Somatic Experiencing® in Pennsylvania
For too long, you've felt disconnected. From yourself, your body, and the world around you.
The weight of past experiences sits heavy on your shoulders, manifesting in ways you can't always explain.
Deep down, you know this: the tension, the anxiety, the dissociation and the unexplained physical symptoms…they're all real.
So very real.
We're so glad you've found your way here.
You and your body have carried heavy burdens throughout your life.
Adapting and surviving the very best you could.
Now, it's time to thrive.
What is Somatic Experiencing?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented approach to healing trauma. Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, this method helps release traumatic shock stored in the body, which can cause physical and psychological symptoms.
So, how Can Somatic Experiencing Help?
Somatic Experiencing can address a wide range of issues, many of which are felt in the aftermath of trauma:
Chronic anxiety and depression
PTSD and complex trauma
Unexplained physical symptoms
Difficulty regulating emotions
Feeling disconnected from your body
Chronic pain
Difficulty feeling connected to the body
Digestive issues
Sleep disturbances
Relationship difficulties and attachment issues
By working with the body's innate ability to heal, Somatic Experiencing can help you:
Develop greater resilience to stress
Improve your ability to set healthy boundaries
Enhance your capacity for connection and intimacy
Reduce symptoms of trauma
Increase your sense of safety and well-being
Reclaim a sense of aliveness and joy in your body and your life
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Focuses on bodily sensations and felt experiences
Helps you develop greater body awareness
Guides you to release stored trauma responses
Builds resilience and capacity to handle stress
Restores your nervous system's natural desire to regulate
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Learn to track bodily sensations
Explore gentle movements and exercises
Develop resources for self-regulation
Slowly process traumatic experiences at a pace that feels right for your nervous system
Integrate new experiences of safety and coherence
Meet Reclaim’s Somatic Trauma Therapists!
Sarah Herstich, LCSW
Sarah is a Certified EMDR Therapist and consultant, and is a somatic experiencing practitioner (SEP). Sarah is also a certified safe and sound protocol provider.
Casey Koch, LCSW
Casey is an EMDR Therapist, a certified trauma therapist. Casey holds a Somatic Trauma Therapy Certification from the Embody Lab.
Ready to Get Started? Here’s How!
step 1
Contact Reclaim Therapy for a free consultation call.
step 2
Meet with Sarah or meet with Casey to begin your Somatic Experiencing Therapy
step 3
Start experience that power that your body holds to support you in moving toward regulation and ease.
Frequently asked questions about Somatic Experiencing Therapy
What is Somatic Experiencing therapy?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-based approach to trauma therapy that focuses on how stress and trauma are held in the nervous system.
Instead of starting with thoughts or talking through everything, we work with physical sensations, like tension, tightness, or activation, to help your system complete stress responses that never got to finish at the time.
The goal isn’t to force release. It’s to help your body gradually move out of survival patterns like fight, flight, or freeze and return to a more regulated state.
What is Somatic Experiencing therapy?
Somatic Experiencing is a body-based approach to trauma therapy that focuses on how stress and trauma are held in the nervous system.
Instead of starting with thoughts or talking through everything, we work with physical sensations, like tension, tightness, or activation, to help your system complete stress responses that never got to finish at the time.
The goal isn’t to force release. It’s to help your body gradually move out of survival patterns like fight, flight, or freeze and return to a more regulated state.
How is Somatic Experiencing different from talk therapy?
Most traditional therapy focuses on thoughts, insight, and understanding your story.
Somatic Experiencing works from the bottom up. It starts with the body and the nervous system, because trauma often lives there before it’s something you can explain in words.
You don’t have to have the right language or even a clear memory for the work to be effective.
What happens in a Somatic Experiencing session?
Sessions are typically slower and more focused on what’s happening in your body in the present moment.
You might notice sensations, track shifts in your system, or gently move between states of activation and settling. This process helps your nervous system build capacity without becoming overwhelmed.
We don’t jump straight into the most intense experiences. We build safety first.
Can Somatic Experiencing help with anxiety or chronic overwhelm?
Yes. Many forms of anxiety and chronic overwhelm are connected to a nervous system that has learned to stay on high alert.
Somatic Experiencing helps your system learn that it doesn’t have to stay in that state all the time, which can reduce intensity, reactivity, and that constant underlying tension.
Do I have to talk about my trauma for this to work?
No. You don’t need to retell everything that happened.
Somatic work can begin with body sensations, emotions, or patterns you’re noticing in the present. That makes it especially helpful if your experiences feel hard to explain or you don’t have clear memories.
Is Somatic Experiencing effective for complex trauma?
It can be especially helpful for complex trauma.
Because complex trauma often impacts the nervous system over time, working directly with the body can allow for change in ways that insight alone sometimes doesn’t reach.
At Reclaim Therapy, Somatic Experiencing is often integrated with EMDR and parts work to support deeper, more layered healing.
Do you offer Somatic Experiencing therapy near me?
We offer Somatic Experiencing therapy in Horsham, PA and provide online therapy throughout Pennsylvania.
If you’re located anywhere in Pennsylvania, virtual sessions make this work accessible from wherever you are.
How do I know if Somatic Experiencing is right for me?
If you feel disconnected from your body, easily overwhelmed, stuck in patterns like shutdown or overactivation, or like you understand your trauma but still feel it in your system, this approach can be a good fit.
You don’t need to have it all figured out. Noticing that something isn’t shifting is enough to start.
Most traditional therapy focuses on thoughts, insight, and understanding your story.
Somatic Experiencing works from the bottom up. It starts with the body and the nervous system, because trauma often lives there before it’s something you can explain in words.
You don’t have to have the right language or even a clear memory for the work to be effective.
Looking for another type of therapy support?
Our team of trauma therapists provide EMDR Therapy, parts work and trauma focused therapy for eating disorders, PTSD, Complex PTSD and body image concerns.