What Are the Benefits of Somatic Experiencing Therapy?

Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy has many benefits because of its applicability to regulate the body and nervous system, and integrate incomplete body responses. For some, SE therapy may help to alleviate anxiety symptoms; for others, it may help to reduce the stress of perfectionism; yet for others, it may increase their connection to self-worth and self-esteem. This blog post will answer the question of what are the benefits of somatic experiencing therapy.

What is Somatic Experiencing Therapy?

SE therapy is a bottom-up form of psychotherapy aimed at completing incomplete responses held within the body. Many things throughout life may create incomplete responses in life. Here’s a list of some life examples below:

  • Being in a position where there is an urge to run away or run towards something and not being able to do this – a car accident, for example.
  • Anticipating something will happen and it doesn’t – planning for a wedding before a breakup or planning for the future and then the person passes away.
  • Exposure to trauma – may result in an urge to fight, run, collapse, or appease. Somatic experiencing therapy helps you regain the ability to self-regulate your body and nervous system.
  • Financial stress – trying to do more and more yet there seems to be no end.
  • Chronic illness – has spikes of discomfort yet there’s fear of ‘what’s to come’ after.

SE supports that when we cannot integrate incomplete responses, this can lead to mental health symptoms and challenges in daily life.

How Does Somatic Experiencing Therapy Work?

SE therapy works by giving the body space to naturally resolve incomplete responses held within the body. This form of therapy increases an individual’s ability to notice and track sensations throughout the body. As this awareness increases, one can then notice supportive emotions, memories, and experiences as well as past uncomfortable memories, experiences, and emotions in their body. This noticing helps someone pendulate between supportive feelings and sensations and their discomfort. By doing this in small, incremental chunks, the pain of the past can become fully integrated within the body.

Decoupling and Recoupling

One of the ways SE therapy helps you heal is through the process of decoupling and recoupling. Decoupling works by unhooking from the actions, thoughts, emotions, and memories that do not serve us or cause us pain. Recoupling, on the other hand, works by bringing together aspects of one’s inner being, i.e. personal characteristics, supportive thoughts, and emotions that are not closely bonded. By decoupling certain internal aspects, you are allowed to break free from past reactions to make room for the recoupling of more responsive, appropriate, healthier responses. This can have a net positive effect in your life.

How Can Somatic Experiencing Therapy Help Me?

Many nuanced experiences can disrupt nervous system and body functioning leading to mental health symptoms or a stress response. It doesn’t have to be a major trauma. For example, working long shifts as a firefighter or as an emergency room nurse can expose your body to large amounts of stress hormones. Another example of a nuanced situation could be a nearly missed car accident that spiked your heart rate.SE therapy helps to alleviate mental health symptoms as well as the body’s stored response to trauma, stress, and overwhelm.

Individual Somatic Therapy Near Kenosha, WI

At Revitalize Mental Health PLLC, I offer both in-person and online SE therapy sessions. In-person therapy sessions may work best for those who live near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. On the other hand, virtual therapy works best for those who live throughout Wisconsin and in Colorado.

I am currently accepting new clients at this time. Additionally, I am only a private pay therapist and do not accept any forms of insurance. If you or someone you know could benefit from the work of a somatic therapist, I can be reached at 720.295.6703 or by submitting an online form here on the contact page. From there, we’ll schedule a free 15-minute consultation to ensure we are a good fit to work together. If we both agree we’re a good fit to work together, we’ll schedule our first session during this call. I look forward to hearing from you.

By: Daniel Gospodarek, LCSW

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