Healing Through Embodied Wisdom
With Nathalie Mineau (BACP, SEP)
Somatic Experiencing (SE) involves using awareness of body sensations to help renegotiate and heal trauma rather than reliving or re-enacting it. SE guides the bodily “felt sense” to allow safe experience and gradual discharge of survival energies.
Touch may sometimes be used to support the renegotiation process, and experiences are titrated, breaking them down into small incremental steps rather than evoking overwhelming catharsis.
Although often gentle and subtle, Somatic Experiencing often leads to profound changes in the way we relate to ourselves and the world around us.
Pricing:
50 mins: £68
Healing Through Embodied Wisdom
With Nathalie Mineau (BACP, SEP)
Somatic Experiencing (SE) involves using awareness of body sensations to help renegotiate and heal trauma rather than reliving or re-enacting it. SE guides the bodily “felt sense” to allow safe experience and gradual discharge of survival energies.
Touch may sometimes be used to support the renegotiation process, and experiences are titrated, breaking them down into small incremental steps rather than evoking overwhelming catharsis.
Although often gentle and subtle, Somatic Experiencing often leads to profound changes in the way we relate to ourselves and the world around us.
Pricing:
50 mins: £68
“The body always leads us home . . . if we can simply learn to trust sensation and stay with it long enough for it to reveal appropriate action, movement, insight, or feeling.”
– Pat Ogden
What Happens During a Session?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine, specifically designed to address, and heal trauma. This method is grounded in the understanding that trauma can result in a variety of physical and psychological symptoms due to the accumulation of stress within the human body. SE is distinguished by its naturalistic and short-term nature, aiming to help individuals resolve trauma by working with the body’s innate ability to process and release stress.
More Information
One of the key insights behind SE is the observation of wild animals, particularly prey species, which frequently encounter life-threatening situations yet rarely develop trauma. These animals possess natural mechanisms that allow them to regulate and discharge the high energy arousal associated with survival instincts, such as the fight, flight, or freeze responses. These mechanisms enable them to return to a state of normalcy after intense stress, effectively granting them a form of “immunity” to trauma.
SE utilises this understanding by guiding individuals through the completion of their own fight, flight, or freeze responses, which may have been disrupted or inhibited by traumatic experiences. By allowing these natural defence mechanisms to fully manifest and resolve, SE helps individuals to restore their ability to self-regulate, which is crucial for maintaining mental and emotional health. Additionally, SE promotes a greater sense of social engagement and overall well-being, assisting individuals not only in recovering from trauma but also in enhancing their ability to engage authentically and confidently with the world around them.
Overall, while SE is particularly effective in trauma recovery, its principles can also be applied to support personal growth and emotional resilience, helping individuals to navigate life with greater ease and stability.
Somatic therapy sessions are tailored to individual needs, with weekly sessions often recommended at the start to build a strong therapeutic relationship and somatic awareness. Techniques like breathwork, movement, and mindfulness help release tension, stress, and trauma stored in the body. Some people experience relief after one session, while others, especially with complex issues, may need up to 20 sessions for significant improvement. The timing of symptom relief varies, with some noticing immediate effects and others taking days or weeks. Session frequency and duration should be adjusted based on ongoing needs and progress.
In our sessions, I utilise grounding techniques and body awareness tools to assist you in tracking your nervous system, reframing and processing difficult emotions. By discharging the energy that might be stuck in your body and helping you integrate the changes that occur, we aim to bring about profound shifts in how you relate to yourself and the world around you.
“It is amazing how many hints and guides and intuitions for living come to the sensitive person who has ears to hear what his body is saying.”