SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a therapeutic process that uses the concepts of CranioSacral Therapy to establishing a secure mind-body connection for the release of the discomforting side effects of trauma from the body, whether they were physical or emotional. Joint research efforts by Dr. John Upledger and biophysicist Dr. Zvi Karni led to the discovery that the body often retains (rather than dissipates) physical forces, and usually the accompanying emotional energy, triggered by physiological, psychological, emotional or spiritual trauma. The emotional symptoms that we experience during trauma remain unresolved as the body heals. For these remaining symptoms of trauma to heal permanently, a mind-body connection has to be made.
Tissue memory is one of the essential concepts in SER. Muscle tissues and cells can store memories that are related to our traumatic experiences. When a particular muscle group is injured during an accident, a memory of that experience is formed in the affected tissue. This usually means that a small, unconscious contraction has developed in the muscle as a protective reminder of the painful experience. If the tissue memory is not appropriately released, then the contraction will remain in the muscle as the injury heals, leading to future pain. These unconscious contractions are called “energy cyst,” an isolated concentration of negative energy. When the energy cyst is not released, they can spread strain to other parts of the body. A healthy body can work around the cyst and carry on its daily functions. However, the cyst will continue to drain the energy out of the system, preventing the body from reaching optimal health. Often, as the body weakens or tires, it can no longer afford the cyst’s demands for extra energy, and other health problems will begin to surface.
THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM AND SOMATOEMOTIONAL THEORY
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), which includes the sympathetic nervous system (SNS), the parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS), and the enteric nervous system (ENS), is triggered into action when we’re faced with adversity and it governs the fight, flight, or freeze instinct. Although designed to be self-regulating, the ANS can become dysregulated, particularly when full expression of one’s response to trauma is repressed. As a result, the body continues to respond as if it is under threat. SER contends that negative symptoms of trauma, such as anxiety, hypervigilance, aggression, and shame, are result from denying the body the opportunity to fully process the traumatic event.
When animals get attacked in the wild nature, they go into freeze first before they writhe around signaling that they are still alive. The freeze is caused by dissociation so that they would not feel pain. In trauma we also tend to lose connection to our sensations by either freezing or numbing physically. The difference between the wild animals and the modern humans is that the most animals are able to recover readily by physically shaking off and releasing the energy they accumulate during stressful events. We domesticated humans, on the other hand, have been conditioned to inhibit the natural process that helps wild animals release and recover from trauma. We often override these natural ways of regulating the nervous system with feelings of shame and pervasive thoughts, judgments, and fears. We repress fear, anger, and other paralyzing emotions associated with trauma. This embeds these emotions in our tissues, along with painful memories.
So, this is also why we start with the senses most of the time in SER - focusing the awareness on sensations in the bodyalong with images, behaviors, affect, and the meaning of what is coming up. We want to restore our ability to sense our environment using a quiet state of relaxation. This quiet mindful exploration of what is happening inside of your process will tend to lead to what is unresolved trauma stored in your bodymind. Because trauma is life threatening, the body wants to keep coming back to it in an effort to heal it. SER aims to help people move past the place where they might be “stuck” in processing a traumatic event. Re-experiencing unconscious movement pathways through SER can open restricted tissues and liberate traumatic memories and energies. This helps us release pain and allows our tissues to become more resilient and adaptable.
This is an approach to trauma resolution that works with the body’s innate yearning to heal. Whatever the response, SER is an entirely natural process that occurs when your body is ready to release the final residue of painful, trapped emotions. The unresolved trauma can lead to larger mental and physical health concerns, such as post traumatic stress (PTSD), sleep problems, mood swings, or immune system problems. With increasing awareness of one’s physical state, SER promotes to build back the body’s ability to self-regulate and safely experience the release of both physical and emotional stress from their nervous system.
Once the body and the psyche have become loosen, less armored, more free of repressions, so that energy can begin to flow again, there is a new possibility to re-connect with authentic feelings and expressiveness, both emotionally and energetically. We begin to live in the light of a growing awareness of our true nature, of our essential selves. The body expands its capacity to experience deep pleasure, joy and trust in its natural life.
What to expect during a session:
Subtle bodywork is combined with dialogue to assist the process of release and to gain insight as to how the held trauma is influencing the physical and emotional health. The SE therapist will help the client find places of safety through Craniosacral Therapy. The majority of people enter deep states of relaxation that we can invite the Inner Physician (Inner Wisdom) to come and talk to us. Once we have made this contact with the Inner Physician, we develop a friendly and safe rapport with the sensations related to the traumatic events and experience them in a safe way to fully process the trauma.
Also, an awareness or association of past trauma may arise during the course of a craniosacral session, such as shallow breathing, feelings of heaviness, tightness, numbness or even physical pain. The release progresses within the framework of the physical bodywork being done during that session. Or, as more significant issues become apparent, several focused sessions might be helpful to thoroughly and safely allow the trapped emotional energy to escape along the same pathway it took when it entered your body and to re-experience and resolve past traumas. When this happens, therapist will proceed carefully and cautiously to avoid retraumatizing or triggering the client, and support and hold a safe place for the client to unfold the pain or emotion and move naturally towards a healing resolution.
At some point in SER it is likely to see some micromovements in the arms or legs or core of the body that the practitioner will be able to recognize as the body beginning to run its motor plan for an escape - a protective reminder of the painful experience. As we draw awareness to these movements they tend to grow and we encourage the client to let the body gently and slowly follow what the nervous system is trying to do rather than override it. In so doing the motor plan is able to complete and that stuck loop is healed. Each time we heal one of these the body's stress burden is lifted a little. That energy which was going into the vigilance of keeping this protective motor plan in play can now go to healing some other aspect of the body and mind.
When the client opens eyes and looks around the room again everything may seem to be crisper and colors bolder. There may be some aftereffectsof shakiness, or lightness, or fullness of breath as the experience is integrated. There is a quietness that comes into the body and a real sense that something profound just happened. Something just healed. My experience with many sessions supports the belief that each and every one of us has intelligence inside that knows about what is going on in our lives.
Benefits of SER:
Can help you better understand your traumas and how they have affected your body
Assists with emotional healing from traumatic life events
Can help uncover suppressed memories that the body is holding onto
Provides physical relief from pain, stiffness, and soreness caused by trauma
