Somatic Experiencing® –
Restoring Safety and Vitality
1. What is Somatic Experiencing® (SE)?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma, developed by Dr. Peter Levine to support the resolution of trauma and chronic stress. It is a body-based therapeutic approach that helps release the survival energy trapped in the nervous system after overwhelming and stressful events. It restores the body's natural rhythm and rebuilds a sense of internal safety — essential for trauma healing.
It is based on the observation that wild animals, although routinely threatened, are rarely traumatized because they release survival energy through instinctive responses such as shaking or trembling.
Humans, however, often suppress these responses — which can lead to dysregulation of the nervous system and long-lasting symptoms.
SE works by tracking bodily sensations, supporting the completion of self-protective responses, and restoring autonomic balance. It is not about reliving the trauma, but about gently guiding the body back to safety.
2. What is Trauma?
Trauma is not defined by the event itself — but by how our nervous system experienced it and how we perceived what happen.
Trauma isn’t what happened to you. It’s what got stuck in your body.
It is the residue of an experience that was too much, too fast, or too soon, and that left the body in a state of survival: fight, flight, freeze, or collapse.
Trauma is not always dramatic.
Sometimes it’s the silence. The absence. The moment you had to endure without support.
We carry trauma not only in our memories, but in our muscles, our breath, our gut.
And above all, in our nervous system — which may still react as if the danger never ended.
It can result from:
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Accidents or injuries
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Medical procedures
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Violence or abuse
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Loss or abandonment
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Early childhood misattunement
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Chronic exposure to high stress
Stress vs. Trauma
Stress is part of life. is a normal physiological response to a challenge. When the stressor ends, the body returns to balance.
Trauma: when stress becomes overwhelming and the body can’t recover, it turns into trauma. This is to say, trauma occurs when the body cannot discharge the survival energy and remains in a state of hyperarousal (fight/flight) or hypoarousal (freeze/collapse). For exemple:
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Acute stress may last hours or days.
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Chronic stress wears the system down over time.
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Trauma freezes the energy in the body, making healing impossible until it is safely released.
This is where Somatic Experiencing® comes in. SE helps bridge this gap, by allowing the body to complete the response that got stuck or/and to release the survival energy trap in the body.
Why Safety Comes First?
Trauma disconnects us from our sense of safety, often making even rest feel dangerous.
SE allows the body to slowly remember that it is safe now, through small, guided steps that invite the nervous system to complete what it couldn’t back then.
3. What makes Somatic Experiencing® a unique technique to treat trauma?
Most traditional therapy focuses on talking and understanding, which can be powerful.
But trauma lives in the nervous system, not just in the mind. SE allows healing to happen from the inside out by accessing the body’s innate intelligence and capacity for self-regulation. It’s non-invasive, deeply respectful, and works without needing to relive the trauma.
SE is not about forcing change. It’s about listening to the body’s language:
The felt sense (internal physical sensations that carry emotional meaning)
The discomfort we often avoid — approached with gentleness
The interoception (inner awareness), proprioception (body position) and exteroception (awareness of the outside world)
The physiological systems that shape our experience: muscular, visceral, respiratory, fascial, and beyond
We work not only with body sensations, but also with the images, emotions and fragmented narratives that hold the vital energy of trauma.
SE is a complete, integrated approach to trauma — engaging mind, body, and nervous system in one therapeutic process.
Research and clinical experience have shown SE to be effective in addressing:
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PTSD and complex trauma
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Anxiety and panic
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Chronic stress and burnout
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Somatic symptoms (pain, tension, fatigue)
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Emotional dysregulation
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Developmental trauma (pre-birth, peri-birth, childhood, adolescent)
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Relational trauma (adulthood)
4. What are the Benefits of SE?
From the very first session, most people feel subtle but real changes in their body, their breath, and their sense of calm.
But if you want your nervous system to truly integrate these changes and sustain them over time.
I recommend working together once a week for at least 3 months.
This is what you can expect as we work together with SE:
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You will build resilience in your nervous system, allowing it to shift more easily between action, rest, digestion, and connection—without feeling stuck or overwhelmed.
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You will know what to do when overwhelming sensations flood your body—and how to release them safely and gently.
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You will feel more present throughout your day, able to notice what's happening inside you without fear.
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You will experience more calm and inner safety, even in challenging moments.
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Your emotions will feel easier to recognize, name, and manage—without being swept away by them.
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You will have fewer outbursts of rage, anger, or frustration, and more choice in how you respond.
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You will feel less afraid and more trusting of others, reducing the feeling that the world is an unsafe place.
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You will have more energy, vitality, and a natural desire to connect with the world and the people around you.
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You will feel safe in your body, in your relationships, and in life itself.
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You will feel more satisfied with your life, more grounded, and more fully alive.
5. Accompaniment at your pace and
according to your needs
In our work together, you can choose to have specific somatic sessions, focusing entirely on body-based techniques to support your nervous system and emotional release.
Or, we can work through integrative humanistic psychotherapy, where I may suggest including somatic tools when I sense they might support your process.
In both cases, I will always check with you first and we will decide together if you feel comfortable exploring a certain approach or technique.
Your rhythm, your body, your choice.
6. What is a session with me like?
In our sessions, we start by listening to your body — and as the process unfolds, we bring in your thoughts and understanding.
The process involves:
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Helping you feel safe and grounded in your body and your sourrounding, in the here and now.
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Gently befriend those unpleasant body sensations — like headaches, dizziness, nausea, back pain, or tightness in your chest or throat — instead of fighting or avoiding them.
By listening to these signals, your body can start releasing what has been stuck, and you can feel more at ease and connected with yourself. -
Tracking those internal sensations (“interoception”) as they move or get stuck in your body.
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Supporting your body to release stuck survival energy (like fight, flight, or freeze patterns).
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Connecting and procesing your emotions.
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As we work together, memories, emotions, and body sensations often surface naturally — helping you understand what you’ve been holding inside and what still needs attention and processing in the present moment.
Sessions are smooth and slow, non-invasive, and adapt to each person's rhythm. We go slowly, because the body knows the pace of healing.
It can be done online and works beautifully, allowing you to experience deep change from the comfort of your own space.
Book your online SE® session now
Duration: 1h
You can choose to work with me online or in person in Madrid, at two cozy locations designed to support your process in a safe and welcoming space.
Duration: 1H