Overwhelming whole-body stress
- Pre- and perinatal trauma (fetal distress, birth trauma, early surgeries)
- Anesthesia
- High fevers
- Suffocation, choking, drowning
Somatic Experiencing® · Folsom, CA
A gentle, body-based way of working with stress and overwhelm
Somatic Experiencing® is a gentle body-based way of working with stress and overwhelm. It’s about re-establishing the body’s ability to naturally discharge stress and overwhelm at a pace that doesn’t re-traumatize. We do this by learning the unspoken language of the body and re-establishing the mind-body connection. People also call this somatic therapy. The office is in Folsom.
SE sessions are available in person in Folsom or on Zoom.
Experiences people bring
Somatic Experiencing groups hard experiences into categories, based on how they tend to affect the nervous system. Here they are as the training names them. You never have to pick one, and you never have to explain yours.
High impact and failure of physical defense
- Falls
- Acquired brain injury
- High impact and motor vehicle accidents
Inescapable attack
- Animal attack
- Escape inhibited
Physical injury
- Surgery
- Poison
- Burns
Natural and man-made disasters
- Natural disasters
- Horror
Not sure where yours fits, or it doesn’t fit anywhere? That’s okay. Tell me a headline, or nothing at all.
Who it’s for
People come to me when they:
feel on high alert, or shut down, or go back and forth between the two
have a hard time settling, sleeping, or taking a full breath
still feel an accident, a fall, a surgery, or a hard stretch in their body
want more ease and presence in their own skin
You don’t need a big story or a diagnosis. You also don’t have to name what happened to you.
A note up top: I don’t diagnose, and I don’t provide psychotherapy. This work sits alongside medical and mental health care, not in place of it. If you have a therapist, I’m glad to work next to them.
Here’s the heart of it. When stress hits, your nervous system ramps up. When the moment passes, it’s meant to come back down. Sometimes it stays ramped up instead.
So we pay attention to the coming down. A breath comes easier. Muscles let go a little. Stress gets a bit easier to be with.
Someone trained in Somatic Experiencing learns to notice when your system starts to ramp up, and to help it come down in small steps (SE calls this titration). That way your system can relearn how to settle on its own.
Your nervous system may already come down sometimes, after a good talk or a walk, without you noticing. In SE, we slow down and notice it on purpose. When you can feel it happen, you can start to learn it.
This is something you feel, not just think. It’s a different kind of knowing than talking about it. Many people say it helps them feel more connected to themselves again.
Over time, many people find they remember what settling feels like. It becomes a pattern your system can find again, in daily life too. Nothing is guaranteed, but that’s what we practice.
A picture that helps
Think of a deer in a meadow. A twig snaps. The deer freezes, looks toward the sound, and its whole body gets ready to run. Then it sees a small bird on a dry leaf. The deer shakes, takes a few breaths, and goes back to grazing.
People do the same thing, with one difference. We often don’t get to finish. We stay braced, even after the moment has passed.
Somatic Experiencing helps your nervous system notice it’s safe enough to come back down.
Try it anywhere.
Slowly look around the room. Let your eyes land wherever they want. Notice what changes in you. Give it a minute or two.
Did anything shift, even a little? Noticing it is the practice.
What it’s like to work together
It’s slow.
We go a little at a time, with breaks.
You choose what to share.
A headline is enough. You never have to tell the whole story.
It’s usually quiet.
Sessions are rarely dramatic.
You leave steady.
We take time to settle before you go, so you can head back into your day.
What you might notice
As your nervous system settles, many people notice some of these. Not everyone does, and nothing is guaranteed. You don’t have to feel any of them.
A few honest notes. This isn’t a checklist or a test, and these signs can’t tell you what’s right or wrong with you. Calm and still isn’t always the same as settled, so we don’t try to look relaxed. A gentle shake can be a normal part of settling.
Part of my training is learning to catch small changes you may not have noticed yet, so you can start to notice them too.
The goal isn’t permanent calm. It’s a nervous system that gets better at coming back down on its own, with more room to move between the ups and the downs.
- a deeper breath, a sigh, or a yawn
- muscles let go, and your weight sinks a little more into the chair
- warmth, or a bit of color, coming back to your hands or face
- a gentle shake or tremble that comes and goes
- your belly gurgles, or you notice you’re hungry
- your eyes want to look around, and you feel more like connecting with people
- more room inside, and more of you feels like yours
- stress feels a bit easier to be with, and you pause before you react
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to talk about what happened to me? +
No. You can share as little as you like. A headline is enough.
How is this different from talk therapy? +
Talk therapy helps, and it can help your system settle too. Sometimes that settling happens without you noticing. SE goes slowly enough that you can feel it happen and learn what it’s like. Many people do both, and they fit together well.
What might I feel afterward? +
Tired, light, a little emotional, or just calm. Drink water and go easy on yourself that evening.
How many sessions will I need? +
It varies. Many people try a few sessions to see how it feels. We can check in as we go.
Is touch part of it? +
Not necessarily. Many sessions have none. If it ever comes up, I’ll ask first, and you can always say no.
What does it cost, and how long is a session? +
There are two session options:
50 minutes $230
75 minutes $270
Can I do this alongside my therapist or doctor? +
Yes. That’s often the best setup.
Right here in Folsom
My office is at 101 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, close to Lake Natoma and the American River Parkway. Easy to reach from El Dorado Hills, Cameron Park, Orangevale, and Roseville.
101 Parkshore Drive, Folsom, CA 95630
Take it at your pace
You don’t have to push through anything. If you’d like to know more first, send me a question. No pressure, and no need to have it figured out.
Somatic Experiencing® is a wellness and nervous-system support approach. It’s not a substitute for medical care, psychotherapy, or emergency mental health support. Results vary.