Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a type of mind-body therapy that supports people dealing with trauma, anxiety, chronic stress, or emotional overwhelm. It focuses on how your nervous system responds to stress—not just the story of what happened, but how your body still carries it.

This work helps you begin to shift patterns like tension, shutdown, or reactivity by gently building awareness of what’s happening in your body and supporting it to complete what it couldn’t finish in the moment.

When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, it’s hard to feel calm, focused, or present. You might feel wired, shut down, or like you’re constantly bracing.

This approach helps your body begin to register safety again. Over time, you may notice less tension, clearer thinking, and more ability to handle what life brings without feeling hijacked by the past.

It can be especially helpful if talk therapy hasn’t been enough, or if you know your stress shows up physically as well as emotionally.

Both Somatic Experiencing and EMDR are trauma-informed, but they take different paths.

EMDR focuses on reprocessing traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation. It can be powerful for certain people and situations.

Somatic Experiencing takes a slower, body-first approach. Instead of focusing on the memory itself, it supports your nervous system in recognizing that the threat has passed—helping you rebuild a sense of safety and connection in your body. This can be especially helpful when trauma has left you feeling stuck in hypervigilance, overwhelm, or shutdown, whether from a single event or years of complex experiences.

For those whose bodies feel easily flooded or who have trouble feeling present, this kind of mind-body therapy offers a gentler way in.

You can read more in my blog post:
https://www.amyhagerstrom.com/mindandbodyblog/somatic-experiencing-vs-emdr-trauma-therapy

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is different from talk therapy because it brings the body directly into the work. Instead of focusing only on retelling the past or analyzing your thoughts, SE helps you notice physical sensations and reactions in the moment.

By working with what your body is holding, SE helps shift patterns like tension, overwhelm, or shutdown. This gives your nervous system the support it needs to recognize safety and respond with more flexibility and resilience.

SE is a gentle, body-based approach that can be used on its own or alongside talk therapy to support deeper healing.

Yes. Many people I work with feel the effects of stress in their body — tension, pain, stomach issues, disrupted sleep, fatigue, or a sense of being wired but wiped out. Over time, these symptoms can take a toll.

This kind of mind-body therapy helps your nervous system shift out of survival mode. That shift often makes physical symptoms easier to manage, and sometimes they begin to ease. It’s not a replacement for medical care, but it can support your overall health and help reduce the toll that long-term stress takes on your body.

If you’re dealing with chronic pain, health flare-ups, or physical symptoms that haven’t improved with other approaches, this holistic therapy could be a better fit. You can also read more about the integrative approach I take here.

Weekly sessions are important for creating the consistency your nervous system needs to feel supported.

Some clients come for short-term work and leave with important shifts. But many people I work with are ready to go deeper—healing old patterns, building capacity, and changing how they relate to themselves and the world. That kind of change takes time. A year or more of consistent support is often where the real transformation happens.

I currently offer virtual sessions for residents of Florida, including West Palm Beach, Delray Beach, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and across the state. I also provide virtual therapy for people in Chicago and across the state of Illinois.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) works well online, because the most important part of this therapy is noticing what’s happening in your body. That process translates easily to a virtual setting, and I’ll guide you through the same practices I would if we were in person.

Being in your own space can also add comfort and support. You might settle into a favorite chair, keep grounding items nearby, or even have a pet close. These small choices can help you feel more present and supported during the work.

Online sessions are also practical. You don’t have to rearrange your day, commute, or worry about parking. You can log in from wherever you are and focus fully on the work we’re doing together.

Individual 55-minute sessions are $200.

If you’d like to include the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) or Rest and Restore Protocol (RRP) in your work, there’s an additional fee. Details are listed on the SSP page and RRP page and we can talk together about whether either could be a good fit during your consultation or at any point as we work together.

I don’t work directly with insurance, but I can provide a monthly superbill if you’d like to submit for out-of-network reimbursement. Some clients are able to get partial reimbursement depending on their plan.

You’ll always know the cost up front. Under federal law (the No Surprises Act), you’re entitled to a Good Faith Estimate of the expected cost of services. If you ever receive a bill $400 or more above that estimate, you have the right to dispute it.