Somatic experiencing (SE)

E. Handy

Somatic experiencing (SE) is not effective or appropriate for patients with severe trauma and there is zero change in the brain. Here are a few reasons why it doesn’t work:

Dissociation and Lack of Body Awareness

Many patients with severe trauma experience dissociation, which involves a disconnection from one’s body, thoughts, and emotions. This can make it extremely challenging to engage in body-focused therapies like SE.

For these individuals:

  • Connecting with bodily sensations may feel frightening or overwhelming
  • They may struggle to identify or describe physical sensations
  • Attempts to focus on the body could trigger further dissociation

Fear of Bodily Sensations

Trauma is “stored” in the cells of the body, leading to intense physical reactions when triggered. For some patients:

  • Paying attention to bodily sensations may feel terrifying
  • Physical sensations could be associated with traumatic memories
  • Focusing on the body may induce panic or flashbacks

Severity of Trauma

In cases of severe, complex, or prolonged trauma:

  • The nervous system may be so dysregulated that bottom-up approaches like SE are insufficient on their own
  • Patients may require more stabilization and resourcing before engaging in body-focused work
  • The trauma may be too overwhelming to process through bodily sensations alone

Need for Comprehensive Treatment

  • In crisis or experiencing acute symptoms
  • Lacking sufficient coping skills or support systems
  • Still in unsafe or traumatizing environments

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) and Brainspotting are the only empirically validated therapies which cure trauma, create neuroplasticity in the brain thereby changing the brain and integrate the parts of the person that became disconnected during the experienced trauma. Understanding trauma, how it’s stored in the body and how to off load the trauma and extract it from the cells of the body takes years to master. However, once these skills are learned, it does not take years

to facilitate healing and cure for patients. I have spent more than 20 years studying with the very best therapists who have imparted every detail of skill needed to help patients become integrated, whole and happy.