Somatic Experiencing® is a body-centered approach developed for working with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, chronic stress, and bodily tension. The method was founded by American psychologist and biophysicist Dr. Peter A. Levine . Levine developed the Somatic Experiencing method for the study of bodily trauma, drawing on his observations of the nervous system and animal behavior from the 1970s onward .

The Founder and History of Somatic Experiencing

• Dr. Peter Levine studied medical biophysics at Princeton University and psychology at the University of California.

• In the 1970s, he laid the foundations for Somatic Experiencing® by investigating how trauma is held in the body.

• The method became known worldwide with the book Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma, published in 1997 .

• Today, SE is practiced in more than 45 countries through training organized by Somatic Experiencing International .

Basic Principles

Somatic Experiencing argues that trauma is not merely a mental experience, but also one that the body stores. Central to the method is the regulation of the nervous system .

• Traumatic experiences create an incomplete “flight, fight, or freeze” response in the body.

• By focusing on the body, SE opens space for these reactions to be gently completed.

• In the studies, bodily sensations, tremors, micro-movements and interoceptive awareness are emphasized rather than cognitive analysis .

Application Areas

Somatic Experiencing can be used in individual and group work.

• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

• Chronic stress and anxiety

• Panic disorder

• Chronic pain and psychosomatic disorders

• Childhood traumas

• Physical and emotional effects after an accident, surgery, natural disaster or loss

Somatic Experiencing in the World

• Formal training programs have been held in the USA, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands and the UK for many years.

• It is used in integration with clinical psychology, body-focused counseling, yoga, dance and movement methods.

• Today, thousands of practitioners around the world are actively working with individuals.

Somatic Experiencing in Türkiye

In Turkey, training is provided through the Somatic Experiencing Association, authorized by Somatic Experiencing International .

• Training and promotional activities have been carried out since the 2010s.

• Psychologists, counselors and body-focused experts can become practitioners by participating in these programs.

Official pages:

• Türkiye: Somatic Experiencing Association

• Global: Somatic Experiencing International

Somatic Approach in Yosomind

At Yosomind, all content, training, workshops, and live classes are prepared using the somatic approach . Body awareness, nervous system regulation, and holistic balance are at the core of our work.

For those who want to learn more about Somatic Experiencing or experience it firsthand, Fatma Nur Bilgin offers private sessions. These sessions are structured in a safe manner, allowing space for physical and emotional processes tailored to the individual's needs.

Source

• Levine, P. A. (1997). Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma . North Atlantic Books.

• Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness . North Atlantic Books.

• Payne, P., Levine, P. A., & Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology , 6, 93.

• Somatic Experiencing International. (2025) https://traumahealing.org/

• Somatic Experiencing Association Türkiye. (2025). https://somatikdeneyimleme.com/