Somatic Therapy Cinema

Demonstrates How Trauma Sticks in the Body

Discusses How Shame is created

1. How Somatic Experiencing works with trauma
In SE, we don’t forcefully “relive” traumatic events—instead, we help your body slowly and safely release the stress and energy that got stuck during those experiences. We do this by:

• Noticing sensations in your body (like tightness, warmth, trembling, or heaviness).
• Titrating, meaning working with small pieces of the experience rather than the whole thing at once, so it doesn’t feel overwhelming.
• Pendulating, which means gently moving your awareness back and forth between feelings of activation (like sadness, tension) and feelings of safety or calm (like a soothing memory, breath, or a stable part of your body).
  This process helps your nervous system “relearn” safety and move out of survival patterns. Over time, that allows trauma to be digested and integrated.

2. What you can do when sadness or depression shows up between sessions
It’s completely natural to feel waves of emotion between sessions. Here are a few SE-informed things you can try:

• Grounding through the senses: Gently press your feet into the floor, notice the support of the chair, or look around the room and name 3–5 things you see. This helps your body remember you’re in the present.
• Orienting: Slowly turn your head and let your eyes land on whatever feels neutral or pleasant in your space. This can bring a sense of safety.
• Resourcing: Recall a memory, image, or place that feels safe, calming, or nourishing—even a pet, nature scene, or favorite blanket. Let your body feel the comfort of that resource.
• Small movement: Sometimes depression brings heaviness. Even small shifts—stretching, standing, walking slowly—can gently mobilize stuck energy.
• Self-compassion: Speak to yourself kindly, like you would to a friend: “It’s okay I feel this. This is part of my healing.”

If the sadness ever feels overwhelming or unsafe, remember you don’t need to face it alone. Reach out for support—whether to me, a trusted person, or in crisis, to immediate help lines.