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Somatic Experiencing Therapy

Life Care Wellness offers effective solutions for people with trauma, PTSD, or psychological stress: EMDR, Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy, and Yoga Therapy.  Your counselor will discuss which therapy (or therapies) would be most helpful to you.  Trauma counseling is a specialty of Life Care Wellness, and our therapists help you heal from trauma.


 

Somatic Experiencing (SE) therapy is a powerful method for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress.  Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, SE results from his multidisciplinary study of stress physiology, psychology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics, and decades of successful clinical application.

Dr. Levine found that prey animals in the wild rarely become traumatized, despite routine threats to their lives. Yet he observed human beings become readily traumatized. He noted that mammals automatically regulate survival responses through the autonomic nervous system (ANS). Further, he saw that under threat, massive amounts of energy are mobilized in readiness for fight, flight, freeze, and collapse responses. Once safe, animals spontaneously “discharge” this excess energy through involuntary movements like shaking, trembling, and deep breaths. This discharge process resets the ANS, readying it for the next threat. Since humans and other animals possess nearly identical brain- and body-based survival mechanisms, Dr. Levine theorized that human beings get PTSD because of overriding this mammalian discharge response.

trauma Somatic Experiencing

The Somatic Experiencing Therapy Approach

The SE approach releases traumatic shock – the key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma. SE offers a framework to assess where “stuckness” occurs in the fight, flight, freeze, or collapse responses. Further, it provides tools to resolve these fixated physiological states.  It also gently guides clients in developing increased tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions. With this increased tolerance, clients can learn these tools to manage their own systems.

From a brain perspective, SE therapy works to shift brain stem and limbic system responses.  This “bottom up” approach gets at the root cause of trauma symptoms. Specifically, it facilitates the completion of self-protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body.

SE therapy does not require the person to re-tell or re-live the traumatic event. Instead, it offers the opportunity to engage, complete and resolve in a gentle way the body’s instinctual self-protective responses. Individuals locked in anxiety or rage then relax into a growing sense of peace and safety. Those stuck in depression gradually find their feelings of hopelessness and numbness transformed into empowerment, triumph, and mastery. SE sparks corrective bodily experiences that counter fear and helplessness. This resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, enhances resilience, and increases vitality, equanimity, and capacity to actively engage in life.

Still wondering what is somatic experiencing? Read more at our What is SE blog.

A number of Life Care Wellness affiliated therapists offer SE therapy. Schedule an appointment with our somatic experiencing counselor today.

Call (630) 423-5935 for more information or to set up an appointment.

Life Care Wellness | 800 Roosevelt Rd, Building C, Suite 206, Glen Ellyn, Illinois
Serving West Chicagoland including Winfield, Wheaton, Lisle, Glen Ellyn, Lombard, Downers Grove and Elmhurst.

Life Care Wellness | 5408 N. Long Avenue, Chicago, Illinios
Serving Jefferson Park, Lincolnwood, Edgebrook, North Park, Albany Park, Harwood Heights, Norwood Park and the near North suburbs including Park Ridge, Niles, Skokie and Evanston.

Life Care Wellness | 1958 Aberdeen Ct, Sycamore, Illinois
Serving DeKalb and Northern Illinois University area along with Cortland, Genoa, Maple Park, Kingston, Burlington, Hampshire, Malta, Kirkland, and Elburn.

Our Glen Ellyn Office Has Moved!

To serve you better with even more space, we have moved to a new building just a few blocks away. Our new Glen Ellyn location in the Glen Hill North office park is:

800 Roosevelt, Bldg C, Suite 206

Glen Ellyn, IL 60137

 

COVID Safety Update

We are happy to announce, on June 1, 2020 we re-opened all Life Care Wellness facilities with added safety precautions to ensure your health and safety. We also continue to provide telehealth opportunities for those who prefer to remain in the comfort of their own home.

Our Specialties

  • Trauma & Grief Counseling
  • Addiction Counseling
  • Anxiety & Depression Counseling
  • EMDR Therapy
  • Somatic Experiencing
  • Yoga Therapy
  • Group Therapy
  • Therapy for Co-Occurring Disorders
  • Pharmacotherapy

Services

  • Individual Therapy
  • Group Therapy
  • Couples Counseling
  • Family Therapy
  • Child & Adolescent Therapy
  • Mediation
  • Case Consultation
  • Life & Executive Coaching
  • Wellness Education
  • Speaking & Educational Programs

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Life Care Wellness
800 Roosevelt, Bldg C, Suite 206
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
Second Location:
5408 N. Long Ave, Chicago, IL 60630
Third Location:
1958 Aberdeen Ct, Sycamore, IL 60178

Copyright © 2021 Life Care Wellness, Inc.