Somatic experiencing

Developed by Peter Levine in the 1970s, somatic experiencing starts from an observation: animals face life-threatening situations regularly but rarely develop lasting trauma. They shake it off — literally — and complete their body's threat response. Humans often cut that process short, and the unfinished response stays stuck in the nervous system.

Sessions move slowly, tracking the body's subtle sensations and helping the client notice and complete those interrupted responses. The approach is gentler than exposure-based therapies and works well for people who find more confrontational methods overwhelming.

Somatic experiencing pairs naturally with EMDR and IFS in trauma-focused residential programs. Practitioners trained through Somatic Experiencing International earn the SEP credential after a three-year program.