When Less is More
In Somatic Experiencing®, the renegotiation and resolution of chronic or acute trauma does not come from diving deep into the traumatic experience and experiencing every bit of it so it can go away.
The Somatic Experiencing approach is to first focus on resource and regulation, deliberately paying attention to and spending time with what is working well and what feels solid. Finding that experience in the body and becoming familar with it.
When we do work directly with “traumas”, we still first contact resource in the person’s body or experience. Then there is a “pendulation”, an alternating between contacting something supportive, then contacting something uncomfortable, and gently going back and forth between the two.
Because our progress is not in proportion to the amount of contact we make with the trauma. It’s related to the degree to which we can bring trauma and safety together and have them shake hands.