SE® in relation to other methodologies
Traditional, cognitive, and emotion-focused talk therapies are often considered a top-down approach. They primarily focus on insight and emotions, addressing the body’s physiological responses to trauma only secondarily. Talking about the trauma can sometimes even be harmful, as if an individual’s nervous system is not able to self-regulate, they may become overwhelmed and retraumatized by the intense reactions that arise during the process.
Somatic Experiencing® (SE®) is a bottom-up approach. It focuses on the brainstem—the reptilian brain and its survival-based functioning, which are not under conscious and emotional control. Access to these instinctive action and arousal systems happens through physical sensations, images, and motor patterns. As work is done with the felt sense, other elements of the traumatic experience may emerge, such as meaning and emotions. Thus, understanding and emotions are included in the SE® method, but they are secondary and arise as a byproduct of the bottom-up processing of physical sensations.
SE® uses techniques and interventions that work directly and gently with the body’s neurophysiology. The method avoids the risk of retraumatization through catharsis or by replaying or retelling the story, as well as the surfacing of intense emotional states that might be frightening or too confrontational for the client, potentially deterring them from continuing their healing process.