Somatic Experiencing Therapy and Chronic Feelings of Shame
About Somatic Experiencing Therapy
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based therapy that helps individuals regulate their nervous system and resolve the physical and emotional effects of trauma and chronic stress. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, it is based on the idea that the intense energies of trauma and stress can become stuck in the body and continue to influence a person’s sense of themselves and the world. A person can loosen the grip of the symptoms of trauma and related conditions through skillful attention and release of these sensations. Somatic Experiencing supports clients in addressing the embodied underlying causes of shame, restoring a sense of choice and dignity.
Chronic Shame and How it Affects the Body
Chronic shame can feel like a swirl of inadequacy, worthlessness, and self-judgment. It can grow in the shadow of trauma (including abuse and neglect), extensive criticism from others, and unrealistic expectations of oneself. It feels like an unworthiness to connect, be a part of things or believe in oneself. Shame is one of the motors of internalized oppression and members of marginalized groups can struggle with reconciling imposed shame even amidst their strength and resilience. Shame makes people question their right to belong, act with confidence, connect with others and request or receive support. It sabotages creativity and can make us feel like impostors. It drive people to avoid and hide and magnifies the risks of being vulnerable with others.
When a person is feeling shame, they may feel a tightness in the chest, shallow breathing, heat, and a racing heart rate. They might have a sense of sluggishness, heaviness, and a desire to hide or not be seen. A person deep in shame may find eye contact very unpleasant and may take on a collapsed or shrunken posture. On the other hand, some may feel rage when their shame is triggered or puff themselves up in false grandiosity – protecting the self from the perceived danger of being seen in the vulnerability of their shame. Carefully exploring these physical components of shame offers fresh opportunities when thinking and talking sometimes seem to fall short.
Somatic Experiencing Therapy for Treating Feelings of Chronic Shame
Somatic Experiencing approaches shame, its causes, and its triggers through the body and the nervous system. This is done through a skillful combination of body awareness, gentle movement, and visualization. Simple, gentle, and clothed bodywork can also be used to develop a deeper and more subtle relationship with safety. When the body feels safe and restful in the presence of another person, we begin to contradict the messages that shame is telling us. By exploring the embodied aspects of shame, a person can find new ways to release its grip.
Additionally, Somatic Experiencing can help us be kinder to ourselves. When we cultivate a grounded relationship with our bodies, we hear our emotions and needs more clearly. This opens the door to more effective yet kinder approaches to self-regulation. We find a deeper sense of worth and inhibitions that don’t serve us begin to loosen. As our internal compass readjusts, our intuition wakes up and gives us a more accurate map of whose opinions actually matter to us. It gets easier to speak up when we need to. We begin to feel a more consistent sense of dignity and belonging.
If you struggle with feelings of chronic shame, contact us for a free consultation to find out how Somatic Experiencing Therapy can help you.
