Healing trauma in the psyche-soma: Somatic experiencing® in psychodynamic psychotherapy

Addressing the aftermath of trauma is among the most important contributions of psychology. As the numbers of individuals experiencing posttraumatic symptom sequelae continues to increase, it becomes imperative to research and explore a wider range of trauma treatment approaches in order to provide more individualized care. The goal of this study was to gain insights into the body-based approach of Somatic Experiencing®, a short-term naturalistic approach developed by Peter Levine (2007), through experiences of practitioners. The participants practice the Somatic Experiencing® in integration with psychodynamic psychotherapy. Based on a phenomenological case study approach, 4 licensed psychologists and Somatic Experiencing® practitioners were interviewed in order to learn more about how their integration of the 2 approaches impacts their clinical approach to working with trauma symptoms. Among the key themes that emerged from the analysis was the significance of integration in positive outcomes for individuals experiencing posttraumatic reactions by reducing or resolving their symptoms through a novel approach. The implications of this study for the field of clinical psychology are in further elucidation of the integration and its distinct contributions to treatment of trauma. Keywords: treatment of trauma; somatic psychotherapy; psychodynamic psychotherapy; posttraumatic stress disorde