Dear Somatic Experiencing Community, 

With each letter I have written over the years, a consistent theme emerges – there is always something big going on in the world. We can look at that big event or experience at any given time and talk about it here. Inevitably, we would miss something else. Therefore, I find myself asking: what is the place of Somatic Experiencing® within a world that feels so big, so overwhelming at times? What is the place of Somatic Experiencing® International? 

So much of the energy of the world today asks us to be polarized – “this group” is right and “the other” group is therefore wrong. “This comment” falls within safety while “the other comment” harms. In my current role at SEI, I find myself in conversations, often multiple times per day, with people all over the world interested in bringing SE™ to their communities. I have lost track of the number of times I have heard “this place needs SE™ more than anywhere else because the trauma here is so much different, unique, region-specific, etc.”  

There are so many ways to interpret that statement, all valid. I wish to focus on one aspect of it – there is recognition in the world that SE™ has the possibility to heal. Very little in life is simple; in fact, I would argue almost nothing is. I believe with every ounce of my being, however, SE™ has the power to heal, meaning more than just resolving stuck nervous system energy that we call trauma, it can heal, and transform lives 

SE™ has the power to slow us down. When we slow down, we have choice. When we slow down, we can feel the complexity in our own lives and experiences as well as other people’s experiences. Disagreements occur, ruptures happen, and I can sit in their resonance and feel our shared humanity. SE™ helps us to see, hear, and feel the paradox underlying SE™ and life. Each of us has a nervous system that operates in very similar ways, while we all have our unique experiences, manifesting how each nervous system shows up in its own way. We are all deeply connected as humans and each unique in our individuality. Of course, SE™ helps us to see our connection to other animals, the Earth, and even the cosmos. Alas, I only have this letter, so I’m going to stick to humanity for now.  

Since I joined the SEI board more than seven years ago, SEI has doubled in size, new faculty members have been added all over the world, and new countries added where SE™ is taught. I have a front-row seat to the SE™ community who bring more healing into the world. I have had some of the most beautiful conversations of my life and some of the most difficult (often those are the same). Still, I cannot believe I am going to use this word, I have come to realize one simple fact – SE™ belongs to everyone. The more complex way to say that is that I want SE™ to get to people with whom I disagree, even to people who would want to do me harm, whatever their justification for it may be at any given moment. We are all perfectly imperfect, and SE is for everyone. Too often I look at the work still to do in the world, and my heart breaks. The overwhelm is palpable. Then I remember that in this job, as a member of this community, I have one task – bring more SE™ into the world as quickly as possible, without overwhelming our community. SE™ has the power to make a huge difference in the world. It has the ability to remind us to comfortably sit in the beautiful paradox of connection and uniqueness, to hold polarity and know multiple truths can be true simultaneously. It has the power to remind us to always begin with curiosity, compassion and social engagement. There will always be potential for moments of feeling physically unsafe and in those moments, we must protect ourselves. SE™ gives us the tools to sit with discomfort and work through it, often with the people with whom we may otherwise disagree. In that space, lives can change.  

Not many parts of my life have brought me to the brink of my capacity the way being in this community has. I have had to sit with discomfort, with fear of being unsafe to speak my truth because of any number of identities I walk with in the world. Through the tools I learned by becoming an SEP™, SE™ continues to enhance how I navigate it all and I always come out stronger on the other side. Perhaps even more importantly, SE™ gave me you, a community in which I am encouraged to engage authentically. What greater gift can SE™ be than the space where we learn to navigate the complexity of humanity and hold each other closer not farther apart? Can that percolate out into the rest of the world? Every single person who says their community needs SE™ is correct; the world needs SE™. Every person deserves to have SE™ in their lives as a possibility for healing. And it is through healing that we change the world.  

Thank you for being part of this community, for bringing more healing into the world, and for holding the complexity of humanity together. May we all find our way to seeing humanity in everyone and the healing potential in the world.  

With deep gratitude and respect, 

 

Rebecca Stahl, SEP™

Dear Global Somatic Experiencing® Community, 

 

Recently, Katie Kroll and I went to Budapest, Hungary, as guests at the European Association of Somatic Experiencing® (EASE) General Assembly (GA). This marked my fourth attendance, but the first time we could fully immerse ourselves in the entire event. 

 

The experience confirmed a deep truth: Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) connects us all. Despite geographical distances and language barriers, SE™ serves as our universal language. In these turbulent times, gathering to discuss ways to broaden SE™'s reach offers a gentle balm for our collective spirit. 

 

While many discussions were notable, one stood out: our perspective on Somatic Experiencing's role in the world. SE™ is for everyone. As global challenges mount, our mission is to spread healing, primarily through SE™. Though not a universal remedy, making SE™ accessible to all—even those with whom we may disagree—is crucial. It helps us recognize the humanity in everyone, encouraging a more connected world through healing. 

 

Over the past seven years on the SEI board and four years attending the GA, I've had the privilege of deepening my connection with the EASE community. We've strived to increase mutual understanding, guide the community's evolution, and improve our collaborative efforts. Every interaction reinforces my belief in this community's exceptional nature—a group dedicated to positive global change, expanding healing practices, and building meaningful connections. 

 

In the current whirlwind of international events, we often forget to pause and reflect. The EASE GA provided this valuable opportunity. My key takeaway, which I wish to share with the global SE™ community, is simple: we have each other. Our work can be both exhilarating and exhausting, but we're united in our common goal. As SEI celebrates its 30th anniversary, we also celebrate the worldwide community that has flourished around it. Engaging with EASE members on our shared mission reminded me of our global unity and mutual support. 

I hope we can all sense the larger container of our collective SE™ nervous system and recognize how, as a community, we're collaborating to bring more healing into the world through Somatic Experiencing®. 

 To everyone in the SE™ community, thank you for your contributions. And to the EASE members, thank you for welcoming us and allowing us to witness and to participate in the connection and heart that connects us together.

Sincerly,

Rebecca Stahl, SEP™

 

 

My name is Euphrasia Joseph Nyaki popularly known as Efu, I am a SEP and a Faculty member for SE modality for healing trauma. I was born and raised in Tanzania where I lived till, I was 28 years old. In 1990, I began a journey, following my calling, which is to make our world a better home for all.  I joined a religious congregation called Maryknoll sisters of saint Dominick, a missionary group, not just for religious activities but mainly for a way to meet human needs across the planet earth. Thanks to Maryknoll community I was able to grow beyond my village, region, and country to meet a global community. I begun with my formation and integration to the Maryknoll community in New York where I studied Creation spirituality and feminist theology, as well as doing volunteer work with a drop in center for homeless people. Three years later, I opted to come to Brazil for the continuity of my cross-culture experience, in contributing in the creation of a better home for all 

On my arrival to Brazil, I was immediately introduced to my fourth language, Portuguese.  After three months of language study, I began to slowly work with the Brazilian people, especially with women on the periphery of the northeastern city of João Pessoa, in the state of Paraiba.  

In collaboration with other Maryknoll missionaries and with the local Brazilian people, I developed work that supported women who were living on the periphery of the city, and needed help for their mental health and trauma healing from living in the extreme poverty, domestic and urban violence. As I engaged in this work, I also felt a necessity for creating a physical space where these women could go for a deeper healing, and especially for those who suffered from severe symptoms like: depression, panic attacks, chronic pain and repetitive rage and explosive behaviors.   

Together with my fellow Maryknoll Sister, Connie Pospisil, and other Brazilian colleagues, I co-created a Holistic Healing Organization for Women in 1998. This organization was formally recognized by the local government as a Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) on International Women's Day, March 8 of the year 2000. We named this organization “Afya – Women’s Holistic Healing Center”.  

Assuming a leadership position in this organization, I helped to develop a variety of therapies and activities for women to find support and healing for themselves.  We began using organic gardening and developed protocols for using herbal medicines for healing. We taught the women from the community different kinds of massage therapy, reflexology, Reiki, ear coning (waxing) and mud therapy. We also gave orientation on how to plan a healthy diet which contributes a great deal to overall health. For those who were suffering with emotional problems, I had to search for other means of healing.  

As I began to work with women, I witnessed the trauma that so many had endured and the effect it had on their health. At first, we used a method of discussing mental health, which employed the technique of sharing stories about their suffering and pain from trauma in the context of a support group. In this work, I noticed that some of the women with depression and high levels of anxiety got worse just by telling their stories of trauma.   

    Then I began to search for ways that I could help them to find resolution for their trauma symptoms. Fortunately, a friend of mine who was one of the psychologists, and that she  did volunteer work at Afya, knew about the SE training that was happening in another city of Brazil. She gave me a brochure, that was prepared by Sonia Gomes, one of the first Faculty members in Brazil.  As soon as  I read it, I was compelled to go for the SE training, and deep in my heart, I felt this method of healing trauma was an answer for my search  

After the beginning level of the training, I came back to my city, experiencing intense joy, well-being in my body, and enthusiasm to do everything as I never did before. I felt like I was even more in touch with myself and affirmed of the project of trauma healing that I had been doing. I began to attend the women from the community daily using SE. I attended up to fifteen women per week, and all of them had positive results.  These women went back to their homes healed of the many physical  symptoms that they were experiencing, and with new awareness about their situations of violence and extreme poverty.  Then they came back to Afya with their children who were involved with drugs, and their husbands who were constantly drunk and violent, asking us if they could also receive help from the Women healing center.  Even though the center was meant for women only at that time, we had to accept their family members, who are part of their systems. 

I moved through the training fairly quick, and today I have been teaching SE not only in Brazil but in many parts of the world. 

Multiple International Experiences with Trauma healing 

My experience of working with SE internationally, outside of Brazil, began with my first trip to Haiti, which took place one year after the devastating 2010 earthquake. I was invited by a fellow Maryknoll Missioner, Fr. Dennis Moorman, a co-missioner and friend. He had gone to Haiti with a medical team right after the earthquake. Overwhelmed by the situation of trauma that he encountered there, he immediately thought of Somatic Experiencing and the positive results it had for resolving trauma.  

In order to provide relief to those he had met in Haiti, he invited me to return with him and the team, so that we could offer trauma healing training to those coping with the impact of the earthquake. The people there were suffering from nightmares, frequent dizziness, headaches, extreme fears, heart arrhythmia, frequent bodily pains, rampant explosions of anger and violence, and difficulties in learning and concentration among school-aged children. These symptoms could not be explained by a doctor's diagnosis.  

As a result of these five-day training modules, which also allowed for one or two personal sessions, many shared their stories of how they felt relieved from the pain and anxiety they had been experiencing since the earthquake. They were also able to sleep better at night and experience the life movement in their whole being. In addition, they were able to learn to manage their anger and the constant activation that created an extreme sense of fear in their bodies. They found that they had diminishing outbursts of anger, which led to experiencing a greater sense of peacefulness in their lives. Also, they noticed that they had more energy for life and were becoming aware of the addictive behaviors of alcohol and cigarette use. Some said that just understanding what was going on in their bodies was a great relief.  We continued this work in Haiti returning each year for the next 4 years and saw a lot of  positive outcomes.    

In 2013 we were invited to South Korea to work with Union workers, many of whom had experienced traumatic events that occurred during the 1980s. Most of these individuals had lived through violence from the military police and had even experienced torture committed against them for organizing themselves and protesting for their rights as workers.  Since that time, these people had been presenting symptoms of nightmares, alcoholism, depression, frequent anger outbursts, constant fatigue, chronic pain, and a high number of suicides. Over the past eight years, we have worked with this population throughout Korea and many people have reported a significant decrease in these symptoms of trauma and an increased quality of life.   

Over the past fifteen years, my work in trauma healing, such as: shock trauma, trans-generational trauma, emotional/developmental, Systemic, collective, and social traumas have extended from northeastern Brazil to other regions of Brazil as well as to other countries, including: USA, Bolivia, China, Tanzania, Egypt, Haiti, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Peru, Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden and Uruguay.   

 

 

 

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Origin Story Part II

While Somatic experiencing® gained traction in treating trauma, Dr. Levine and the growing community recognized its potential for widespread impact. What if these body-based skills for regulating the nervous system could be woven into everyday life and taught as prevention rather than only intervention? 

In 1994, Dr. Levine began what we now refer to as Somatic Experiencing® International to train professionals in what was a forward-thinking and now the preeminent and comprehensive 8-module Somatic Experiencing® Professional Training that opened the door for other modalities. Dr. Levine and his early collaborators sought to expand the comprehension of essential SE™ methodologies, equipping professionals with the skills to provide customized resolutions for clients. Grounded in biopsychosocial strategies designed for distinct needs and elevates current skills to encourage true healing.  

Seeing the profound, positive effects of integrating self-regulation skills into various settings, Dr. Levine helped solidify the legitimacy of these skills focused specifically on prevention. The need for Somatic Experiencing® grew because it intrinsically promotes biopsychosocial resilience and impacts how communities function. Our trained SEP™s  and their honed knowledge have reached countless people worldwide over the past decades. 

The goal was to share simple yet powerful ways to counteract chronic stress and anxiety permeating modern society. Research shows that implementing regular resets for the nervous system bolsters resilience on a cellular level, benefiting health.  

Moving into SEI’s next decade, the vision is to push these principles further into the mainstream. SEI continues to spearhead initiatives to progressively incorporate nervous system regulation into conversations about healing and resilience.  

As Somatic Experiencing® continues revolutionizing trauma healing, SEI also aims to revolutionize how society nurtures collective and individual well-being starting from the body level up. Resilience is not only possible but also our birthright. Beyond surviving, we can thrive—transforming trauma into fuel for post-traumatic growth collectively. With compassion and perseverance, the ripple effects of somatic experiencing will help write a new story for humanity where we move from surviving to thriving together. 

In the words of Peter Levine, 

"It's not therapy, per se. It is an approach that can be used by many disciplines to make their disciplines more powerful. It's about how they do what they do." - Peter Levine!  

 

 

Looking for all the Helpers

By Piper Jones, SEP, LMT, ORDM, DARe

One beautiful Oregon summer afternoon, I had just returned from my office and was checking
in on my husband who had recently had shoulder surgery.

As we sat on the couch, we both heard a very loud crash out front. My husband (who had been
in numerous car accidents) said that it sounded like a car crash, and without even hesitating, I
flew out the front door and took in the scene.

At the intersection was a black muscle car halfway through the intersection, and attached to it
was a smaller silver car. Neighbors were beginning to head towards the silver car, but from the
corner of my eyes, I saw a young black man running away from the scene. My first thoughts
were, this can’t be good.

Without thinking, I began running down the sidewalk, hoping to catch up to him. For many
years, I had been running 5 to 6 miles every day, so I felt pretty sure I could catch up with him.
Picture this, a middle age white woman in a flowery summer dress running at top speed
towards him as he ran from the scene of the accident. I heard myself calling out “hey! If you’re
going to run, don’t run alone! Let me run with you!” (It was as though I was channeling my
Somatic Experiencing and DARe teachers that I have studied with for years.)

He slowed down and turned to look at me approaching him. “Don’t run alone, let me run with
you”, I repeated. I could see him shaking, his eyes full of shock trauma, as I caught up with
him.

“Hey, I’m here for you. Can we just walk together?” He nodded his head, staring at me with
wide eyes. I saw he was holding a phone and I could hear someone’s voice calling his name,
“Nigel?!” Nigel handed me the phone. It was his foster mom and she was so worried about
him! I told her that I was a trauma therapist, that I would not leave him, that I was right here
now with him. I reached out and put my hand on his shoulder as we walked and he leaned in
to me.

As we walked, and he heard his foster mom’s voice, his eyes locked on me, his breath began
to come a little slower and his shaking began to soften. “Let’s walk back together towards
your car. I’m right here with you. I’m not going anywhere. The police will be coming in a bit and
I will be right here with you. Nigel, your mom is here, too, on the phone. You do not have to
hold this by yourself. You are not alone with this”.

We sat down on the curb near the accident, and I asked my next door neighbors to please
bring Nigel a glass of water. He pressed his shoulder into me, sobbing, and I continued to hold
him.

In a bit, I let him know that the police had just arrived and that I was not leaving him at all. The
cop was very caring and kind as he took his time getting Nigel’s statement. I said to Nigel,
“Wow, look how many people are here to support you! There is so much support for you right
now. And there is so much support for the woman in the other car. She’s alright, too! She’s not
hurt!” And just then, the woman’s mother came over to check that Nigel was ok. I noted this
out loud to him. “Nigel, the woman in the other car is safe. Her mother is not angry with you,
she is here making sure that you are safe, too”.

As the police officer asked Nigel to move his car out of the intersection, we joked about how
his deflated airbag looked like a used condom. I asked him if he had a friend he could call to
come pick him up, and that he was welcome to wait with me in my house right here until his
buddy came. He opened up his phone and called his best friend, John, and handed the phone
to me to talk to him. Talk about serendipity! I knew John and was very good friends with his
mom. I knew then, that Nigel was in really supportive hands.

As we waited for the tow truck and John, I looked directly at him and said “Nigel, maybe there
have been times in the past where there wasn’t support for you, but I’m just noting that THIS
time, there are so many layers of support showing up for you! Your mom, the neighbors with
the cool glass of water, the kind officer, the mom of the woman in the other car, me, and John.”
I’m wondering if you might be able to notice that it’s not the same as it might have been in the
past. That now, many people are showing up for you in your life.”

The next afternoon, I was sitting in my backyard (in a place I call the South of France) with my
girlfriends. To my great surprise and delight, Nigel appeared with a lovely bouquet of flowers
for me. He sat for a bit and let us know he was better now. I could see it in his eyes and easy
smile.

I am so very grateful for all of ways I have learned how to be with situations like this, how to
make the implicit explicit, how to orient to the present, how to wait and allow completion of
biological response with SUPPORT. The DARe and Somatic Experiencing curriculum have
helped me to be a more informed and caring helper in the world.
As Mr Rogers says “Look for all the helpers”. That’s who we become, I believe.
(I learned later that Nigel was well taken care of by John’s fraternity.

 

 

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Origin Story

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of what is now Somatic Experiencing® International, we are grateful for the groundbreaking innovations and global impact this organization has made over the past three decades.

It all started in the early 1970s when Peter A. Levine, Ph.D., began studying how trauma, as defined by Peter, affects the body and mind. Motivated by his own traumatic experiences and observations of animals recovering in the wild, Dr. Levine uncovered that talk therapy alone often wasn't enough to heal trauma locked in the nervous system. This revelation led him on a journey across multiple disciplines to understand better the physiological imprint trauma leaves behind.

Through extensive research and work with survivors, Dr. Levine developed Somatic Experiencing® (SE™)—a revolutionary approach centering on the body's innate ability to heal itself. This method resolves trauma by gently addressing suppressed arousal states rather than only discussing events.

In the late 1980s, Dr. Levine began teaching SE™ to therapists through his private practice and saw astonishing, positive outcomes in treating PTSD, anxiety, depression, and more. To spread these transformative results, he founded a nonprofit organization, Foundation for Human Enrichment, which would later become what we now call Somatic Experiencing International, in the 1990s dedicated to SE™ training and trauma therapy. Dr. Levine knew that SE™ should be available to as many people as possible, so he opened the training to more than just mental health practitioners. He saw SE™ as a supplement to a practitioner’s other work rather than a standalone practice.

As interest rapidly grew, SEI began coordinating global education, certificates, and promotion of SE. Today, SEI and its partners have trained a network of more than 50,000 practitioners across more than 45 countries. Ongoing research proves SE's effectiveness in healing trauma in diverse communities.

This 30-year journey would not have been possible without dedicated forerunners like Dr. Levine and the remarkable SE™ community propelling this healing mission daily. As we honor this milestone, we honor the past and look ahead to the future.

SEI remains committed to making trauma therapy accessible for all. We envision a world where surviving trauma can be transformed into an opportunity for growth and resilience. Through innovation, research, and compassion, we can rewrite the narrative around trauma and create lasting, positive change. Further, SE™ provides tools to change how people live in the world and to increase capacity to navigate daily and ongoing stressors.

As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of SEI, we express gratitude for Dr. Levine's visionary outlook and contributions. His work has revolutionized the understanding and treatment of trauma and how to live a more regulated life even when stress and trauma keep arising, leaving an enduring impact.

Let us look ahead to the promising future for continuing these advances. We can further empower individuals and communities in the coming years to facilitate healing and resilience. SE™ can transform how we see the world and each other; through an SE™ lens, we can see each other through a compassionate nervous system lens and work together toward healing, even when we disagree.

We invite you to join us in this celebration space—embracing the present and envisioning a future where healing thrives, and trauma is transcended. Let the flame of Somatic Experiencing® illuminate our collective path toward compassion, connection, and profound transformation.

 

Dear Global Somatic Experiencing Community,

Hi there,

 

It is with deeply heavy and hurting hearts that we share this news with all of you. Our beloved board chair, Michele Solloway, passed away unexpectedly on September 4, 2023. Michele gave her heart and soul to this community, and her light and presence will never be forgotten. We are taking all of this month’s issue of SE Today to honor her and all she brought to our SEI community and the growth of SE, but most of all to each and every one of us.

 

Michele came to SEI with a background in public health, research, massage therapy, and energy work. Her scientific mind helped to drive our commitment to research and getting SE into the lives of as many people as possible. Just this year, she took on the monumental task of co-chairing the SE Humanitarian Response Committee. Getting SE to everyone has been a passion of Michele’s forever. Whether it was through research, humanitarian response, Crisis Stabilization and Safety, or more, Michele wanted everyone in the world to have the tools that SE offers to help make their lives better.

 

Michele joined the board in July 2019 and helped to usher in our stronger strategic plan, more structure, and more growth. She became chair elect in July 2020 and the board chair in July 2022. She has served on the Finance Committee, the Executive Committee, and she helped to create an Evaluation Committee so that we could do a better job of getting feedback on our trainings. She has been working closely with the Global Visioning Group to help us find ways to collaborate in SE spaces around the world. All that she has done for SEI would take pages to write, so we will say it more simply – her grounded presence has helped to steady SEI for years as we navigate this new world.

 

But no board member is just their contribution to the organization. Michele brought a level of joy and light combined with presence and groundedness and professionalism that we have never seen in anyone else. She became a friend to almost anyone who met her. How could you not love someone whose heart was always visible and whose laughter could fill a room (or Zoom)?

 

And as we all learned this news about Michele and called folks to tell them the awful news, we connected through tears and through our own activation/regulation cycles. And that represents what this community is – we learn to hold these incredibly big emotional issues together. We navigate the pain and the love and the grief and all of it. We know that many of you connected to Michele through her letters, and many of you have met her in person. For so many, and certainly for SEI, there will be a Michele-sized hole in our hearts forever. She brought more to our lives and to this organization than there are words to convey. It seems trite to say that she will be missed. It is so much deeper than that. We know that we must continue on here at SEI because we must continue the work that Michele helped us create.

 

We wanted to use the rest of this issue of SE Today for folks who knew her well to share how she impacted them, their SE journey, and their hearts. Thank you for helping us to honor our colleague, our mentor, and our friend. May her memory be forever a blessing to everyone she touched, to SEI, and to the world.

 

With deep gratitude,

 

Board of Directors

Sangeeta Fernandes

Carmen Casado

Sergio Ocampo

Scott Palmer

Aida Maysan

Karin Ritchie

 

Peter Levine, Founder Somatic Experiencing International

 

Rebecca Stahl, SEP