My Journey Into the World of Somatic Experiencing!
As we prepare for the next Somatic Experiencing training here in St. Louis in September, I thought I would write and share a little about how my own life has been impacted by this incredible work and this worldwide community of SE practitioners.
Back in 2007, I was living in Chicago and had a successful private practice. I considered myself a trauma therapist and had done various trainings that focused on trauma education. As I was working with clients who had experienced trauma, I noticed that they often reported feeling uncomfortable physical sensations and symptoms when they talked about their current struggles. I understood this because when I felt “triggered” by something that was happening in the present that reminded me of the past, I would feel my heart rate increase, my breathing become shallow and my gut tighten. I didn’t always feel “feelings” when this happened but I would feel the distress in my body. I intuitively knew that what I was doing with my clients was helpful, However, I felt there was more I could be doing to help them access their trauma experiences in a deeper and more meaningful way.
Enter Peter Levine… One day I went to a conference and Bessel Van Der Kolk was speaking. He showed a video of Peter Levine working with a client using an approach he referred to as Somatic Experiencing (SE). This was in the early 2000’s and I had never heard of his work. But as soon as I watched him, I understood that this was the missing piece. This was how I could access trauma not only in my clients but in myself. Healing could then begin in a way I had never imagined would be possible.
At that time, there were no SE trainings in the Midwest. So, I asked a very good friend and colleague of mine, Suz Peroutka, to travel around the country with me and take this SE training. For some crazy reason, she said yes! We were off on a journey and had no idea where it would take us. Together, we went to New York, North Carolina, New Mexico and California. Years and many dollars later, we became Somatic Experiencing Practitioners.
Suz became just as excited about this work as I was and decided to coordinate the first Chicago SE training. I assisted for the first time at the Chicago training and continued my SE training in this way. From there, the SE trainings expanded to other parts of the Midwest. I assisted at the first Kansas City training and was then able to launch the very first SE training in St. Louis after moving back to my home town.
That first St. Louis SE training was in 2015. 10 years later, we have hundreds of multi-disciplinary professionals trained in SE here in St. Louis. We have had 5 generations of students go through the St. Louis training and are starting our 6th generation in September. Many of the SE practitioners here in St. Louis volunteer to assist at the SE trainings. They volunteer their time because they love and believe in this work and because our St. Louis SE community is something very special. We are truly a family in every sense of the word.
Personally, learning SE and being a part of the SE community has changed my life. I experienced several life challenges while I was taking the SE training and believe that being in the training and getting my own SE sessions played a fundamental role in why I have the life I have today. I have also had the privilege of meeting some of the most beautiful, loving and hilarious people that I have ever known. I’m proud to call them my SE family.
I have a very different nervous system today then before I began the SE training. My growing capacity for self-regulation allows me to be in relationship in a different way and to see my clients through the lens of compassion and resiliency. Today, I have a thriving SE practice. Clients come to me for SE work and I integrate it with other therapeutic models like EMDR and Internal Family Systems. I have witnessed clients heal at a level that I could have never imagined. I am so grateful that I made the decision, twelve years ago, to register for the SE training. This work has truly changed my life.
