“Trauma is the most avoided, ignored, denied,                   misunderstood and untreated cause of suffering.”                 — Peter Levine

Trauma is a common occurrence and can result from:

*Trauma can also result from a number of seemingly insignificant events over time.

“Trauma is not in the event itself; rather, trauma resides in the nervous system.” — Peter Levine

Why is it important to bring the nervous system back into regulation? (think Goldilocks)

• Too much Dysregulation= Anxiety, Anger, Paranoia, Obsessive Compulsive Behaviors, Panic Attacks, Insomnia, Mania, and Hypervigilance.
• “Just right” = Calm, Energized, Balanced, Embodied, Playful, and Empowered = Regulated Nervous System.
• Not enough Regulation= Fatigue, Depression, Lethargy, and Lack of Motivation.

Trauma breaches a nervous system boundary by igniting a tremendous amount of energy for survival. When this energy is not used up or released there is a tendency for the nervous system to become dysregulated. When the nervous system is dysregulated it will often fluctuate between a painful cycle of “too much” and “not enough” (as  described above).

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a naturalistic approach to healing trauma that restores health in the nervous system and was developed by Dr. Peter Levine.

Somatic Experiencing®:

• Is used to restore nervous system regulation.
• Utilizes and teaches mindfulness awareness skills.
• Reveals the bodies inherent wisdom to move toward health and resolution.
• Acknowledges potential boundary ruptures and assists clients in restoring them. Boundary ruptures are breaches in an individuals personal boundary space that can result from medical procedures, physical and sexual violations, verbally abusive relationships, falls, accidents and other experiences. These ruptures can limit a person’s mobility and flexibility to respond to future experiences and threats.
• Guides clients in finding and anchoring resources in their lives that calm and balance the nervous system.
• Is a way of working at a pace and intensity that the nervous system can handle, rather than evoking catharsis – which can overwhelming and re-traumatizing.
• Releases trauma symptoms that are bound in the nervous system.
• Trauma can result in feeling stuck in a freeze response. SE works to bring back additional survival responses so that people are more equipped to handle future experiences and protect themselves.

“Trauma can be hell on earth; transformed, it is a divine gift.”

“As we are unbound from the past, a future abundant with new possibilities unfolds. Our ability to be in the present expands, revealing the timeless essence of the ‘now.’” — Peter Levine