Somatic Experiencing® Therapy for Trauma and Anxiety in Boulder, CO
Somatic Experiencing® works with trauma and chronic stress at the level of the body. Your story still matters, and this work also tracks physical sensations and helps complete self-protective survival responses that may have been interrupted. Together, we'll build your capacity to stay present with difficult emotions and shift patterns that can leave you feeling stuck, anxious, or disconnected from yourself and others.
About Somatic Experiencing®
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a therapeutic approach for resolving trauma symptoms and relieving chronic stress. It can help increase one’s vitality and capacity to actively engage in life. Possible benefits include:
Identifying and staying with your emotions in an embodied way
Tracking sensations and building greater tolerance for difficult emotions
Completing self-protective survival responses (fight/flight/freeze/fawn) from past traumatic or stressful experiences
Addressing trauma-related symptoms, including anxiety, panic, dissociation, depression, anger/rage, shame, avoidance, grief/loss, and chronic stress
More accurately assessing and responding to perceived threats, distinguishing between present-moment danger and past protective patterns
Building your capacity to notice and experience the felt sense of safety in the body
Increasing your ability to experience more ease, joy, and pleasure
Recognizing and integrating resources and strengths
Reducing judgment towards yourself and others
Opening to healthy relationships based on mutual trust, reciprocity, and respect
Learn More
If you're interested in understanding more about nervous system regulation and how our past experiences can influence how we respond to stress, you may also find these articles helpful:
Common Questions About Somatic Experiencing
What is Somatic Experiencing? Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a body-based therapy approach that helps address the effects of trauma and chronic stress by working with physical sensations, not just thoughts or emotions.
How is Somatic Experiencing different from talk therapy? Unlike traditional talk therapy, SE doesn't require you to retell what happened in detail. Instead, we track what's happening in your body — sensations, impulses, patterns of tension or ease — to explore how your nervous system is responding and support the completion of self-protective responses at a pace that feels manageable.
What does an SE session actually look like? You'll be guided to notice physical sensations, emotions, images, impulses, or thoughts that arise as we gently explore what you're working through. We move slowly and carefully, helping your nervous system stay within a manageable range as you develop greater capacity to be with and process what arises.
Do I need to know exactly what happened to me for this to work? No. You don't need a complete narrative or clear memory of an experience to explore it through SE. The work can begin with what you notice in your body, emotions, sensations, or responses in the present.
I'm Alicia Ankenman, MA, LPC, SEP, BSP, a therapist based in Boulder, Colorado. I work with clients in Boulder, Louisville, Lafayette, Longmont, and surrounding communities. If you're curious whether Somatic Experiencing might be a good fit for you, I offer a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you're experiencing and answer your questions.