Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsTechniques in Somatic Experiencing TherapyWhat Somatic Experiencing Therapy Can Help WithBenefitsEffectivenessThings to ConsiderHow to Get Started

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Table of Contents

Techniques in Somatic Experiencing Therapy

What Somatic Experiencing Therapy Can Help With

Benefits

Effectiveness

Things to Consider

How to Get Started

Close

Many people who have experienced trauma, especially those who have experienced physical trauma such as domestic violence or sexual assault, can dissociate or disconnect from their bodies. Somatic experiencing helps them increase awareness of their internal experience (interoceptive, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic sensations).

At a Glance

What Is Trauma Therapy?

Somatic experiencing practitioners use a framework known as SIBAM (Sensation, Imagery, Behavior, Affect, and Meaning) to help clients incorporate their bodies in processing trauma.

Typically, most therapy uses our cognitive skills to access our memories or traumas via “top-down” methods. However, somatic experiencing uses a “bottom-up” approach, which starts with bodily sensations before returning to our thoughts.

Sensation

You may not be used to sitting with the sensations that are constantly coursing through your body, or you may not have previously realized how they were linked with your emotions. You will begin with simply noting what you are feeling in your body.

Imagery

This part of the framework usesguided imagery(where the practitioner leads you through imagining a scene while you listen) or interactive guided imagery. The latter is an ongoing conversation between you and the practitioner where you share what’s coming up as you are being led through this exercise.

Behavior

While much of this therapy consists of you reporting your internal experiences, the behavior part of Levine’s model involves the therapist observing your behavioral responses, such as your body language or posture.

Affect

This is how you display your emotions to the outside world, such as through your word choices, tone, and speed.

Meaning

Finally, this part of the model looks at how you perceive the therapy and what your experiences mean to you.

Other TechniquesSome of the main techniques used in sensory experiencing therapy include:Bodily awareness: This involves learning more about how the body’s nervous system responds to stress and trauma. People then work to recognize the physical sensations they experience when they encounter stress or trauma.Resourcing: This technique involves drawing on feelings of inner strength and resiliency to cope with problems.Titration: In this technique, a therapist helps a person work through the traumatic memory, including the feelings and sensations they experienced at the time.Pendulation: This process involves using relaxation techniques to swing the body from an aroused, anxious state to one that is calmer and more relaxed. With practice, people can achieve this more readily when they feel themselves experiencing a stress response.

Other Techniques

Some of the main techniques used in sensory experiencing therapy include:Bodily awareness: This involves learning more about how the body’s nervous system responds to stress and trauma. People then work to recognize the physical sensations they experience when they encounter stress or trauma.Resourcing: This technique involves drawing on feelings of inner strength and resiliency to cope with problems.Titration: In this technique, a therapist helps a person work through the traumatic memory, including the feelings and sensations they experienced at the time.Pendulation: This process involves using relaxation techniques to swing the body from an aroused, anxious state to one that is calmer and more relaxed. With practice, people can achieve this more readily when they feel themselves experiencing a stress response.

Some of the main techniques used in sensory experiencing therapy include:

How to Find a Therapist

Somatic experiencing therapy may be helpful with aspects of:

PTSD Symptoms and Diagnosis

Benefits of Somatic Experiencing Therapy

Unlike the “fight or flight” response that takes place in response to an acute threat, which causes the sympathetic nervous system to increase heart rate, breathing, and focus, the “freeze” response can cause the opposite.

The freeze response in the human body is akin to an animal “playing dead.”

It is said that the body doesn’t know how to distinguish physical trauma from mental trauma. If the danger is life-threatening, like that tiger, you may be able to physically shake off that fear once the tiger is no longer around. With emotional trauma, however, the brain can get stuck believing that you are still in a state of danger.

The freeze response may manifest in both cognitive and physical symptoms such as:

Cognitive SymptomsConfusionDetachmentDifficulty concentratingPhysical SymptomsDifficulty movingSlowed breathLower heart rate

Cognitive SymptomsConfusionDetachmentDifficulty concentrating

Confusion

Detachment

Difficulty concentrating

Physical SymptomsDifficulty movingSlowed breathLower heart rate

Difficulty moving

Slowed breath

Lower heart rate

Effectiveness of Somatic Experiencing Therapy

While not much research has been published on somatic experiencing, one study, a randomized controlled trial, showed that 44% of the participants no longer met the criteria for a diagnosis of PTSD after treatment.

One study looked at the efficacy of somatic experiencing interventions following a 2004 tsunami in India. While there was no control group, 90% of the 150 participants in one study reported either no symptoms or a reduction in symptoms at an eight-month follow-up interval following a single 75-minute session.

A 2018 study looked at the effects of somatic experiencing therapy to build resilience in health professionals at risk of vicarious trauma. The results indicated that a three-year somatic experiencing training course significantly improved quality of life and psychological symptoms.

A 2021 scoping literature review found that the current research on somatic experiencing therapy shows promise. However, more research using randomized controlled trials is needed further to assess its effectiveness and use for mental health conditions.

While somatic experiencing therapy does not involve a complete retelling and processing of your past trauma like some other trauma therapies might, you will be asked tobring up some of these painful memories. Doing so may result in you feeling “activated” or feeling a high level of energetic arousal in your body. This may also be known asfeeling triggered.

This may feel uncomfortable, but that is the point. Before reaching this stage, your therapist will work with you on “resourcing,“or finding tools that will help youself-soothe when you are feeling emotionally overloadedso that you can handle working with these memories when they come up in therapy.

Other Types of TherapyIt is also important to consider that somatic experiencing therapy may not be right for everyone. Where this form of therapy puts its main focus on the body, othertypes of therapy—such ascognitive behavioral therapy-work on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are associated with trauma and stress. Other types of therapy that can also be helpful includetrauma-informed therapy,eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), andmindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

Other Types of Therapy

It is also important to consider that somatic experiencing therapy may not be right for everyone. Where this form of therapy puts its main focus on the body, othertypes of therapy—such ascognitive behavioral therapy-work on the thoughts, emotions, and behaviors that are associated with trauma and stress. Other types of therapy that can also be helpful includetrauma-informed therapy,eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), andmindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR).

How to Get Started With Somatic Experiencing Therapy

If you’re interested in this type of therapy, below is actionable advice that you can use to begin your search for this kind of care.

The Best Online Trauma Therapy, Tried and Tested

What to Expect

Be prepared for your practitioner to ask you about your trauma history. Remember, this is your therapy, so you can only answer as much as you feel comfortable with. A good practitioner should recognize and respect that and work with you to feel safe as you disclose more.

What Does a Session Look Like?

First, the practitioner or therapist will do a pre-interview to learn about your trauma and overall health history and answer any questions about your expectations. They will then ask questions centered around assessing how your body is responding to your trauma and stress.

This is practiced in the safety of your therapy so that you become familiar with these sensations and once learned you will hopefully be able todown-regulateon your own. Because of how our bodies hold and express trauma primitively, your therapist may see small movements that indicate your body moving into flight mode. You will learn to safely ride these somatic experiences out as you begin to heal.

Get Help NowWe’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

Get Help Now

We’ve tried, tested, and written unbiased reviews of thebest online therapy programsincluding Talkspace, BetterHelp, and ReGain. Find out which option is the best for you.

9 SourcesVerywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.Front Psychol. 2015;6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy[published correction appears in Front Psychol. 2015;6:423].Front Psychol. 2015;6:93. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Andersen TE, Ellegaard H, Schiøttz-Christensen B, Manniche C.Somatic experiencing® for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder - protocol of a randomized controlled trial.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):308. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2370-ySchmidt NB, Richey JA, Zvolensky MJ, Maner JK.Exploring human freeze responses to a threat stressor.Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry. 2008;39(3):292.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.08.002Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled outcome study.Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2017;30(3):304. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189Parker C, Doctor RM, Selvam R.Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors.Traumatology. 2008;14(3):103-109. doi:10.1177/1534765608319080Winblad NE, Changaris M, Stein PK.Effect of somatic experiencing resiliency-based trauma treatment training on quality of life and psychological health as potential markers of resilience in treating professionals.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:70. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00070Kuhfuß M, Maldei T, Hetmanek A, Baumann N.Somatic experiencing - effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1929023. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023Park ER, Traeger L, Vranceanu AM, et al.The development of a patient-centered program based on the relaxation response: the relaxation response resiliency program(3rp).Psychosomatics. 2013;54(2):165-174. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2012.09.001

9 Sources

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.Front Psychol. 2015;6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy[published correction appears in Front Psychol. 2015;6:423].Front Psychol. 2015;6:93. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Andersen TE, Ellegaard H, Schiøttz-Christensen B, Manniche C.Somatic experiencing® for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder - protocol of a randomized controlled trial.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):308. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2370-ySchmidt NB, Richey JA, Zvolensky MJ, Maner JK.Exploring human freeze responses to a threat stressor.Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry. 2008;39(3):292.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.08.002Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled outcome study.Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2017;30(3):304. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189Parker C, Doctor RM, Selvam R.Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors.Traumatology. 2008;14(3):103-109. doi:10.1177/1534765608319080Winblad NE, Changaris M, Stein PK.Effect of somatic experiencing resiliency-based trauma treatment training on quality of life and psychological health as potential markers of resilience in treating professionals.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:70. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00070Kuhfuß M, Maldei T, Hetmanek A, Baumann N.Somatic experiencing - effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1929023. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023Park ER, Traeger L, Vranceanu AM, et al.The development of a patient-centered program based on the relaxation response: the relaxation response resiliency program(3rp).Psychosomatics. 2013;54(2):165-174. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2012.09.001

Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.Front Psychol. 2015;6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy[published correction appears in Front Psychol. 2015;6:423].Front Psychol. 2015;6:93. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093Andersen TE, Ellegaard H, Schiøttz-Christensen B, Manniche C.Somatic experiencing® for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder - protocol of a randomized controlled trial.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):308. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2370-ySchmidt NB, Richey JA, Zvolensky MJ, Maner JK.Exploring human freeze responses to a threat stressor.Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry. 2008;39(3):292.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.08.002Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled outcome study.Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2017;30(3):304. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189Parker C, Doctor RM, Selvam R.Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors.Traumatology. 2008;14(3):103-109. doi:10.1177/1534765608319080Winblad NE, Changaris M, Stein PK.Effect of somatic experiencing resiliency-based trauma treatment training on quality of life and psychological health as potential markers of resilience in treating professionals.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:70. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00070Kuhfuß M, Maldei T, Hetmanek A, Baumann N.Somatic experiencing - effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1929023. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023Park ER, Traeger L, Vranceanu AM, et al.The development of a patient-centered program based on the relaxation response: the relaxation response resiliency program(3rp).Psychosomatics. 2013;54(2):165-174. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2012.09.001

Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy.Front Psychol. 2015;6. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093

Payne P, Levine PA, Crane-Godreau MA.Somatic experiencing: using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy[published correction appears in Front Psychol. 2015;6:423].Front Psychol. 2015;6:93. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093

Andersen TE, Ellegaard H, Schiøttz-Christensen B, Manniche C.Somatic experiencing® for patients with low back pain and comorbid posttraumatic stress disorder - protocol of a randomized controlled trial.BMC Complement Altern Med. 2018;18(1):308. doi:10.1186/s12906-018-2370-y

Schmidt NB, Richey JA, Zvolensky MJ, Maner JK.Exploring human freeze responses to a threat stressor.Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry. 2008;39(3):292.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2007.08.002

Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al.Somatic experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: a randomized controlled outcome study.Journal of Traumatic Stress. 2017;30(3):304. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189

Parker C, Doctor RM, Selvam R.Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors.Traumatology. 2008;14(3):103-109. doi:10.1177/1534765608319080

Winblad NE, Changaris M, Stein PK.Effect of somatic experiencing resiliency-based trauma treatment training on quality of life and psychological health as potential markers of resilience in treating professionals.Front Neurosci. 2018;12:70. doi:10.3389/fnins.2018.00070

Kuhfuß M, Maldei T, Hetmanek A, Baumann N.Somatic experiencing - effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy: a scoping literature review.Eur J Psychotraumatol. 2021;12(1):1929023. doi:10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023

Park ER, Traeger L, Vranceanu AM, et al.The development of a patient-centered program based on the relaxation response: the relaxation response resiliency program(3rp).Psychosomatics. 2013;54(2):165-174. doi:10.1016/j.psym.2012.09.001

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