Dr. Anne Marie Hampe
Heal from Trauma with Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a powerful, body-centered therapy helps release trauma stored in our subconscious and unconscious brain, restoring balance to the nervous system. At Pelvic Soul Pelvic Therapy, we use Somatic Experiencing with our pelvic floor health patients, and the results have been incredibly positive—from reduced tension and anxiety, to improved digestion and sleep.
If you’re looking for a way to process troubling memories or traumatic experiences, this mind-body healing modality could be the missing piece of your healing journey.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine to help release stuck energies of fight, flight, or freeze from the body. These survival responses are natural and adaptive, but when trauma prevents them from fully processing, they remain trapped in the nervous system, causing chronic stress, tension, and dysregulation.
This can manifest as:
- Anxiety & overwhelm
- Sleep disturbances
- Digestive issues
- Chronic pain & pelvic tension
- Emotional imbalances
Somatic Experiencing works by slowly and safely guiding the body to release these stored patterns, restoring balance and enhancing overall well-being.
How Somatic Experiencing Works
Unlike traditional talk therapy, which primarily engages the mind, Somatic Experiencing focuses on the body’s physical sensations to help rewire the nervous system. The key to Somatic Experiencing is titration—releasing trauma in small, manageable amounts to prevent overwhelming the system.
A critical component of this process is the Vagus nerve, which connects the brain to the body. Since 80% of its fibers run from the body to the brain, addressing trauma through somatic work allows for deeper, lasting healing.
Who Can Benefit?
Somatic Experiencing is beneficial for anyone who has experienced trauma—whether a single event (shock trauma) or repetitive stress (developmental trauma). The impact of trauma isn’t just about what happened, but how the nervous system processed and stored that experience.
Common concerns Somatic Experiencing can support:
✅ Stress & anxiety
✅ PTSD & trauma recovery
✅ Chronic pain & tension
✅ Digestive issues linked to stress
✅ Sleep disturbances
Somatic Experiencing & Pelvic Floor Therapy
The pelvic floor is a unique muscle group as it is influenced greatly by unprocessed trauma, unlike other muscles of the body. This is because of a nerve that travels to the pelvic floor called the pudendal nerve. Being stuck in fight, flight, or freeze can directly impact the ability to connect to or control the pelvic floor muscles. This might show up as pelvic floor tension, leading to difficulty emptying your bladder, frequent urination, painful intercourse, and constipation. It also might show up as not being able to feel pleasure during intercourse.
Unprocessed trauma may also show up as IBS symptoms, which then lead to abdominal pain, constipation, or diarrhea. When you have already tried all of the exercises, breathing techniques, and diets and are still not seeing the improvement you want to see, SE will help to fill in those gaps that may be caused by trauma still living in the body.
What to Expect in a Somatic Experiencing Session
Somatic Experiencing sessions are gentle, guided, and fully individualized.
Sessions may include:
- Sitting or lying down comfortably.
- Gentle movement to shift stored energy.
- Talking through past or present challenges while tuning into bodily sensations.
- Recognizing signs of energy release, such as deep breaths, trembling, yawning, goosebumps, or a sense of flow.
The goal is not to relive trauma but to support the body in safely releasing stored tension. If at any point the process feels overwhelming, the therapist will guide the client back to a sense of safety and regulation.
Experience Somatic Healing at Pelvic Soul
We are thrilled to bring Somatic Experiencing to Pelvic Soul as part of our mission to provide comprehensive, body-centered healing. The early feedback from our patients has been incredible, and we can’t wait for more people to experience its transformative benefits.
If you’re interested in regulating your nervous system, reducing stress, and reconnecting with your body in a powerful way, we invite you to schedule a session!
