Go beyond traditional talk therapy
Somatic Experiencing® across New Jersey and New York
Maybe you’ve been to therapy before, but there is still a disconnect between what you know intellectually and what you feel in your body.
your body feels…
You’ve tried everything you can think of to feel better, but nothing’s sticking.
Shut down, disconnected, or overwhelmed
Angry or confused
Tense or in pain
Anxious or stressed
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) helps you bridge the gap between your mind and body.
At the heart of Somatic Experiencing® lies the belief that trauma is not solely about the event itself but rather how the nervous system responds to it. Unlike traditional talk therapy, which primarily engages the cognitive mind, SE focuses on somatic (bodily) sensations and the body's innate capacity for self-regulation.
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) aims to resolve symptoms of stress, shock, and trauma that accumulate in our bodies. When we are stuck in patterns of fight, flight, or freeze, SE helps us release, recover, and become more resilient.
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Somatic Experiencing® is a biophysiological approach to healing trauma. The founder of SE DR. Peter Levine has said that trauma does not rest in the event but in the individual’s nervous system. By paying attention to the client’s nervous system, the trained therapist supports the client in their experience of a more coherent and resilient nervous system.
SE facilitates motor responses and the release of stuck survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions.
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SE does not require you to re-tell or re-live a traumatic event. Instead, it offers the opportunity to engage, complete, and resolve in a slow and supported way. The body’s instinctual fight, flight, and freeze responses. The resets the nervous system, restores inner balance, and increases people’s vitality, and capacity to actively engage in life. The SE practitioner offers an environment of impartial and compassionate support to faciliate the release of trauma throughout your body.
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The Somatic Experiencing® method is a body-oriented approach to ease the impact of trauma developed by Peter Levine, Ph.D. who noticed that prey animals, unlike humans were able to readily recover after life threatening events by releasing the accumulated energy from intense stress. The SE™ approach slowly and gently releases these patterns, restores connection and offers a framework to assess where a person is “stuck” in the fight, flight, freeze or collapse survival energies. SE™ guides clients towards nervous system regulation to help a person feel calm, centered and operating from a place of authenticity. Some feelings clients explore shifting include shame, anger, sadness, self-doubt and pervasive thoughts and fears. SE™ is a collaborative and creative process, often working at a slow and steady pace resulting in deeper states of feeling, personal power and self awareness.
Is Somatic Experiencing® (SE) right for you?
SE is a good fit for you if…
You want more than just talk therapy
You want to feel more present and alive
You want to experience trauma resolution not just gain coping skills
You want to learn the language of your body (Somatic means body)
You want to improve self regulation
You want to enhance your bodily awareness and feel connected to your body
What we’ll work on
With Somatic Experiencing®, you can…
Bypass the need for detailed narrative recall and instead focuses on the embodied experience of trauma. By bypassing the cognitive defenses that often arise when discussing traumatic events, SE offers a direct pathway to healing at the physiological level.
Cultivate awareness of bodily sensations, SE fosters a deeper connection between mind and body, promoting overall well-being
Regulate your nervous systems, allowing you to respond more effectively to stressors and triggers
Understand your triggers and how your body is communicating with you
Therapists Who Specialize In Somatic Experiencing®
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Melanie Palmietto, LPC, LMHC, SEP
Telehealth - New Jersey & New York
In Person - Montclair, New Jersey
Works with - Individuals
Somatic Experiencing® | PTSD | CPTSD | Anxiety | Self Esteem | Sexual Assault | Depression | Attachment & Developmental Trauma | People Pleasing
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Ariana Fort, LAC, CCTP
Telehealth - New Jersey
Works with - Individuals
Somatic Therapy | Polyvagal Theory | Complex PTSD | Trauma | Anxiety | Depression | Transgenerational Trauma | Stress
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New List Item
Telehealth - New Jersey
Works with - Individuals
Somatic Therapy | Poly-Vagal Theory | Gottman Therapy | Eating Disorders | Grief | Self-Image | Trauma & PTSD | OCD | Depression | Body Neutrality | Chronic Illness/Pain | Rumination
Understanding Somatic Experiencing®
In this 3 minute video Dr. Peter Levine the founder of Somatic Experiencing® (SE) explains the concept of pendulation which is a technique used in somatic experiencing sessions.
In this 4 minute video Dr. Peter Levine explains what happens in trauma.
“The body remembers what the mind forgets; it is through somatic experiencing that we can access and release stored traumatic memories.”
Your story is welcome here.
Your body holds so much information and wisdom. Let’s discover it together.
Questions?
FAQs
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We aren't able to give an exact timeline or make any guarantees. What we can say is we will meet you where you are at with compassion, curiosity, and understanding. We will provide education along the way and work with you to reach your goals.
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Melanie Palmietto provides somatic experiecing and Ariana Fort provides somatic therapy.
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We want to connect you with tbest therapist for you and what you’re looking to experience. By clicking here you can schedule a free consultation to learn more about working with our clinicians and find the right fit for you.