What is Somatic Experiencing?

 

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body‑oriented approach to healing developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on how stress and trauma live in the nervous system, not just in thoughts or stories about what happened. Rather than revisiting every detail of past experiences, SE gently guides you to notice sensations, impulses, and subtle shifts in your body. By working with these moment‑to‑moment experiences, stuck survival energy can gradually complete and release, allowing the nervous system to return toward balance.

 

SE supports healing by:

• Increasing awareness of internal sensations (interoception)
• Supporting the release of stored survival energy
• Expanding your capacity to stay present during stress
• Building skills for self‑regulation and grounding

What Sessions Are Like

 

In a typical session, we slow down together and notice what is happening in your body right now—heat or coolness, tightness or softening, impulses to move, or waves of emotion. You may be invited into simple practices such as grounding, orienting to your environment, gentle movement, or short pauses to help your system find pockets of ease alongside challenge.​

 

Sessions are flexible and collaborative, and your unique needs, pacing, and preferences shape what we do together each time we meet. While there is a strong emphasis on bottom‑up nervous system work, my style is eclectic and may at times weave together both bottom-up and top-down processing, inviting in your thoughts, stories, meaning-making, or cognition alongside present-moment body awareness. This kind of bottom‑up work helps your nervous system learn that it is possible to move from activation back into regulation, which over time can increase your capacity, resilience, and sense of choice in how you meet life.​ 

 

Each session may include:

• Tracking physical sensations, impulses, and emotions
• Gentle guidance to notice shifts in the nervous system
• Orienting to safety and present‑moment resources
• Short reflections or verbal processing as needed
• Building practical tools you can use between sessions

Who can Somatic Experiencing® Support?

 

SE may be helpful if you are experiencing:

• Chronic stress, burnout, or overwhelm
• Anxiety or panic symptoms
• Trauma or developmental trauma
• Medical, accident, chronic illness, or injury-related trauma
• Relational wounds or attachment stress
• Difficulty relaxing or feeling safe in your body
• Emotional numbness, shutdown, or disconnection
• Hypervigilance, persistent tension, or feeling "on edge"
• Challenges with boundaries, self-trust, or decision-making

 

Somatic Experiencing® can be used as a stand-alone service or integrated alongside other therapeutic approaches.

Your Experience with Earthshine Embodiment

 

At Earthshine, Somatic Experiencing® sessions are offered within a relational, nature‑informed, and compassionate framework. Sessions emphasize:

• Safety, choice, and collaboration
• Respect for your nervous system’s timing
• Curiosity rather than judgment
• Integration of mind, body, and environment

This work supports not just symptom relief, but a deeper reconnection to yourself and your innate capacity for healing.

 

Format: Individual sessions (virtual only at this time)

Length: Typically 50–60 minutes

Fees: $140 for a 50-minute session. Reduced rates are available on a case-by-case basis for those in need.

 

If you are unsure whether Somatic Experiencing® is the right fit, an initial consultation can help us explore your goals and determine next steps.