Somatic Experiencing (SE™) aims to resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies and nervous systems. Trauma, from an SE lens, is focused on how it shows up in the nervous system and how that dysregulation impacts life. When we are stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, SE helps us release, recover, and become more resilient. It is a body-oriented therapeutic model. It is based on a multidisciplinary intersection of physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics and has been clinically applied for more than four decades. It is the life's work of Dr. Peter A. Levine.
A really good book to read and help you understand more about the research and biological understanding of SE: Waking The Tiger by Peter Levine.
During an SE intensive, Jessica may incorporate BrainSpotting and Parts work for a well rounded approach tailored to the client.
Each intensive is 3 hours long with a cost of $400 (not billable to insurance) The initial intensive begins with an intake to gather information and begin the rapport building process between therapist and client. Relationship and safety are two of the most important aspects of this work.
Once the intake is complete, the therapist and client will begin exploring problematic areas for the client by leaning into body related communication.
Intensives allow client and therapist to not be limited by time. Oftentimes during 1 hour therapy sessions, processing is limited due to time constraint. Weekly 1 hour appointments also make it more difficult to follow up from one session to the next as the body presents different during each session. While this a barrier, intensives 1-2 times per month permit us to go deeper without the limit of time.
What are Touch and Table Work?
Ideally our earliest experiences of being soothed, nurtured, and held in a bonded relationship happen through touch. However, some of the deepest shock experiences held in the body occur when we are so young that our brains and nervous system are not yet sufficiently developed to process those experiences cognitively. When working through early trauma, some of which can be pre-verbal, touch can be an important part of the renegotiation process, especially when words are not available.
Touch and Table Work are applied with hands and occasionally with other forms of contact, such as forearm or foot. It can also be offered indirectly, such as providing support through a cushion. SE Touch is done fully clothed and is not used to manipulate the body.
Touch Work offers support to muscles, joints, diaphragms, and organs to support regulation and healthy functioning. Touch can be applied with the client in a seated position or lying face up on a table, or standing during movement exercises.
Some examples of when touch can be helpful are:
• Identifying an area of the body for tracking internal sensations.
• Supporting an area of the body to release tension or constriction. • Stabilizing a highly activated / dysregulated nervous system.
• Containing and processing difficult emotions (e.g., feeling therapist’s hands on the outside of your upper arms to provide a sense of containment to reduce flooding).
• Bringing awareness to an area of the body that feels disconnected or numb.
• Engaging a reflexive action or defense to support completion / discharge of a response (e.g., pushing into a therapist’s hands to engage a frozen fight response).
• Resourcing an individual with positive sensation or a healthy body function (e.g., pressure on the feet can enhance a sense of grounding).
• Calming an anxiety response, by supporting the brain stem or the kidney/adrenal area.
• Connecting with tissue / muscle memory or natural biological rhythms.
• Increasing blood flow to damaged tissue. Touch was incorporated in Somatic Experiencing by Dr. Peter Levine, and was further refined as a practice by Kathy Kain, MA, PhD, SEP, somatic and bodywork practitioner and senior faculty member with the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute (www.somaticpractice.net).
Touch- and body-based modalities, especially when working with a self-protective response or body memory, can bring up emotions, thoughts, pain, physical reactions, or memories that may be upsetting, depressing, evoke anger, etc.
It is also not unexpected for the body to vibrate or tremble, and for clients to experience a sense of fatigue or discomfort. This is typically temporary, and your therapist’s aim is to support you to work through these in a way that reduces the likelihood of overwhelm.
It is important to honour the body’s needs following sessions to support integration (rest, water, nourishing food, etc).
Ethics of Touch
High importance is placed on having thorough training in all adjunct modalities. Jessica has received her SEP designation and has subsequent training in Reiki.
Standards outlined for the safe and ethical practice of touch in psychotherapy are outlined here: www.zurinstitute.com/ethicsoftouch.html
A summary of these guidelines follows:
• Consent is required when using touch-related techniques in therapy, and can be withdrawn at any time. Jessica will ask your permission to use touch techniques, and you have the right to decline or refuse touch at any time without fear of punishment, even if you previously provided consent. Jessica will discuss with you and evaluate the appropriateness of the use of touch in your situation. Jesica will communicate the nature and purpose of the touch techniques. She will also check in with you about your comfort level with regards to the location of touch, amount of pressure, length of contact, and her proximity to you both before and during each session.
• Sexual touch of clients by therapists is unethical and illegal. Touch should not be used to foster dependency of the client on the therapist, and therapists are cautious about the potential to reenact dynamics or trigger transference coming from early, vulnerable experiences/states. Clear boundaries are outlined prior to and during the use of touch in a manner that is not enmeshing, shaming, or derogatory.
• Touch is only used in the best interest of a client to benefit healing, and with respect for selfdetermination. Client needs and wishes take priority over any clinical or theoretical approach. Clients may request not to be touched at any time during therapy without needing to explain it, if they choose not to, and without fear of punishment, even if consent has previously been given. Clients might also change their mind about touch and decide that they feel comfortable receiving touch support techniques that were formerly uncomfortable.