EMDR vs. Somatic Experiencing Therapy- Which is Best for You?
As a New York City EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapist, I often get phone calls from prospective clients inquiring about the two modalities and which would be the most helpful for healing trauma and cPTSD. Usually, the goal is pretty clear— clients want to feel more connected to their bodies and feel less activated and triggered when difficult things come their way. They would say that talk therapy has been helpful to an extent, but their body, automatic responses, and nervous system are still misaligned with the awareness they've cultivated.
In this article, I'll share my thoughts on EMDR and Somatic Experiencing therapy for healing trauma, their differences and similarities, and, ultimately, which modality might be best for you as you seek a more holistic, body-centered approach to therapy.
How does EMDR work?
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based structured therapy in which clients are asked to focus on the traumatic memory while simultaneously experiencing bilateral stimulation, often with eye movements, to reduce the vividness, emotion, and trigger associated with the memory. Sometimes, a traumatic experience can resolve on its own, while other times, it can be stuck in the brain, which creates the feeling of being stuck in the past when one is triggered.
According to the EMDR International Association, EMDR works by allowing communication between the amygdala (the part of the brain that signals stress), the hippocampus (the part that assists with learning), and the prefrontal cortex (the part that controls behavior and emotions) to work together in fully processing through the trauma. Hence, the memory no longer has a painful hold. EMDR is different from talk therapy because the client does not have to give full details about their trauma. Studies have shown that it works faster in reducing distress than traditional talk therapy as well.
What does a Somatic Experiencing work?
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is an evidenced-based, body-centered therapy modality that helps treat the physiological symptoms of people who have experienced trauma or adverse life situations.
SE believes that trauma or stress can cause dysfunction in the nervous system and prevent people from fully processing their experiences, creating the feeling of being stuck in an activation (stress/automatic trauma response). Examples of how people can experience an activation response are experiencing hypervigilance, loss of focus, chronic stress, or experiencing self-judgment, shame, blurry boundaries, and intrusive thoughts.
Somatic Experience helps create a mind-body connection where you can find self-regulation through your body and release the trauma or stress response by completing the initial reaction to the threat with the therapist that you did not have access to when the trauma occurred.
What is the difference between EMDR and Somatic Experiencing Therapy?
Objectives
EMDR's primary focus is on processing traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation. The emphasis is more on cognitive and emotional processing. However, bodily sensations may also be addressed during the reprocessing of memories.
Somatic Experience strongly emphasizes bodily sensations and experiences. It views the body as a source of wisdom and healing, and techniques are often aimed at helping clients connect with and process bodily sensations associated with trauma. The goal is to release stored tension and trauma-related energy from the body.
Treatment techniques
EMDR targets distressing experiences, including trauma, which can become stored in memory networks and contribute to psychological difficulties. EMDR aims to facilitate reprocessing these memories, allowing for their integration and resolution.
Somatic experiencing techniques may include (but are not limited to) body awareness exercises, breathwork, movement therapy, touch therapy, and somatic experiencing (a specific approach developed by Peter Levine). The goal is to help clients release tension, discharge energy related to trauma, and increase awareness of bodily sensations.
What do EMDR and Somatic Experiencing Therapy have in common?
Both are trauma-focused and aim to help individuals process traumatic experiences and alleviate symptoms associated with trauma.
Both EMDR and Somatic Experiencing are working to restore the nervous system's original capacity for flexibility, tolerance, and capacity so you don't get stuck in the automatic trauma responses.
Both modalities consider the individual as a whole, addressing the interconnectedness of emotional, cognitive, and physiological experiences. They recognize that trauma can manifest in various ways and aim to address these manifestations comprehensively.
Both teach and emphasize resourcing, which are techniques and resources a client uses to return to regulation when activated or triggered. These include, but are not limited to, visualizations, mindfulness, social engagement, and connection between the client and therapist.
In conclusion
If you want a more structured therapy treatment, EMDR may be for you; Somatic Experiencing can be more experiential and free-flowing. Additionally, EMDR can (at times) be more intense when going through the reprocessing bi-lateral part, whereas somatics work with the intensity of the physiology in a titrated way to build upon nervous system capacity.
Overall, while EMDR and somatic therapy are both effective approaches to trauma treatment, they have distinct theoretical foundations and techniques. EMDR is more focused on cognitive and memory processing, while somatic therapy places a stronger emphasis on the role of bodily sensations and experiences in trauma healing. Try both and see which one aligns with your therapy treatment!
If you have further questions or are interested in starting therapy, please feel free to contact me, a NYC-based Somatic Experiencing and EMDR therapist.
