Somatic Experiencing in Fort Lauderdale

*Online Somatic Experiencing Therapy in Florida and Illinois*

Living with anxiety, the effects of trauma, and chronic pain can be incredibly challenging. You might find yourself avoiding situations and feeling unable to face challenges. Fearing that others think the worst of you, being embarrassed by your intense emotions, and worrying that the future will continue to feel limited only adds to the difficulty. These struggles can make it hard to manage your responsibilities or maintain fulfilling relationships, leaving you far from the life you truly want.

Somatic Experiencing offers a gentle yet effective way to help you move toward a life where you can face challenges with confidence, feel more at ease with your emotions, and build relationships that are fulfilling and supportive.challenges with confidence, feel more at ease with your emotions, and build relationships that are fulfilling and supportive.

Hi, I’m Amy!

If you’re dealing with constant anxiety, trauma, or chronic pain, I understand how overwhelming life can feel. Being stuck in a cycle of overwhelm and reactivity can make it hard to manage daily responsibilities, nurture relationships, or live the life you truly want. You might avoid challenges, worry about others' opinions, and feel uncertain about the future.

I’m here to help you become more centered and present. Together, we’ll build the skills and resilience needed to face challenges with greater ease and rediscover joy in your relationships and daily life.

If you’re ready to stop avoiding and start living fully, schedule a complimentary 20-minute consultation with me today.

Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in Fort Lauderdale

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Somatic Experiencing (SE), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a body-focused therapy designed to help you process and release trauma and chronic stress that your body holds onto. Unlike traditional talk therapy, SE focuses on how your body and nervous system responded to trauma, not just the events themselves. When your brain's alarm system, the amygdala, triggers fight, flight, or freeze responses, these reactions can be deeply influenced by your unique life experiences and biology.

SE gently guides you to tune into your body's sensations, helping to release stuck energy from overwhelming experiences. This process recalibrates your nervous system, reducing reactivity to triggers over time and fostering resilience, emotional flexibility, and a deeper connection with your body.

While SE is designed to treat trauma, its benefits extend beyond that. Whether you're dealing with anxiety, chronic pain, or feeling disconnected from yourself, SE offers a path to greater well-being, helping you regain control over your life.

How I Use Somatic Experiencing in Therapy

In our sessions, I create a safe and supportive environment where you can explore the sensations and emotions that arise in your body. For those dealing with anxiety, trauma, or chronic pain, it’s crucial to begin reclaiming a sense of control over your experiences. My role is to be a steady presence, guiding you as you tune into your body, sit with discomfort, and notice what feels good or neutral.

Here, all of you is welcome—your emotions, your thoughts, and even your desire to sometimes hold back from tuning into your body. When it feels right, I may invite you to stand, do some gentle movements, push against a wall or desk, or hug something comforting like a pillow. These practices help you connect with your body in a way that feels safe and supportive, allowing you to gradually build resilience and emotional regulation.

What to Expect in Somatic Experiencing Sessions

During a typical session, we’ll begin by checking in with how you’re feeling. I’ll guide you to notice any physical sensations, emotions, or thoughts that arise as we talk, keeping you connected to your body’s experience in the present moment. If it feels right, we’ll explore areas of discomfort or tension in your body, practicing sitting with these sensations while also noticing what brings comfort.

This process, known as pendulation, helps release long-held tension and fosters a deeper connection with yourself. Over time, you’ll likely feel more in tune with your body, more in control of your emotional responses, and better equipped to navigate life’s challenges—whether it’s handling a tough conversation, facing a fear of failure, or managing chronic pain without letting it dominate your life.

My Approach to Somatic Experiencing

How Somatic Experiencing Can Help You

If you often feel reactive, overwhelmed, or shut down, Somatic Experiencing (SE) can help restore balance to your nervous system. SE teaches your body to recognize safety, reducing the time you spend in survival modes like fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. The goal is to build resilience in your nervous system, helping you feel safe and connected again.

When your nervous system is stuck in survival mode, you might notice:

  • Unexplained physical symptoms like chronic pain or digestive issues

  • Reacting with fight, flight, freeze, or collapse, even when there’s no real threat

  • Avoiding tasks, people, or conversations out of fear of failure or judgment

  • Struggling to enjoy the present or look forward to the future

SE can help with a wide range of symptoms, including anxiety, PTSD, depression, fibromyalgia, chronic stress, and more. Even if you feel disconnected or overwhelmed by your emotions, SE can offer a path to feeling more whole and in control.

In our sessions, we’ll focus on building a positive relationship with your body. Instead of trying to think your way out of problems, SE helps you tune into your body’s cues—whether it’s hunger, movement, rest, or discomfort. Together, we’ll work on discovering what brings you a sense of ease and how to practice that during our time together.

When we talk about past experiences in SE, the focus will always be on how they’re affecting you right now. If memories come up, we’ll approach them in a way that feels manageable, always grounding ourselves in the present moment. This helps you become more attuned to yourself and increases your capacity to handle discomfort.

You can expect gentle guidance from me during our sessions. I’ll ask what you’re noticing in your body or how you’re feeling emotionally to help you stay connected to your experience. SE is about being present with both pleasant and unpleasant sensations. Sometimes, it might involve simple movements like swaying or making a sound like humming. You’re always in control of what we explore, and I’m here to support you with the tools and compassion you need to move forward confidently.

 Somatic Experiencing FAQs

 

  • SE is a body-centered, or bottom-up, approach to addressing symptoms of trauma, mental health conditions, emotional dysregulation, and various physical issues.

    The focus of SE is on recalibrating the nervous system, allowing you to more accurately detect cues of threat and safety. Trauma—whether acute, complex, or developmental—can distort these signals, causing you to perceive danger even when there isn’t any.

    SE helps you expand your "window of tolerance," enabling you to stay emotionally regulated under stress and giving you greater capacity to choose your responses rather than reacting impulsively.

  • Somatic Experiencing helps resolve trauma-related symptoms like fight, flight, freeze, and shutdown responses, as well as physical symptoms in the body. It builds your capacity to handle stress and reduces triggers, helping your brain and body distinguish between real and perceived threats, and increasing your resilience.

  • Sessions are $180

    I don't accept insurance, but when asked I will provide receipts to submit to insurance for potential reimbursement.

Get help from a Fort Lauderdale Somatic Experiencing Practitioner

When trauma, chronic anxiety, or pain take hold, finding peace can feel out of reach. As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, I know this gentle, body-centered approach can create real change. You will regain control over your emotions, reduce triggers, and ease physical symptoms. This therapy reconnects you with your body, fostering presence, security, and resilience. You can rebuild confidence, improve relationships, and rediscover joy. Somatic Experiencing offers a path to lasting change, and I'm here to support you every step of the way.