A gentle, body-based approach to healing stress and trauma.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a gentle, nervous-system–focused approach to working with stress and trauma. Rather than retelling what happened, SE works with how experiences are held in the body—through patterns of tension, activation, shutdown, or overwhelm.
Stressful or traumatic experiences can leave the nervous system stuck in protective responses long after the event has passed. By working in small, manageable pieces, SE supports the body’s natural ability to regulate and recover—reducing chronic stress and reactivity while increasing access to calm, energy, and presence.
What this looks like in real life
Clients often describe experiences such as “I know I’m safe, but my body doesn’t feel that way,” or noticing that they shut down or become reactive in situations that matter to them. Others come in after an accident or injury and feel that their body has never quite returned to baseline, or they understand their patterns intellectually but can’t seem to shift them.
As the nervous system gains more support, changes tend to unfold gradually and in practical ways. Many clients notice feeling more grounded during stress, recovering more quickly after overwhelm, or experiencing less chronic tension and shutdown. Over time, these shifts often show up as greater ease with boundaries and relationships, clearer focus, and more presence in work, creativity, and daily life.
ADHD, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress
Somatic Experiencing can also support experiences such as ADHD, anxiety, depression, and chronic stress. These experiences are often not signs that something is wrong with the nervous system itself, but reflections of how the nervous system has adapted over time. Patterns of heightened activation, shutdown, or rapid shifting between the two can become familiar responses—showing up as overwhelm, low mood, difficulty with focus, emotional reactivity, or persistent fatigue.
SE works gently with these patterned responses, helping the nervous system develop more flexibility and capacity. Rather than trying to eliminate symptoms directly, the work supports the underlying regulation beneath them. As these patterns begin to shift, many clients notice steadier energy, improved attention, greater emotional range, and an increased ability to respond rather than react.
Physical trauma, chronic pain, and the nervous system
Somatic Experiencing can also support recovery from physical trauma such as car accidents, falls, medical procedures, head injuries, and chronic pain. Even when the body has healed structurally, the nervous system may continue to organize itself around protection—maintaining tension, guarding, or pain responses long after the original injury.
SE works gently with these ongoing protective patterns, helping the nervous system update its sense of safety and complete responses that were interrupted. Over time, this can support greater ease, reduced pain or reactivity, and a renewed sense of orientation and stability in the body—without needing to relive the event.
Is this right for you?
Somatic Experiencing may be a good fit if you’re curious about working with your nervous system, feel disconnected from your body, or want an approach that doesn’t rely on pushing or forcing change. You don’t need prior experience with somatic work—just openness to slowing down and noticing what’s already there.
A brief consultation is available if you’d like to explore whether this approach feels like the right support for you.