Somatic Experiencing: What to expect
Policies & Informed Consent
Somatic Experiencing Session Format: What to Expect
SE sessions will usually begin on a chair or couch depending on your preference. I may also invite you to stand, move, and work with exercise balls or other props, as indicated by your session needs at any given time. As far as the frequency of sessions, it is generally recommended that we meet weekly. However, it may be possible to modify this schedule to meet your needs and goals.
During our sessions, you will be asked to share an impression of the sensations that you feel in your body, such as tightness, shakiness, expansion, warmth, softening, etc. I will support you in slowing down considerably so as to really notice the nuances of your sensory experience and to allow your body’s process to unfold at its own pace. This slowing down may feel challenging at first, but over time, it will become much more comfortable and maybe even welcome. Together, we will hold a solid and safe space for whatever emotions, movements, images, sensations, or thoughts might arise during a session.
While the purpose of this modality is to release stuck physiology from trauma-induced patterns, we will spend a large amount of time exploring the sensations that arise around positive and peaceful thoughts, experiences, and content that you bring to our sessions. While it may seem counterintuitive, this time that we spend together in your “happy places” is actually a most crucial piece in the healing of trauma symptoms in the body. Please know that when we spend time in these lighter experiences, we are, in fact, doing very deep trauma healing work.
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE™) is a naturalistic form of healing that will help you learn how to settle and release physiological activation from your body. Very often this process helps people to reduce stress and return to a sense of regulation and mastery in their lives. SE will support you in learning how to attend to uncomfortable sensations in your body and gently unwind them through your conscious attention. SE™ is particularly useful in managing stress because so many of the symptoms are physiological. If you would like to read more about SE™, visit Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) at www.traumahealing.com or read In an Unspoken Voice by Dr. Peter Levine.
benefits and risks
SE may offer you many benefits such as an increase in your ability to self-soothe and feel embodied and empowered. However, there may also be risks as there are with any treatment that focuses on healing trauma. Although SE™ is designed to help you resource and work with manageable amounts of discomfort, you may experience challenging feelings, images, or thoughts. Furthermore, as with any stress reduction treatment, there can be no guarantee that you will reach your goals. That said, many people report that SE™ has helped them tremendously and has created positive change in their lives. Learning how to reorganize “body memory” is often vital to learning how to relax and calm your nervous system.
virtual sessions
Technology empowers us with the option to do our sessions online. Please know that, although privacy violations unlikely, online communications are never fully secure.
Phone Calls and Emergency Contacts
I provide non-emergency service.
If you have an immediate emergency, please call your local emergency hotline or 911.
Calls will be returned within 48 hours during regular working hours, Monday-Friday.
Text messaging is available for time-sensitive communication such as scheduling or late arrival announcements. Please use email or phone calls for all other communication needs.
For some clients, one check-in message and response between sessions can be helpful or necessary at certain times. Please keep these messages to one message cycle and let me know if you desire a callback, or if we can wait to discuss the issue at our next session. Callbacks are meant to be brief five-minute “touching base” moments and they are not substitutes for a full session. If touching base in this way would feel inadequate for your needs, we will need to schedule a full session in advance of your regularly scheduled appointment. This is for the benefit of your care so that I may provide you with the most effective service possible.
fees and services
Fees for services are due at the time services are rendered.
Individual Somatic Experiencing session rates for 2023 and 2024 are:
$160 per 55 minute SE session
Virtual sessions are billed at the same rate as in-person sessions.
Sessions begin at the time of the scheduled appointment and generally run 50-55 minutes.
Sessions that begin late due to the client's late arrival will end at the scheduled time and be billed at the full session rate. If you would like to book a longer session, the additional time will be pro-rated at the session rate.
cancellations
If you decide that you need to cancel a session, please call/text me at least 48 hours in advance at 917-617-1153. This will allow me time to reschedule wait-listed clients. No-shows and cancellations with less than 48 hours notice will be billed in full for the session.
These policies apply to me also. I will give at least 48 hours notice if I need to reschedule. If I fail to do this, or if I miss our scheduled appointment without notifying you, I will provide your next session free of charge.