divine are words that come to mind. I highly recommend Serge. "
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A certified Brennan Healing Science® Practitioner, Serge trained for four years at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing, from which he graduated in 2001. Developed by Dr. Barbara Brennan over 35 years, Brennan Healing Science® is a holistic healing modality based on the Human Energy-Consciousness System and its relationship to health and disease. The Barbara Brennan School of Healing was founded in 1982 by Dr. Brennan, former NASA physicist, and the best-selling author of Hands of Light, Light Emerging and Core Light Healing.
A certified Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, Serge trained in trauma work for three years at the Somatic Experiencing® International institute, from which he graduated in 2023. Somatic Experiencing® is a naturalistic and neurobiological approach to healing trauma developed over the past 50 years by Dr. Peter A. Levine. Dr. Levine is the author of several best-selling books, including Waking the Tiger, Healing Trauma and In an Unspoken Voice, How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness.
Disclaimer: While the Healing Heart Space, LLC’s healings, sessions and services contribute to wellness, they are not intended to replace medical or mental health diagnosis and treatment by a physician, psychotherapist or mental health professional. It is highly recommended that you consult your physician or mental health professional regarding any illness or symptoms you may have. We do not diagnose illnesses, nor do we recommend diets, medical treatments or supplements.