Somatic Experiencing (SE)1)2) is a therapeutic approach developed by Peter Levine3) to help individuals resolve symptoms of trauma and stress. It is based on the idea that trauma and stress can create physical and emotional tension that is stored in the body, leading to ongoing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
SE utilizes the body's innate healing mechanisms to resolve symptoms by helping individuals become more aware of and release trapped physical and emotional energy stored in the body after traumatic experiences. This is achieved through techniques such as micromovements, gentle touch, and slow, intentional breathing, which help bring awareness to sensations in the body and promote the release of trapped energy.
It focuses on the role of the body in the healing process similar to Bessel van der Kolks "The Body Keeps the Score" and emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship and a collaborative approach, with the therapist working closely with the individual to create a safe and supportive environment. This allows individuals to process and integrate their experiences at their own pace, leading to greater resilience and a sense of empowerment.
According to Levine, trauma can be stored in the body as tension and dysregulation, and somatic experiencing aims to help individuals release this stored tension and return to a state of balance. The therapy involves helping individuals become more aware of their physical sensations and emotions, and using these sensations as a way to regulate their arousal levels and find relief from physical and emotional symptoms.
In somatic experiencing, the therapist works with the individual to identify and track physical sensations related to the traumatic event, and to gradually process and release stored tension in a safe and controlled way. The therapy is typically focused on the present moment and does not involve a detailed exploration of the traumatic event itself.
“Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma” (Peter A. Levine Ph.D., 1997) and “In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness” (Peter A. Levine Ph.D., 2010) are books by Peter Levine that explore the relationship between trauma and the body. The books provide an overview of Levine's Somatic Experiencing approach to resolving trauma, which is based on the idea that traumatic experiences can create physical and emotional tension that is stored in the body, leading to ongoing symptoms such as anxiety, depression, and chronic pain.
They provide a comprehensive overview of the biology of trauma and the role that the body plays in the healing process. Levine argues that the body has natural mechanisms for resolving trauma, but that these mechanisms can become blocked after traumatic experiences. He explains how Somatic Experiencing helps individuals access and release trapped energy stored in the body, leading to the resolution of symptoms related to trauma.
The books also provide practical techniques and exercises for resolving trauma, including breathing techniques, micromovements, and pendulation. Levine emphasizes the importance of the therapeutic relationship and a collaborative approach, with the therapist working closely with the individual to create a safe and supportive environment for the healing process.
In his work, Peter Levine emphasizes the importance of micromovements as a means of accessing and releasing trapped physical and emotional energy stored in the body after traumatic experiences. He believes that many physical and emotional symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, are rooted in unprocessed trauma stored in the body. Levine argues that by bringing awareness to these physical sensations and emotions through micromovements, individuals can release trapped energy, reduce symptoms, and promote healing. Peter Levine views micromovements as a key component of his Somatic Experiencing approach, which helps individuals process traumatic experiences and resolve symptoms through gentle, body-centered techniques.
Pendulation refers to the rhythmic alternation between states of tension and relaxation, and is seen as an essential process in resolving trauma and promoting healing.
In SE, pendulation is achieved through various techniques such as breathing, movement, and touch. The goal is to help individuals alternately activate and discharge energy stored in the body after traumatic experiences, leading to the release of physical and emotional tension. The process of pendulation is gentle and gradual, allowing individuals to safely and effectively process and integrate their experiences.
Pendulation is seen as a key aspect of SE because it promotes a sense of balance and stability, helping individuals to regulate their nervous system and resolve symptoms related to trauma and stress. The process of pendulation can also help individuals develop greater resilience and a sense of empowerment, leading to long-term improvements in physical and emotional well-being.
Paradoxical Intention is a therapy technique that utilizes the human ability of self-detachment to break the negative cycle of psychogenic neuroses, including phobias, anxiety, and obsessive-compulsive behavior. This approach is based on the idea that by standing back and adopting a new attitude towards a situation, individuals can find a new perspective, even humor. The therapist aims to harness this human capacity for humor in order to help the patient break free from these limiting conditions.
It is a cognitive technique that consists of encouraging patients to engage in the behaviour they seek to change. Viktor Frankl, the creator of Logotherapy is the person who came up with its name, and he defined it as follows “The patient is encouraged to do, or to wish to happen, the very things he fears.“
The main idea here is when someone is consciously asked to engage in creating emotional and somatic states, that implies them being aware that they are the ones who are in control of increasing or decreasing the intensity of those states. One of the main uses of paradoxical intention is usually with anxiety states. For example, someone who hyperventilates might be asked to recreate that hyperventilation and even increase it to recreate the anxious state.