Feeling Alright Counseling: A Somatic Approach
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Based on the research and work of Peter Levine Ph.D., Somatic Experiencing is a form of therapy focused on the nervous system and its innate self-protective responses. Ever heard of Fight-Flight-Freeze? Somatic Experiencing helps people move out of the protective responses of "fight, flight and freeze" and back into living. The nervous system can get "caught" in these states of defense as a response to a single event like a car accident or a medical procedure or from numerous events like abuse, neglect or a lifetime of perpetual chaos. Whatever the root, SE helps people integrate trauma and build resilience.
Being caught in Fight-Flight-Freeze can look and feel different for everyone but some common symptoms include: feeling unsafe or uneasy most of the time, needing to be "on the go", being jumpy or edgy at unexplained times, feeling numb or detached from yourself and others, procrastination, difficulty making decisions, unexplained tension or pain in the body, unpredictable mood swings, and self-sabotaging tendencies.