Somatic Experiencing

In distinction to cognitive and emotional based therapies (“top-down” approaches which focus on insight and emotions first and only secondarily focus on somatic responses to trauma), SE® is a “bottom-up” approach.

It focuses on the brain stem and its survival-based functions which are not under conscious or emotional control. Access to these instinctual action and arousal systems is through the vehicle of physical bodily sensations. Cognitions and emotions are included in SE® practice but they are secondary or derivative from physical sensations through bottom-up processing.