Somatic Experiencing: Releasing Trauma Stored in the Body

When you’ve lived through painful or overwhelming experiences, sometimes the mind isn’t the only place that carries the weight.

Trauma often lingers in the body—showing up as tension, chronic pain, fatigue, or a sense of being “stuck.”

You may logically understand that the event is in the past, but your body hasn’t gotten the message yet.

This is where Somatic Experiencing (SE) can make a profound difference.

At MCC in Morrisville, we use body-based therapies like SE to help people from Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, and across the Triangle area release the stored survival responses of trauma so they can finally move forward.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing, developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a therapeutic approach designed to help your body process trauma at a nervous-system level.

Instead of focusing only on talking about what happened, SE gently guides you to notice physical sensations, movements, and body awareness in the present moment.

Trauma often overwhelms the nervous system, leaving you in states of fight, flight, or freeze long after the danger is gone.

SE works by helping your body complete these unfinished responses so the nervous system can return to a calmer, more regulated state.

How Somatic Experiencing Helps

• Releases tension stored in the body – Clients often notice that tightness, shallow breathing, or digestive discomfort eases over time.

• Builds resilience – You gain the ability to better tolerate stress and regulate emotions.

• Heals without re-traumatization – You don’t have to relive your worst memories to find relief. The focus is on present body awareness.

• Restores a sense of safety – Many clients report feeling more grounded, connected, and in control of their lives.

What Does the Process of Somatic Experiencing Look Like?

Somatic Experiencing sessions are very different from traditional “talk therapy.”

Instead of diving straight into painful memories, the process starts small, focusing on sensations, emotions, and the body’s signals. The pace is always guided by you—not by the therapist or the memory.

For example, rather than asking you to relive a traumatic event, your therapist may first invite you to notice what it feels like to take a slow, grounding breath.

From there, you might be guided to explore a physical sensation, like the tightness in your chest or the way your shoulders tense up when you think of a stressful situation.

The therapist helps you pay attention to these sensations in manageable pieces, sometimes even moving away from them before they become overwhelming.

This “pendulation” (moving gently between stress and calm) allows your nervous system to discharge the tension little by little.

Over time, many people describe feeling lighter in their bodies—like they’re carrying less of the weight they didn’t even realize was there.

Here’s what that pacing can look like in practice:

• If you feel overwhelmed by a memory: your therapist might shift focus to something grounding, like the feeling of your feet on the floor or imagining a safe place.

• If you feel stuck or frozen: the therapist may help you notice small impulses of movement—like wanting to stretch your arms or shift in your seat—that can unlock stored energy.

• If you’re ready to go deeper: you might explore the physical sensations that arise when you recall a difficult memory, staying connected to safety while allowing your body to release old stress.

This flexible, body-led pacing means you’re never “pushed” into territory you’re not ready for.

Instead, your body shows the way forward, at a rhythm that feels safe and manageable.

Fictional Client Stories

Alicia, 32 grew up in a chaotic home. As an adult, she found herself constantly tense, clenching her jaw and shoulders.

Through SE, she learned to notice those sensations and gradually release them. She described feeling “lighter and freer” after years of tightness.

Marcus, 45 survived a serious car accident. Even though he was physically healed, he startled at every loud noise and gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles.

With SE, he practiced grounding and completing the body’s “bracing” response. Over time, driving no longer felt terrifying.

Healing Trauma in the Triangle Area

At MCC in Morrisville, we specialize in helping people heal from trauma using evidence-based approaches like Somatic Experiencing and EMDR.

Whether you’re in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, Apex, or anywhere in the Triangle, our therapists provide compassionate, skilled care to help you move forward.

If you’re carrying the weight of trauma in your body, you don’t have to keep holding it alone.

Schedule a free 15-minute consultation today to see if Somatic Experiencing could be the right step for your healing journey.