What is SomatoEmotional Release? AKA: Somatic Experiencing
SomatoEmotional Release is an elegant way of working with the body-mind connection using dialogue and visualization to help release emotions or memories stored within the tissues.
Many modern day healthcare approaches separate mind and body for example you have either physical therapy or psychotherapy. What SomatoEmotional Release provides is a framework and toolkit for working with the body tissues at the same time as working with the emotions, to work towards a release of any retained trauma. This can occur in a myriad of ways and is frequently gentle and creative, as we listen to and learn from both mind and body. Some physical symptoms will not fully resolve until an emotional component is taken care of as well. SER facilitates personal growth, helps us move from illness, unresolved issues and lack of potential, towards health and fulfilment, and is an ingenious tool for sorting out our lives and redesigning our futures.
How does SomatoEmotional Release work?
During a treatment I may at some point ask about how you are feeling, what you are sensing, what is happening in your body in that moment. Often our clients describe images, memories or anything else that they may be aware of. There are a few key signs that suggest to us there may be an emotional component linked to the place we are at in the moment, and by following this we have clues as to how to keep this process on track and ensure it is helpful.
This is accomplished by using a sensitive touch tuning into what the patients body would like to do. This process requires extreme sensitivity on the part of the therapist and trust within the patient. The release of trauma stored within the body will likely result in some re-experiencing of the accident and emotions that were obtained during the accident.
The re-experiencing of the trauma is a sign that the treatment is releasing the trauma. When this experience begins to occur the patient should not try to suppress the emotion but rather with the support of the therapist, they should allow the experience to unfold and move naturally towards a healing resolution.
We know that a radical change in physical health, whether for the better or the worse, is invariably accompanied by profound mental change. We also know from studies of behaviour and body language that the reverse is equally true. A major change in mental perspective is always accompanied by a change in body activity, posture and movement. SomatoEmotional Release and the tools of CranioSacral Therapy combine all aspects of human nature - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual into one approach that can facilitate tremendous change and growth in a person’s life.
(Information obtained from Upledger.com)