somatic experiencing?

I recently wrapped things up with my T because I moved back in with my parents for a bit. I'll be here about a month or so before moving to my new town for grad school try #2. My T suggested that I try therapy (in the new city) that includes somatic experiencing to help me be more connected to what's happening in my body, probably so I don't continue to get caught in a wave of emotions without realizing the little cues before the wave sweeps me away. Does anyone have soem experience with this? I've heard of it, but don't really know much about it. Did you find it helpful and how? Thanks!

I don't have any experience with this, other then my T always asks "where in your body to you feel that?" and I always respond "wth?".

I think that Rainbow and Sunrise have experience with this, but I am not sure who else.

[quote=WikidPissah;2427233]my T always asks "where in your body to you feel that?" and I always respond "wth?".quote]

lol....i do the same thing! i get this glazed over look like, "huh?"...and she goes..."you're giving me that overwhelmed struggling look".....uhh YA and then i want to be like "i feel that in my head because you just gave me a headache!!!"

I have body psychotherapy which sounds a similar thing. Lots of it is just normal talk stuff, but also loads on how body is feeling- still find it hard to answer! I have major issues around touch and at least in this field touch is not prohibited and I am much less sensitive to it now. I am also regularly in pain bought on by stress so it really helps. I am so not the type of person you would expect to get into this but I really like t and I think it is the relationship that is the most important.

Yep, I'm in the same boat. They should voice a lesson on how to answer that question. I do the blank look
too and say idkidk, and the she waits for me to think. Then I, usually a) tell her I think she's crazy b) attempt to distract with a new topic

no kiddin? how does that go over?
I can see it now. "found it - I'm feeling it in my head, T, and here it is.... you're crazy! " I love it!

seriously. sometimes I feel "visceral fear" (now I know why it's called that) when i feel too exposed, and sometimes nausea when T asks me to articulate something i never had words for.... these are somatic experiences I guess? i dibn't see them coming, but at least I can tell T when it's happening (if i can summon the courage to do so)

I would love to do this type of therapy... I have so many body memories from my childhood sexual abuse. At least I know that they're body memories now. There's a good book by Babette Rothschild called "The Body Remembers". That's about Somatic experiences. But I would keep going to my doctors and nobody ever had any answers for me... now I know I just have to calm myself down.

That is a really great book. Wendy Maltz's Sexual Healing Journey is also a really good workbook that addresses body memories. Although it's targeted towards sexual issues (I suppose because many body memories get triggered by sexual activity), I found it really helpful for addressing all kinds of body memories and deactivating those triggers.

Also, in the past 6 months I've been doing a regular Deep Tissue Massage that seems to be both releasing body memories that I've identified (several in particular are related to pain) and is helping me be more grounded in my body. It's a really non-threatening way to experience these memories, as opposed to what feels like a five alarm alert when I talk about them. I can notice the triggers and the memories in the context of a massage and then just let them go. It feels very powerful.

I'm in the same boat with the "Where in your body do you feel it" question? I usually say "my stomach" because I'm usually anxious. I don't really know how to relate parts of my body to feelings.

My T recently learned about somatic experiencing and wants to add it on to our EMDR work, but I didn't act too happy about that, so I think she decided not to. I'm going to ask her again because I think it would be good for me.

Yes, I do this type of therapy with my T and it is amazing! It had helped me reconnect with my body and process SA issues. My T has been trained in this and I have a few books on it. Please feel free to pm me!