What is Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Polyvagal Theory?
Have you ever noticed how your body responds before your mind even catches up? Perhaps your shoulders tense when you hear a certain tone of voice, or your stomach drops when walking into a particular room. Maybe you find yourself feeling overwhelmed or reactive in situations that logically shouldn't be threatening, yet your body tells a different story.
This is because our bodies hold the memory of our experiences—both the beautiful and the difficult ones. When we've experienced trauma, particularly in childhood, our nervous systems can become stuck in protective patterns that once kept us safe but may no longer serve us. Traditional talk therapy, while valuable, often focuses primarily on thoughts and emotions. Somatic Experiencing and Polyvagal Theory offer a different approach: healing through the wisdom of the body.
Understanding Somatic Experiencing: The Body Keeps the Score
Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing recognizes that trauma is stored not just in our minds, but in our bodies. When someone experiences childhood abuse, neglect, or other overwhelming events, the nervous system can become stuck in protective mechanisms such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
It's crucial to understand that these responses were never choices—they were automatic physiological states that helped you survive. Your nervous system did exactly what it needed to do to get you through difficult times. There's no shame in these responses; they represent your body's incredible wisdom and resilience.
In SE work, we approach healing by working with the unconscious survival brain and autonomic nervous system first, then engaging the conscious mind. This allows your survival brain to understand that the danger has passed and helps your entire nervous system return to regulation, safety, and stability.
Polyvagal Theory: Understanding Your Nervous System States
Dr. Stephen Porges' Polyvagal Theory provides us with a roadmap for understanding how our nervous system responds to safety and threat. This theory recognizes three main states:
Sympathetic Activation (Fight/Flight): When we feel threatened, our sympathetic nervous system activates, preparing us for action. This can feel like anxiety, anger, restlessness, or the urge to escape.
Dorsal Vagal Shutdown (Freeze/Fawn): When threat feels overwhelming, we might shut down, becoming numb, disconnected, or compliant. This is our nervous system's way of conserving energy when fight or flight isn't possible.
Ventral Vagal (Social Engagement): This is our optimal state—when we feel safe and connected. Here, we can rest, digest, play, and engage authentically with others. You may have heard of the vagus nerve and various "hacks" to activate it—this is the state we're aiming to cultivate.
proud nervous system geek!
How Somatic Experiencing Sessions Work
Understanding these concepts is one thing, but how does this translate into actual healing work? Here's what you can expect from our 1-1 sessions:
Grounding: We begin with gentle guidance to help you arrive and become present in your body and the space around you.
Orienting: We explore your relationship to the physical space, helping your nervous system recognize safety in the here and now.
Exploration: Together, we tune into your bodily sensations with curiosity and without judgment, developing what we call "interoception"—awareness of your inner landscape.
Somatic Movement: This may involve gentle, intuitive movements that help discharge stored tension and energy in the body.
Pendulation: We practice moving between "resource" (sensations of safety, peace, or joy) and areas of discomfort. This builds your nervous system's capacity to handle difficult feelings without becoming overwhelmed.
Titration: We work with small, manageable amounts of discomfort rather than diving into overwhelming experiences. This prevents your system from going back into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
Integration: We close each session with reflection and exploration of what you can realistically incorporate into your daily life, ensuring you leave feeling as present and resourced as possible.
Throughout this process, we map your nervous system states based on Polyvagal Theory, increasing your awareness of what's happening inside you and how past and present situations affect your nervous system.
Who Might Benefit from This Work?
Somatic Experiencing can be particularly helpful if you:
Feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, depression, or overwhelm
Notice your body reacting strongly to situations that don't seem threatening
Have tried talk therapy but feel like something is still missing
Experience physical symptoms that don't have a clear medical cause
Want to develop a deeper relationship with your body and nervous system
Are going through major life transitions
Feel disconnected from your emotions or body sensations
A Personalised Approach to Healing
Every person's nervous system is unique, shaped by their individual experiences and inherent resilience. Sessions can take place indoors, outdoors, or online, depending on what feels most supportive for you. We can weave together elements of nature and ritual, which can be particularly powerful during times of life or seasonal transition.
However, sessions don't need to incorporate nature elements to be effective. Through our work together, we're always attuning to your own natural rhythms and healing capacity. The goal is to help you develop the awareness and resources you need to regulate your nervous system and take aligned, anchored action toward your intentions.
Moving Forward: From Survival to Thriving
The beauty of Somatic Experiencing and Polyvagal-informed work is that it honors where you've been while gently supporting you toward where you want to go. It recognizes that your protective responses once served you, and from that place of compassion, we can slowly expand your nervous system's capacity for safety, connection, and joy.
This isn't about "fixing" anything that's wrong with you—it's about supporting your body's natural healing wisdom and helping you develop a more regulated, resilient relationship with life's inevitable challenges.
If you're curious about exploring how' ‘1-1 nervous system nourishment’ might support your healing journey, I'd love to connect with you. Together, we can discover what your nervous system needs to feel safe, regulated, and alive.