Unlock Healing From Within And Re-Wild Your Body With Somatic Experiencing®

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, aimed at addressing and healing the physical and emotional effects of trauma. It is based on the understanding that trauma is not solely a psychological issue but also profoundly impacts the body. SE seeks to facilitate the release of stored traumatic energy and restore a sense of safety and balance to the individual.

MORE ABOUT SOMEATIC EXPERIENCING®

All animals, even human animals, have internal, biological mechanisms to support the release of stress, tension, and nervous system activation that occurs when a threat is experienced.

When people are small, these mechanisms occur naturally, if the environment is safe to do so. These can include crying, shaking, trembling, yelling, etc. As we get older, we internalize social cues that these behaviours aren’t “appropriate”, and tend to shut them down. We usually do this by tightening up through the body, thereby locking the survival energy inside.

SE can support the gradual return to feeling comfortable and safe with our natural, innate release mechanisms, and assist in reducing the effects of stress on the bodymind. We effectively learn to “re-wild” ourselves.

At the heart of SE is the recognition that the body holds the key to understanding and healing trauma, and that an individual who experiences ill health, whether psychological or physical, is not broken, they are just stuck.

When someone experiences a traumatic event, the body often goes into a state of fight, flight, or freeze.

However, if the person cannot complete these responses and discharge the accumulated energy, the energy becomes stuck in the body. This can lead to a range of physical and psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, chronic pain, and autoimmune disorders.

Somatic Experiencing® Client Experiences

  • "Meg Gorosh is an amazing Somatic experience practitioner, as well as having a degree in social work. I had started my treatment after I was in a car accident in 2020 and discovered there was a lot of past emotional trauma held in my body. I knew that there was more that I needed to help my nervous system to become regulated. I met Meg by chance as she refinished a piece of furniture that I had purchased through her. It was as if the stars had aligned, as I had only days before decided to find a somatic experience practitioner and here was Meg, a person whom I had a lovely connection with, who I respected, trusted and appreciated her artistry and kindness. I immediately booked a session. "- Jasmine

  • "Meg is a kind and open practitioner who creates a space for you to be yourself. I was nervous and anxious and very afraid. Meg put me at ease and found the ways to help me find compassion and kindness for myself. To know that my trauma was not me, that I could stand strong in who I am and feel my own sense of power and that I did not have to accept that what happened to me as a child was ever my fault nor was I responsible for it, and I did not have to forgive those who had hurt me to heal. There were many sessions and each time I felt more connected to myself and saw a light growing inside me. I felt strong, I felt connected and I felt seen and heard. I was allowed to be angry and feel rage and most of all I was able to create boundaries and not feel guilty for needing to have boundaries." - Jasmine

  • "Now I can say, I am clear, there are things, actions and ways of being that I do not allow to affect me, or take away from who I am. I feel that the resources that Meg shared were given in a way that I was able to internalize and fully understand even though I had heard them before. The greatest joy was when I had a situation come up where my boundaries were tested and I was able to stay true to myself. I wrote Meg immediately and her reply helped everything to sink in, and I felt my journey to healing had taken the biggest leap. I know if I need to seek help again, Meg will be there, if I need her, yet for now I have the tools to help myself as they have always been here, I just needed someone to show me what was there all along." - Jasmine

Speed Of Trust

In SE, the client and practitioner work together, moving at the speed of trust. This trust is not simply social in nature, it is biological; the client’s body and nervous system needs to trust the practitioner’s body and nervous system too.

What happens in a session?

Working always within a client’s capacity for experiencing the Soma, various techniques are used to help the client safely access and process stored traumatic experiences. An example of this is called “tracking”. In tracking bodily sensations, the client develops a more intimate understanding of their body and its inherent wisdom, allowing them to become more attuned to their physical responses and gradually release pent-up survival energy and tension.

One of the key strengths of Somatic Experiencing® is its non-invasive nature. It respects the individual's own pace and capacity to heal, making it suitable for a wide range of clients, including those who may find traditional talk therapy overwhelming.

SE offers a holistic and body-centered approach to healing trauma.

By reconnecting individuals with their somatic experiences and empowering them to discharge stored traumatic energy, SE has the potential to alleviate the profound impact of trauma on both the body and the mind, leading to a renewed sense of well-being, resilience, safety, and ownership of one’s body.

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