Somatic Experiencing (SE) New York
Healing trauma through the wisdom of the body
You can spend years talking about your pain—or you can begin to listen to the language of your body. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-centered therapeutic approach that helps you heal from trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress by restoring balance to your nervous system.
Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, Somatic Experiencing is grounded in the understanding that trauma is not only psychological—it is also physiological. When we experience threat, the body’s natural survival responses—fight, flight, or freeze—can become interrupted or stuck. Over time, this stored survival energy may manifest as tension, anxiety, dissociation, chronic pain, or emotional numbness.
SE gently helps you reconnect with your body’s innate capacity for regulation, safety, and self-healing. By working through the body—not just the mind—you can resolve the lingering effects of trauma and reestablish a felt sense of calm, vitality, and wholeness.
What Is Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing is a gentle, non-invasive, trauma-resolution method that focuses on bodily sensations as a gateway to emotional healing. It helps clients notice and release patterns of tension, immobility, or hyperarousal that were once protective but now cause distress.
Rooted in Polyvagal Theory, SE works directly with the autonomic nervous system to help you shift out of states of survival and return to states of safety, connection, and presence. Rather than retelling the trauma story, therapy centers on tracking sensations—the subtle cues and rhythms of your body that reflect how energy moves through your system.
This approach allows for healing without retraumatization. Through gentle awareness and gradual pacing, the body learns that the threat is over—and the nervous system begins to reset.
Who Somatic Experiencing Is For
Somatic Experiencing is for anyone who feels that traditional talk therapy hasn’t reached the roots of their pain. It’s especially beneficial for individuals who sense that their symptoms are “in the body,” even when they can’t put words to them.
You may benefit from SE if you:
Feel chronically tense, on edge, or disconnected from your body
Experience symptoms of anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance
Have a history of trauma, neglect, or overwhelming stress
Struggle with emotional numbness, dissociation, or fatigue
Are recovering from medical trauma, accidents, or injuries
Experience digestive issues, headaches, or pain related to stress
Have difficulty relaxing, trusting, or feeling present in relationships
Want to reconnect with a sense of safety, vitality, and embodiment
Somatic Experiencing is ideal for clients who are seeking a gentler, body-based approach—one that honors the nervous system’s pace and avoids the overwhelm that can accompany more cognitive or exposure-based therapies.
How Somatic Experiencing Works
Somatic Experiencing helps you develop awareness of the body’s natural rhythms and sensations through gentle, guided attention. This process unfolds gradually and at a pace your system can tolerate. Key principles include:
Titration — Approaching trauma in small, manageable doses so the body is never overwhelmed.
Pendulation — Gently moving between sensations of safety and discomfort, helping the nervous system expand its capacity for regulation.
Tracking Sensations — Learning to observe subtle bodily cues such as warmth, tingling, or release, which signal the body’s innate healing responses.
Resourcing and Grounding — Building internal and external anchors of safety, such as breath awareness, sensory connection, or supportive memories.
Trauma Completion — Supporting the body in releasing stored energy from incomplete fight, flight, or freeze responses, allowing for closure and integration.
Each session is collaborative and mindful, emphasizing containment, safety, and self-compassion. The therapist’s role is to help you attune to what your body is communicating, guiding you toward balance without forcing or rushing the process.
Conditions and Symptoms Somatic Experiencing Can Help With
Somatic Experiencing is widely used to address both psychological and physical symptoms related to trauma and stress. It can help with:
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex PTSD
Anxiety and panic attacks
Depression and chronic low mood
Dissociation, numbing, or emotional shutdown
Sleep disturbances and fatigue
Chronic pain or somatic tension
Digestive problems or headaches linked to stress
Grief and loss
Relationship trauma and attachment wounds
Recovery from surgery, injury, or medical procedures
Burnout and nervous system dysregulation
Because SE works with the body’s natural mechanisms of repair, clients often experience relief not just emotionally, but physically—feeling calmer, lighter, and more at ease in their bodies and relationships.
The Benefits of Somatic Experiencing
Emotional Benefits
Relief from anxiety, tension, and hyperarousal
Greater emotional regulation and stability
Freedom from reliving trauma or feeling stuck in the past
Physical Benefits
Reduced muscle tension and pain
Improved sleep, digestion, and energy
A stronger felt sense of safety and grounding in the body
Psychological Benefits
Increased self-awareness and resilience
Renewed vitality, presence, and clarity
A deeper sense of peace, confidence, and connection
Somatic Experiencing helps you rebuild trust in your body and in life. Over time, you begin to experience yourself not as fragile or damaged, but as adaptable, whole, and capable of self-regulation and repair.
Life After Somatic Experiencing with holistic psychotherapy NY
Clients who complete somatic work often describe a quiet but profound transformation—a sense of coming home to themselves. They feel more alive in their bodies, more connected in relationships, and more capable of meeting life’s challenges with steadiness and grace.
After SE, daily stressors become easier to navigate. Emotional triggers soften, sleep improves, and the body’s natural vitality begins to return. Many clients find that the benefits of this work extend beyond healing trauma—it also enhances creativity, intuition, and an overall sense of well-being.
Healing through Somatic Experiencing is not about revisiting pain—it’s about restoring balance, presence, and the freedom to live fully in your own body.
A Virtual, Integrative Approach
At Holistic Psychotherapy NY, Somatic Experiencing is offered virtually throughout New York State and is often integrated with EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), Attachment-Based Therapy, and mindfulness-based interventions.
Each session is attuned to the unique needs of your nervous system, combining trauma-informed safety with relational depth and clinical expertise. This is a space to slow down, reconnect with your inner rhythms, and remember that healing doesn’t come from trying harder—it comes from listening, sensing, and allowing your body to lead the way.
what if i’m not ready to begin SE therapy?
Listening before leaping: healing begins with safety
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a gentle yet powerful approach to trauma healing that helps the nervous system release what has been held too long. But for many people, the idea of “feeling the body” can be overwhelming. If your body has been a place of pain, anxiety, or disconnection, tuning into it may feel like too much.
That hesitation is natural — and wise. SE is built on the understanding that safety must come first. You don’t have to dive into sensations or re-experience trauma to begin healing. Sometimes, the first step in this work is simply learning to listen softly — to your body, to your breath, and to what feels okay right now.
Readiness for SE isn’t about pushing; it’s about allowing. Healing begins not when you confront everything that hurts, but when your nervous system begins to trust that you no longer have to.
Gentle Ways to Prepare for Body-Based Work
1. Begin by noticing neutral sensations.
You don’t have to start with difficult emotions or memories. Try simply feeling your feet on the floor, the texture of your clothing, or the rhythm of your breathing. Noticing neutral sensations builds somatic tolerance and safety.
2. Practice orienting to safety.
Look around your space and identify cues of safety — colors, light, textures, or sounds that feel grounding. This “orienting” gently reminds your nervous system that you are in the present, not in the past.
3. Build a daily grounding ritual.
Simple rituals — sipping tea mindfully, touching something warm or textured, feeling the weight of your body in a chair — help regulate your system and prepare it for deeper body awareness.
4. Explore gentle movement or restorative practices.
Slow yoga, stretching, or walking with awareness can reconnect you with your body in manageable ways. Movement helps discharge stress and energy safely.
5. Strengthen self-compassion.
Many clients carry frustration about feeling “disconnected.” Remind yourself that dissociation or numbness are protective responses — your body has always been doing its best to keep you safe.
6. Consider resourcing sessions first.
Before beginning formal SE, you might benefit from a few preparatory sessions focused on building resources — identifying what helps you feel calm, anchored, and safe. These become your anchors once SE begins.
Six Recommended Resources for Nervous System Safety & Embodied Healing
1. Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma — Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
The foundational text introducing Somatic Experiencing and how the body can naturally resolve trauma when given the right conditions.
2. Anchored: How to Befriend Your Nervous System Using Polyvagal Theory — Deb Dana, LCSW
A compassionate, practical guide to understanding your body’s cues of safety and connection.
3. The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma — Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
A classic exploration of how trauma is stored and healed through body-based and experiential therapies.
4. Trauma and the Body: A Sensorimotor Approach to Psychotherapy — Pat Ogden, Ph.D., & Kekuni Minton, Ph.D.
Explains how mindfulness and movement can safely access and integrate stored trauma.
5. Nurturing Resilience: Helping Clients Move Forward from Developmental Trauma — Kathy L. Kain, M.A., & Stephen J. Terrell, Psy.D.
Combines SE principles with developmental and attachment-based trauma healing for clinicians and clients alike.
6. The Polyvagal Theory Pocket Guide — Stephen W. Porges, Ph.D.
A concise and accessible overview of how the vagus nerve regulates safety, emotion, and connection — essential knowledge for anyone beginning somatic work.
When You’re Ready
When the body is ready, Somatic Experiencing can help release long-held survival energy, restore emotional regulation, and reawaken a sense of safety and vitality. But it begins slowly — with respect for your body’s rhythms and your own readiness.