The majority of The Haven’s members have endured significant trauma in their lives. 78% of our members have substance use disorder in their family, 61% have problems related to legal circumstances, 58% have personal history of childhood abuse, and 51% have experiences homelessness. These experiences have a heavy toll on the body, often manifesting in both physical and mental health challenges.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-centered approach that aims to resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies and nervous systems. When we are stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, SE helps us release, recover, and become more resilient.
Originally developed to help trauma survivors find relief within their bodies, SE is especially effective in improving nervous system regulation. It helps individuals achieve a deep sense of calm and grounding by interrupting the physiological stress responses triggered by painful memories. As participants build awareness of their bodily sensations and related emotions, particularly the difficult ones, they often uncover deeper layers of their story and even recover lost memories related to early developmental trauma. This increased awareness can be a powerful and unexpected part of the healing process.
SE may include the use of therapeutic touch to broaden member opportunities for renegotiating or resolving a piece of their trauma story. This can add a dimension of physical healing that is not typically integrated into more conventional forms of talk therapy.
We’re excited to share that Georgia Benson, one of our dedicated therapists, has recently completed an intensive Somatic Experiencing training. She now offers SE at The Haven, and early responses from members have been very encouraging. Somatic Experiencing is a valuable addition to our range of services as it can help individuals access and address the bodily sensations linked to trauma.
“It was something that I never experienced before. I felt relief afterwards, like one hundred pounds had been lifted from my shoulders. I felt like I could breathe again.”
“It is very visual in my mind. It is relaxing. It helped me identify tension and stress in my body. It is a very comfortable way to release traumatic experiences and uncomfortable emotions.”
“It is a release of feelings and emotions that I didn’t know were there. It is a safe space to make that happen.”
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