What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a kind of therapy that helps individuals who are suffering from trauma-related health problems. It focuses on the pattern of body movements a person has developed due to their experience. According to its creator Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing touches on these bodily sensations, allowing them to move throughout the person's body so that they can reconnect with their true self.
What are the Benefits of Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is like no other therapy as it works on the body's physiological response and, in the process, treats the emotional blocks that hinder an individual from moving forward in their life. Its life-changing benefits include:
- Treats symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder
- Promotes relaxation and balance
- Relieves chronic pain
- Eases tensed muscles
- Releases negative emotions
- Improves sleep quality
- Resolves irregular eating patterns
- Teaches you how to listen to your body
- Helps you cope better with stress
- Develops resilience
- Eliminates involuntary movements or tics
Somatic Experiencing does not require the therapist and client to be in the same room for it to work. In fact, both can be located on the opposite sides of the world and still get the intended results of the modality since the practitioner can deliver the tools that the client will need in their treatment through the internet.
Many qualified health practitioners provide Somatic Experiencing online, knowing that the majority of their clients like to have the flexibility of receiving treatment when it's suitable for them and not stress themselves en route to their appointment.
How Does Somatic Experiencing Online Work?
If you've not tried it yet, you can experience Somatic Experiencing online through a videoconferencing platform like Skype or Zoom. The best thing about it is that you can work with your therapist whenever it's convenient for you. And since you can receive therapy in the comfort of your own home, you can remove your usual commute time out of your list of concerns.
Various neurobiological components are put into play during a Somatic Experiencing therapy. With proper guidance from a qualified therapist, a remote Somatic Experiencing therapy can help you regulate your emotions and deal with the negative ones in a contained way so that you can get your life back.
What Can You Expect From Somatic Experiencing Online?
An initial online Somatic Experiencing session usually lasts an hour. The number of follow-up sessions that you need to attend will depend on the severity or degree of your trauma. During your therapy session, you will not be asked to talk about the painful event in your past that triggered your trauma, but are guided out of the negative energy stuck in your body resulting from that event.
The practitioner will demonstrate various techniques like the "voo" sound and other exercises to help you find physical comfort in your body. This process will restore balance in your nervous system and get rid of pain as well as involuntary sensations that were not there prior to the traumatic event.
When you decide to receive Somatic Experiencing online, you have to be prepared to release the emotional wounds from your past. If these are childhood wounds, they may take longer to heal, but you can expect the results to significantly improve the quality of your life.
Before your appointment, check your internet connection and the audio settings of your computer to avoid potential problems from impeding the progress of your therapy.
