Frequently asked questions

Somatic Experiencing® is a body-focused therapeutic approach for healing trauma and chronic stress. Developed by Dr. Peter A. Levine, SE is based on the idea that trauma is not just a psychological event but also a physiological one. It emphasizes the role of the nervous system and how unresolved traumatic experiences can become “trapped” in the body, leading to symptoms like anxiety, depression, or chronic pain.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE) therapy helped me (Yulin) recognize the frozenness in my system, where I had mistaken a dorsal state for calmness. It enabled me to process many overwhelming past experiences that my system previously lacked the capacity to handle. The trapped emotions and energies from those experiences had manifested as physical illness and emotional struggles. Through SE, I was able to reclaim many missing pieces of myself, gradually reconnecting with my inner strength and rediscovering the natural flow of life.

In SE®, the sense of safety is understood as a physiological state in which the nervous system feels regulated and balanced. Trauma disrupts this state, leaving individuals in chronic hyperarousal or hypoarousal (fight, flight, freeze or fawn). To feel safe, one may guide the body and mind back to a regulated state, where they can sense security in themselves and their environment.

You might have trauma if you experience persistent symptoms of anxiety, sadness, numbness, fatigued, sleep issues, or behavioral signs include avoiding triggers, overworking, or using substances to cope etc. Trauma also disrupts relationships, leaving you feeling disconnected or unworthy. It can result from a single overwhelming event but more often from prolonged stress, especially from childhood neglect or abuse.