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Peter Levine's work is based on a somatic (body-oriented) understanding of trauma. This approach has enriched our understanding of what happens in trauma, and how to deal with it in psychotherapy.
In times of stress and danger, our organism (like that of other animals) braces for danger. For instance, under normal circumstances, we "orient" to the danger... We respond through fight or flight... And our organism gets geared up for this by producing a lot of energy, which is expanded as we respond. When we cannot respond adequately, we do not have the benefit of the "discharge" of energy that would allow us to return to normal.
In "Somatic Experiencing", we "titrate" experience, that is we deal with it in manageable amounts, as opposed to trying to shock the system into catharsis - which can overwhelm the regulatory mechanisms of the organism.
We encourage clients to develop body awareness, both as a resource and as a gateway to resolving trauma.
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We use awareness of body sensation to help people "renegotiate" and heal rather than re-live or re-enact trauma.
- Paying attention to the bodily "felt sense" allows the highly aroused survival energies to be safely experienced and gradually discharged.
See also: Proactive psychotherapy
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