Pulling The Thread with Elise Loehnen

Where Trauma Begins (Peter Levine, Ph.D): TRAUMA

May 20, 2024

Peter Levine, Ph.D, expert in trauma therapy, discusses somatic experiencing and gradual healing through bodily sensations. His new book, An Autobiography of Trauma, delves into his personal journey and the global impact of his work. The podcast explores cultural approaches to trauma, collective healing, and the significance of self-care for generations.

47:05

Episode guests

Peter Levine, Ph.D

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Quick takeaways

Somatic Experiencing promotes healing trauma gently by titrating sensations to higher levels of order and coherence.

Somatic Experiencing emphasizes the collective impact of healing trauma on communities beyond individual afflictions.

Deep dives

Peter Levine's Approach to Healing Trauma Through Somatic Experiencing

Dr. Peter Levine, known as the father of Somatic Experiencing, discusses a gentle approach to healing trauma where individuals touch into sensations related to their trauma without overwhelming themselves. Contrary to flooding therapies, Somatic Experiencing focuses on titrating the experience gradually to promote a shift towards higher levels of order and coherence in the body, leading to healing from trauma and awakening. The method emphasizes a gentle process of connecting with trauma in the body to counter feelings of overwhelming helplessness.

Introduction

3min

Exploring Somatic Experiencing and Trauma Healing

10min

Experience with Uncomfortable Bedding and Introduction to Cozy Earth Products

2min

Journey of Healing and Discovery

12min

Reflections on Hosting, Masterclass Ad, and Gentle Healing Techniques for Trauma

3min

Unearthing Strength Through Somatic Experiencing

7min

Exploring Cultural Approaches to Trauma and Healing

4min

Exploring Trauma's Impact Beyond Individuals

2min

Healing for Generations - Somatic Experiencing and Self-Care

5min

“There are therapies where the person is made to relive their traumas over and over and over again. It's called flooding. And that's the one type of therapy that I do not agree with. I think it, not all the time, but it can be harmful, again, in somatic experiencing, we titrate the experience, we touch into a sensation in our bodies that have to do with the trauma, but just touch into it, and then notice the shift to a higher level of order, a higher level of coherence, a higher, greater level of flow. To go from trauma to awakening and flow is really, I think, what healing is all about."

So says Peter Levine, PhD. If you’ve read or heard anything about trauma, you likely know Peter’s name, as he’s the father of Somatic Experiencing, a body-awareness approach to healing trauma that’s informed the practice of almost every trauma-worker today. Levine is a prolific writer—his international best seller, Waking the Tiger, has been translated into twenty-two languages—though much of his work has been for fellow academics and teachers. He’s just published a new book, An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey, which is highly accessible for all of us. It’s a beautiful book that recounts how he came to understand the somatic experience of trauma through an event in his own childhood—and the scientists and cultures he encountered along the way that informed what ultimately became a world-changing protocol. Today’s conversation explores all of this—including some very surprising appearances by Einstein.

MORE FROM PETER LEVINE, PHD:

An Autobiography of Trauma: A Healing Journey

Waking the Tiger: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences

Trauma & Memory: Brain and Body in a Search for the Living Past

In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness

Somatic Experiencing International

RELATED EPISODES:

PART 1: James Gordon, “TRAUMA/Tools for Transforming Trauma”

Thomas Hubl: “Feeling into the Collective Presence”

Gabor Maté, M.D.: “When Stress Becomes Illness”

Galit Atlas, PhD: “Understanding Emotional Inheritance”

Thomas Hubl: “Processing Our Collective Past”