Somatic Experiencing
When Your Nervous System Hasn’t Gotten the “You’re Safe Now” Memo
Online somatic therapy for adults in Florida and Illinois who know it’s time to bring the body into their healing.
Somatic Experiencing is somatic therapy for people who know that insight alone is not enough anymore. It is for those who feel stress or old experiences living in their body as tension, fatigue, physical symptoms, numbness, or a sense of being disconnected from themselves, even though they already understand a lot about their history.
Somatic Experiencing helps your nervous system work through fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown responses so your brain and body can start to experience more safety in the present. There is still space for talking and emotions, and we also include your body in the process so you can feel more present, less driven by old reactions, and more grounded in your own life.
About Me
Hi, I’m Amy Hagerstrom, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.
I have spent almost 15 years in mind–body work, first in yoga and massage and now as a somatic therapist. That history shapes how I listen to you and your nervous system.
Somatic Experiencing has also been a meaningful part of my own healing. After many years in talk therapy that helped in some ways but did not reach everything, bringing my body into the process is what finally allowed things to shift.
Because of that, I approach somatic therapy in a way that is thoughtful, grounded, and not rushed. Many of the adults I work with look steady and capable on the outside while feeling worn down or disconnected inside, especially after trauma or chronic stress, and I understand how vulnerable it can feel to let someone see that.
My hope is that you can have a space where all parts of you are welcome, even the ones that feel complicated or easy to hide, so we can do the kind of mind–body depth work that helps you feel safer, more resourced, and more yourself in your daily life.
Signs Your Nervous System Needs More Than Talk Therapy
Previous talk therapy helped, but didn’t bring lasting change
Stress that shows up physically, like tension, digestive issues, or headaches
Anxiety or nervous system overwhelm that feels out of proportion to what is happening
Feeling worn down by trying to keep it all together
Struggling in relationships because you react or shut down faster than you want to
Relying on coping habits like overworking, scrolling, or numbing out to get through the day
Feeling disconnected from your body or like you are moving through life on autopilot
Many of the adults I work with are carrying complex or long‑term stress and trauma that did not start yesterday, and they are ready for a deeper, more body‑based way of working with it over time.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a body‑based form of somatic therapy for healing trauma and chronic stress. It supports your nervous system in coming out of survival mode so you can move through your life with less pushing and more actual presence.
Instead of focusing only on thoughts or memories, Somatic Experiencing brings gentle attention to what is happening in your body. Patterns like tension, bracing, numbness, shutdown, or physical discomfort show how past stress is still being held, and by working with these patterns directly, your body can begin to let go of some of the constant pressure it has been carrying.
Rooted in nervous system science and polyvagal‑informed understanding, Somatic Experiencing helps you recognize your body’s stress responses and work with them instead of fighting or ignoring them. For many people who already understand a lot about their history or patterns, this kind of work finally reaches the places that insight alone has not.
If you have been living with emotional exhaustion, physical symptoms, or reactions that feel bigger than the moment calls for, Somatic Experiencing offers a way to work with the roots of these patterns through your body. The aim is not a quick fix, but steadier change over time in how safe, settled, and at home you can feel in yourself.
What Somatic Experiencing Sessions Are Like
Where we start
In sessions, we talk and we pay close attention to what your body and nervous system are doing. We usually begin with what feels most present that day. That might be something you are carrying emotionally, a recent interaction, or simply how your body has been feeling.
How I am with you
As you share, I listen to your story and notice small shifts in your voice, posture, and energy. I am warm and attuned, and I can also be direct when it is helpful, naming patterns I see and inviting you to slow down with them rather than staying on the surface. When it makes sense, I may pause and ask if it is okay to notice what is happening in your body in that moment.
What we actually do
There is room to go into the things that actually feel raw or unfinished. Instead of pushing past what is there, we slow down and work with things in small, manageable pieces so they are not overwhelming. Sometimes that includes simple somatic practices that support what your body is already trying to do; other times it is simply staying with what is happening inside long enough for your nervous system to settle or complete a stress response.
The rhythm of the work
We do not stay only with what feels hard. We also look for places that feel a little more steady or supported and move gently between the two, which helps your nervous system build capacity without getting overwhelmed. Along the way, there is usually space for moments of relief, genuine laughter, and lightness, even while we are doing deep work.
Over time, many people notice they feel more grounded, less driven by old reactions, and better able to stay connected to themselves when life is stressful.
If you would like to explore whether this kind of work is a fit for you, you are welcome to schedule a free 10‑minute consultation.
The body remembers what the mind forgets; it is through Somatic Experiencing that we can access and release stored traumatic memories.
— Peter Levine
Why Somatic Experiencing Works
When stress and trauma live in the body, talking alone often is not enough to create lasting change. Somatic Experiencing helps you notice what is happening in your nervous system in real time, including where tension is held, how you react, and how your survival responses shape what feels possible day to day.
When trauma or stress has been present for many years or tied into early experiences, the nervous system usually needs a slower, longer‑term process to truly shift, not a quick technique or a few sessions.
As this work unfolds, people often notice they:
React less intensely and recover more quickly
Understand their patterns as protective rather than defective
Feel safer in their body and more present in life
Experience reduced physical symptoms of stress, such as tension or fatigue
Build more capacity to engage in relationships, work, and daily life with steadiness.
This work supports change that your whole system can actually sustain. If you are ready for support that includes your body, your mind, and everything you have been carrying, this is a place to begin.
Online Somatic Therapy Across Florida and Illinois
I offer online somatic therapy to adults throughout Florida, including West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and nearby areas. Somatic Experiencing works well in virtual sessions, allowing you to stay connected to your body and nervous system from the comfort of your own space.
I am also licensed in Illinois and see clients across the state, including Chicago.
Somatic Experiencing FAQs
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Somatic Experiencing is a body‑based trauma therapy that focuses on nervous system regulation. It works with fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown responses that can get stuck after stress or trauma. Rather than only talking about what happened, Somatic Experiencing helps your brain and body experience more safety in the present so stress responses can complete and settle naturally.
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Somatic Experiencing helps with trauma and anxiety by working directly with how stress lives in the body. When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, insight alone does not always create change. Somatic Experiencing supports regulation in real time so your system can recognize the difference between past threat and present safety. As this happens, emotional reactivity and physical symptoms often decrease.
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Somatic Experiencing includes conversation, but it also pays close attention to what is happening in your nervous system as you speak. Traditional talk therapy often centers on thoughts and insight. Somatic Experiencing tracks body sensations, tension, activation, and shutdown patterns in real time, which allows change to happen at a physiological level, not just a cognitive one.
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Both Somatic Experiencing and EMDR are trauma therapies. EMDR typically uses bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements) while revisiting specific memories. Somatic Experiencing does not require detailed retelling of trauma and does not rely on eye movements. Instead, it focuses on regulating the nervous system and completing survival responses in a gradual, body‑based way.
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Yes. Because Somatic Experiencing works with the nervous system, it can support symptoms that are stress‑related, such as muscle tension, headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, and chronic pain patterns. When the body begins to feel safer, physical symptoms often shift as well. This approach can be especially helpful when medical tests are normal but symptoms persist.
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It depends on your history, nervous system, and goals. Single‑incident traumas with a solid support system can sometimes shift more quickly. When we are working with complex trauma, long‑term chronic stress, or patterns rooted in early life, therapy is usually longer‑term. Many people I work with plan for at least several months of regular sessions, and some stay longer as deeper layers come into focus.
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Somatic Experiencing therapy is offered online throughout Florida, including West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, and Fort Lauderdale. Online sessions are effective because we can track nervous system responses in real time from wherever you are. I am also licensed in Illinois and see clients across the state, including in Chicago.
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The fee for a 55‑minute session is $200. Payment is due at the time of service, and a card is kept securely on file.
I am an out‑of‑network provider. If you have out‑of‑network benefits, I can provide a superbill that you may submit to your insurance for possible reimbursement.
Get support from a Florida Somatic Experiencing Practitioner
It can feel exhausting to keep carrying so much and still feel stuck in old patterns. If stress lives in your body as much as in your thoughts, it makes sense that insight alone has not been enough to shift things.
Somatic Experiencing supports your nervous system and works with what your body has been holding. Over time, this can help you respond with more choice and flexibility when life feels hard.
You don’t have to do this alone.
If this approach feels like it might be a good fit, you are welcome to schedule a free 10‑minute consultation.
I‘m Amy Hagerstrom, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Somatic Experiencing Practitioner who helps adults navigate trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress through online sessions in Florida and Illinois. My work centers on the connection between mind and body, with Somatic Experiencing at the core. I offer a warm, attuned presence and pay close attention to how your nervous system is responding so we can move at a pace that feels workable. When appropriate, I also integrate sound‑based and nervous‑system‑focused protocols to support deeper regulation and emotional processing