Somatic Experiencing Sessions

What happens in a Somatic Experiencing session

The goal of Somatic Experiencing sessions is to release traumatic activation through greater tolerance of bodily sensations andrelated emotions.

The therapist establishes a safe environment, educates patients on the functioning of their autonomic nervous system, and helps them increase awareness of their own bodily sensations.

The professional of this body psychotherapy talks with his patients about what they are exactly experiencing and perceiving in their body, and helps them move between states of activation and states of calm

Sessions typically involve the intentional triggering of an autonomic nervous system activation and monitoring of the bodily reactions that arise, and then the integration of those reactions afterwards.

Techniques used during the sessions

In Somatic Experiencing sessions there are different techniques and mechanisms that are used to help a patient self-regulate the activation include:

• Titration, which helps keeping activation at a low levels during the processing of traumatic triggers
  
  
• The pendulation, which describes the movement between regulated and unregulated
  parts of the body
  
  
• The discharge, which implies the dissipation of the activation. Integration techniques, including breathing exercises, visualization, micromovements, etc.