This program is for individuals who have experienced trauma or natural disasters or who have chronic pain.

Somatic Experiencing® (SE), a community-based, body-focused therapy, is designed to engage and resolve the body’s natural and involuntary responses to stress in a way that resets the autonomic nervous system, restores inner balance, and increases the capacity for emotional regulation and resilience to stress.

Results from two randomized controlled trials (RCT) in patients with comorbid chronic low back pain and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) have demonstrated mixed results. One RCT compared SE plus treatment as usual (SE + TAU), in which TAU consisted of sessions of supervised exercises for low back pain, to TAU alone. Results indicated that PTSS and fear of movement were significantly improved for participants in the SE + TAU group, compared to TAU alone, at a follow-up conducted 12 months after randomization. However, both groups experienced large reductions in pain catastrophizing, disability, and pain, and there were no significant differences in these outcomes between groups. Results from a second RCT that compared SE + physiotherapy (PT) to PT alone indicated no significant differences between groups on any outcome at a 6- or 12-month follow-up, including pain-related disability, PTSS, pain intensity, pain catastrophizing, kinesiophobia, anxiety, or depression. Both groups experienced significant reductions in pain-related disability and small reductions in PTSS, and the addition of SE did not provide any additional benefits. Results from several other trials, including RCT, quasi-experimental, and single-group studies conducted among a variety of participants, have demonstrated short-term improvements in PTSS, psychological well-being, coping strategies, and body image and reductions in anxiety, depression, and distress.

SE is comprised of a comprehensive set of principles and techniques that can be applied to clinical work with individuals who have been exposed to trauma. PTSS are seen as expressions of stress activation and an incomplete defensive reaction to a traumatic event. The goal of therapy is to release the traumatic activation through an increased tolerance of bodily sensations and related emotions. Enhanced tolerance can then help stimulate a discharge process that could allow the activation to dissipate.

Therapy targets a participant’s physiology as they gradually engage with traumatic memories that cause high arousal and slowly access associated feelings and body sensations. Participants learn to monitor the arousal and downregulate it in early phases by using body awareness and applying self-regulatory mechanisms like engaging in pleasant sensations, positive memories, or other experiences that help regulate arousal. This process is intended to restore equilibrium in the autonomic nervous system and diminish hyperarousal and trauma-related thoughts, which can, consequently, rebuild healthy functioning for participants.

Therapy ends with a focus on how to maintain progress and success, manage stress, and explore future directions in life.

Evaluations of the program have been conducted in the United States, Denmark, and Israel; however, the extent to which this program has been implemented is unclear.

Treatment is facilitated by individuals who have an active professional practice and may include licensed mental/behavioral health professionals, medical and alternative medicine professionals, bodyworkers, first responders, educators, and crisis center staff. A variety of in-person and online training options are available. Please visit https://traumahealing.org/training/ for more information.

Considerations for implementing this program include finding a suitable facilitator and ensuring they receive training, understanding funding for training costs may be needed, and acquiring participant buy-in and commitment.

The Clearinghouse can help address these considerations. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

If you are interested in implementing SE, the Clearinghouse is interested in helping you! Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Implementation time varies; however, the program is typically delivered in 10 to 16 sessions that are 60 to 90 minutes each.

Information on implementation costs was not located. Please use details in the Contact section to learn more.

To move SE to the Promising category on the Clearinghouse Continuum of Evidence, at least one to two additional studies must be conducted demonstrating significant positive results lasting at least six months from program completion or one year from the beginning of the program.

The Clearinghouse can help you develop an evaluation plan to ensure the program components are meeting your goals. Please call 1-877-382-9185 or email clearinghouse@psu.edu

Contact the Clearinghouse with any questions regarding this program. Phone: 1-877-382-9185 Email: clearinghouse@psu.edu

You may also contact the Somatic Experiencing International Global Headquarters by mail PO Box 7240, 8800 W 116th Circle, Broomfield, Colorado 80021 or visit https://traumahealing.org/contact/

https://traumahealing.org/, https://www.cebc4cw.org/program/somatic-experiencing-se/, and Taylor and Saint-Laurent (2017)

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Andersen, T. E., Lahav, Y., Ellegaard, H., & Manniche, C. (2017). A randomized controlled trial of brief somatic experiencing for chronic low back pain and comorbid post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2017.1331108

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