what is Somatic Experiencing® (SE)?

Somatic Experiencing® is a gentle, body-based approach to healing trauma, stress, and overwhelm — developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It’s rooted in the understanding that the body holds the imprint of past experiences, and that true healing happens through the nervous system, not just the mind.

With over 12 years of experience in embodied movement, mindfulness, and Buddhist practice, I bring a grounded, trauma-informed, and heart-centered lens to this work. Together, we slow down and listen to your body’s language — not to fix what’s broken, but to reconnect with what’s already wise and whole.

Each session offers space to explore sensations, impulses, images, and emotions — all held with compassion and care. There’s no pressure to revisit past events or talk through everything in detail. We work with what’s here and now.

what to expect

Somatic Experiencing® is experiential — not a form of traditional talk therapy. I don’t diagnose, interpret, or create treatment plans, and I won’t ask you to retell or relive your past unless that feels important to you. In fact, we don’t have to talk about the “stuff” at all. I’m more interested in getting to know your organism — your body’s innate wisdom — and gently exploring what’s unfolding in the here and now.

In the beginning, we spend time getting to know your unique nervous system — learning how it responds to different stimuli, what helps it settle, and what signals dysregulation or ease. This early phase is essential. We focus on building stability and cultivating internal resources before ever approaching painful or activating experiences. That way, your system leads — not the story.

Each session unfolds at the pace that feels right for you. You might be sitting, lying down, or gently moving. I may invite awareness practices, breath, sound, or tuning into physical sensations. Everything is invitational — and you’re always in choice. My role is to hold a grounded, compassionate space for your process to unfold naturally.

Our work may include:

• Mindful tracking of sensations, impulses, and emotions

• Moments of stillness, grounding, or reflection

• Gentle movement, vocalization, or breathwork

• Contemplative inquiry or guided awareness

• Support for expanding your capacity without overwhelm

You don’t need a “big trauma” to benefit from Somatic Experiencing®. Whether you're moving through anxiety, chronic stress, emotional overwhelm, or simply feeling disconnected — this work can help you return to yourself with more clarity, ease, and resilience. You may uncover internal resources and insights you didn’t realize were there.

Between sessions, I may offer optional invitations or “homework” — like noticing particular sensations, tracking moments of ease or discomfort, or practicing a grounding exercise. These small experiments can help support integration and deepen your connection with your inner landscape.

When appropriate, I may also share Buddhist teachings or reframes that invite compassion, curiosity, and acceptance — as supportive perspectives that have helped many of my clients, including myself, soften around their experience. These teachings might offer ways of relating to challenge with less self-blame and more spaciousness, or practices that nourish clarity, presence, and patience.

Together, we create a space that feels supportive enough to explore, express, and just be — without rushing, fixing, or forcing. This work honors the brilliance of your nervous system and the creative ways it has adapted to help you survive. With time and care, we make space for something new to emerge — a deeper connection with your body, your breath, and the possibility of feeling more at home within yourself.