Somatic Experiencing: A Body-Based Approach to Trauma Recovery
When people think of therapy, they often imagine sitting on a couch, talking through their experiences, trying to make sense of pain with words. But some of our most overwhelming experiences, especially trauma, don’t live in words alone. They live in the body. That’s where Somatic Experiencing comes in.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on how the nervous system holds onto stress and trauma, and helps people gradually release that stored energy, gently and safely. Rather than diving straight into the story of what happened, SE pays close attention to the felt sense -the subtle sensations, impulses, and movements in the body.
This method helps the body complete the natural fight, flight, or freeze responses that may have been interrupted during a traumatic experience. The result is a reset of the nervous system and a greater sense of regulation, ease, and resilience.
Who is Somatic Experiencing For?
SE can be a powerful tool for people navigating:
Trauma and PTSD
Anxiety and chronic stress
Panic attacks or overwhelm
Chronic pain or illness
Feeling disconnected from the body or emotions
Developmental or relational trauma
Many people who haven't felt helped by traditional talk therapy alone find SE to be a meaningful, effective complement or even a preferred path forward. It’s also a good fit for folks who feel stuck, hypervigilant, or who have a hard time accessing or naming their feelings.
What Is a Session Like?
Somatic Experiencing sessions look and feel a bit different than traditional therapy. With Aaron Kapin, sessions are collaborative, curious, and slow-paced by design. You might spend part of the session talking and part of it simply tracking what’s happening in your body—heat, tightness, fluttering, stillness.
Aaron might ask:
“What do you notice when you talk about that?”
“Can we pause there and just sit with that sensation?”
“What happens in your shoulders when you name that feeling?”
You won’t be pushed to relive traumatic events. In fact, one of the core principles of SE is that you don’t have to tell the whole story to heal from it. The focus is on supporting the nervous system to find safety, balance, and completion, often through very subtle internal shifts.
What Do People Often Experience?
While each person’s journey is different, many clients report:
A growing sense of calm and groundedness
Fewer episodes of panic or shutdown
Better sleep and digestion
More ability to stay present in relationships
A feeling of coming home to their body
Some clients say it feels like their body is finally exhaling after years of bracing.
Meet Aaron Kapin
At Self Space, Aaron Kapin brings warmth, presence, and deep attunement to his work with clients. He’s trained in Somatic Experiencing and integrates this body-based approach with mindfulness, relational therapy, and trauma-informed care. Aaron specializes in working with people who’ve experienced childhood trauma, complex PTSD, or who struggle with anxiety that doesn’t seem to resolve with talking alone.
He believes that healing isn’t about fixing ourselves. It’s about learning to listen, gently, to the body’s wisdom and finding the places within us that already know how to come back to balance.
If you're curious about Somatic Experiencing or wonder if it could support your own healing, you can learn more about Aaron here or reach out to schedule a consultation.
Sometimes healing doesn’t start with words. It starts with listening to the body.