When people survive an extreme experience, be it an act of violence, abuse, or a graphic accident, pent-up energy can reside in the body causing the individual severe emotional and bodily stress. Somatic experiencing therapy (SE method) focuses on helping patients reclaim self-regulation by ridding their body and mind of the devastating survival energy trapped in the autonomic nervous system. People from all over the country head to Malibu for this innovative treatment, as Serenity Trauma Healing Center offers somatic experiencing therapy and has always been regarded as a leading authority of the SE method. With the right care your life can be transformed through somatic experiencing as an innovative way to heal trauma.

How does Somatic Experiencing Therapy Work?

Somatic Experiencing therapy works by engaging the relationship between the brain, body, behavior and the mind. Qualified therapists employ interventions designed to calm the patient’s nervous system and create a space of ease in which the healing process can begin with grace and calming.

The Somatic Experiencing method transforms PTSD by releasing traumatic shock while healing the emotional wounds that manifested in early developmental attachment trauma. The SE method allows somatic therapists to identify the framework and tap into the exact place where the patient is “stuck” in the fight or flight responses. This is where Somatic Experiencing reaches for clinical tools to ameliorate these suspended physiological states of being.

The science behind Somatic Experiencing aims to target two primary types of stress: trauma can originate as acute stress from the perceivement of a life-threatening incident or as the end product of cumulative stress. These types of stress are potent enough to potentially disable a person from being able to function with any real resilience. Both types of trauma can stem from a number of origins that include major accidents, natural disasters, wars, severe injury, invasive surgeries or medical procedures, sexual abuse, physical assault, birth trauma, war, loss, emotional abuse, employment termination, or the continuation of ongoing conflicts and fears. Somatic therapists are able to deep dive into each patient’s state of being and identify these origins before working with the individual to rid their body and mind of the associated trauma.

Who is an Ideal Candidate for Somatic Experiencing Therapy?

An ideal candidate for Somatic Experiencing therapy is someone who has a form of PTSD or anxiety, and that has been examined by a therapist who makes the recommendation to receive the SE method. There are many types of therapies offered by a team of experts with various specialties at Serenity Trauma, and not all patients will benefit from the same therapy methods. Traumatic experiences can weigh heavily on people at various stages in their life. PTSD symptoms can remain persistent for weeks, months and years after an event. Symptoms can even last a lifetime if the person isn’t properly treated. Some people will experience certain levels of depression and anxiety in the form of hallucinations, nightmares and flashbacks, while others will simply lose the ability to have normal functionality. Upon being assessed and diagnosed your therapist at Serenity Trauma will make the recommended type of therapy based on your history, symptoms and situation. While some patients may benefit more from other therapy types such as brainspotting, Somatic Experiencing therapy will certainly be an ideal treatment for others. Again, this will be determined by your therapist. However, if you are battling trauma, depression, anxiety and grief and its hold has plagued your body, mind and brain, then it is very likely Somatic therapy will be the right treatment course for you to follow.