Somatic experiencing therapy is a body-centered approach to treating trauma and stress-related disorders, primarily focusing on how physical sensations in the body relate to emotional experiences, allowing individuals to process and release trauma stored within the nervous system by paying close attention to internal bodily sensations rather than solely focusing on thoughts or emotions.

The Somatic Experiencing approach facilitates the completion of self- protective motor responses and the release of thwarted survival energy bound in the body, thus addressing the root cause of trauma symptoms. This is approached by gently guiding clients to develop increasing tolerance for difficult bodily sensations and suppressed emotions and working to complete defensive responses previously thwarted from bringing resolution to the nervous system and, therefore, to the individual.