Integrating EMDR and Somatic Experiencing for Body‑Focused Trauma Recovery
Both Somatic Experiencing and EMDR have had their fair share in trauma recovery. There is a substantial body of research that showcases the benefits that both of these therapeutic modalities provide for clients who have experienced trauma and battle with post-traumatic symptoms.
But the trend of moving away from clearly distinct modalities and their rules is showing to be highly effective when it comes to providing a holistic way of helping clients with trauma recovery. Earlier, I talked about Prolonged exposure, a form of CBT, and EMDR as a form of treatment. Today, we will focus on integrating EMDR and SE for clients who are looking to lower their trauma symptoms and somatically release their tension.
SE and EMDR complement each other in trauma therapy, each giving its own unique contribution to the client’s health. Let’s explore how.
Understanding Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based approach to trauma recovery. It includes some key concepts including:
interoceptive awareness (noticing internal sensations),
titration (working with small amounts of the experience),
pendulation (moving between distress and safety),
completion of survival responses that might have been interrupted during the traumatic experience.
SE aims to help the body release the stored tension and improve the natural regulation and resilience of the nervous system. To learn more about Somatic Experiencing, you can visit our blog on the topic.
EMDR, on the other hand, is a structured trauma therapy that utilizes protocols to work through traumatic memories. It is based on the Adaptive Information Processing model, which argues that unprocessed, stuck, memories create the ongoing symptoms in people who have suffered trauma. In EMDR, the client focuses on images, thoughts, and sensations from their lived experiences, while the mind is engaged in bilateral stimulation, such as eye movements. This process helps the brain to reprocess and store those memories in a less distressing way. There is a lot more to be said about EMDR, so if you are interested, you can learn more about EMDR in this blog post.
Unlike cognitive therapies, SE and EMDR don’t require talking about traumatic events. Instead, SE focuses solely on the bodily sensations and shifts that occur, helping the client gain awareness, tools, and methods for regulating their own nervous system. EMDR, on the other hand, prompts the client to only think about small parts of the traumatic experiences, while they engage in an action that helps them store those experiences less disturbingly.
How EMDR and SE Complement Each Other
Let’s explain the combination of EMDR and SE through an example. Jane lived through a car accident. Now, in the aftermath, she notices two things - her mind replays the crash over and over, and her body still tenses up when she hears screeching tires. Mentally, she knows she’s safe, but her body reacts as if the danger is still present. Jane doesn’t need to talk about what happened, she needs to feel stability in her body and support for the images that keep popping out in her head.
This is where the combination of EMDR and SE comes into place. EMDR works directly with traumatic memories, helping the brain reprocess them so they no longer carry the same emotional charge. It also works to change the negative beliefs that might be still present as a result of those experiences. SE, on the other hand, focuses on the body’s physiological responses, gently relieving the body of tension and guiding the nervous system back into regulation and resilience.
Phase-by-Phase Integration in Practice
The way EMDR and SE are integrated depends on the client’s particular case and what they need to move forward in their mental well-being. Nonetheless, there are some general rules when combining these two modalities for body-focused trauma recovery.
Preparation and Resource Building with SE
In the initial stages of recovery, SE techniques establish internal safety and awareness, before moving on EMDR’s desensitization work. Techniques and tools like grounding exercises, body scanning and tracking, and pendulation between comfort and discomfort can help clients feel stable and secure in their bodies, confident that they can self-regulate when they get triggered.
Desensitization with EMDR
Once desensitization starts with the help of EMDR protocols, intense emotions and physical sensations may arise. SE body-focused interventions can help clients reduce their overwhelm, ground in their body, and self-regulate before going back to reprocessing.
Integration and Body Scans with SE
At a certain point in the process, clients need to install new adaptive beliefs and behaviors. Integrating SE movements and tools can deepen this process. EMDR helps the client with positive thoughts, while SE practices can help them embody those thoughts and notice how their cognition affects their body and vice versa. Combining intellectual and physical work gives the client holistic support.
Closing and Reevaluation
In the ending parts of sessions, SE tools can help the client integrate the therapeutic work. By grounding, focusing on external surroundings, “shaking off” tension, or engaging in relaxing activities, clients can leave sessions calm and regulated. Furthermore, during reevaluations of the work done, somatic awareness practices can help clients highlight the subtle changes in their bodies. Physical sensations can be great pointers to what has been successfully done and what needs further focus.
Benefits of an Integrated Approach
My own experience has shown me that practicing an integrative method of therapy helps me provide holistic support for my clients. They report that they feel more grounded and regulated, with a reduced risk of dissociation or overwhelm during and after sessions. They also feel more in control, confident that they can self-regulate in times of distress or triggers, which translates into shorter treatments and deeper work during sessions.
SE builds the nervous system capacity and tolerance of unpleasant experiences, while EMDR activation helps me target maladaptively stored memories and meanings. When I combine these methods, my clients tolerate EMDR sessions far more effectively by gaining regulation skills faster, becoming a crucial ally in their own healing.
Furthermore, the integration of mental and physical therapeutic work gives my clients longer-lasting healing, while it increases the flexibility of the treatment. Depending on the needs of the client, I can focus on different parts of the client’s experience, and consider their nervous system capacity, the particular circumstances of the client, and the recovery phase they’re in. This adaptability of approaches, gives me an opportunity to not rely only on therapeutic interventions that fall within theories of a particular modality, and instead focus on the client and mix-and-match interventions based on the needs.
Clients who have worked with both EMDR and Somatic Experiencing (SE) often describe the integration as transformative:
“EMDR reopened the infected wound… the somatic work allowed me to clean it out and sew it back up.”
“They complement each other very well… I take what comes up in EMDR, then process through it somatically.”
These experiences highlight how combining memory reprocessing with body-based regulation can create a fuller, more sustainable sense of healing.
Is EMDR and SE Integration the right thing for you?
Deciding whether to combine EMDR and Somatic Experiencing (SE) depends on your personal needs, preferences, and nervous system responses. A good start is to reflect on these questions:
Do I often feel stuck in my body or dissociated during trauma processing?
Do I benefit from grounding and body awareness before working with traumatic memories?
If the answer is yes, an integrated approach may give you the regulation and balance you need to move forward safely.
It’s important to discuss sequencing with a trauma-informed therapist trained in both modalities. For some clients, beginning with SE to establish nervous system stability before moving into EMDR memory reprocessing is most effective. Others may find SE techniques in between or during EMDR sessions as helpful in maintaining safety and flow.
Above all, safety comes first, and the treatment has to be adapted to your unique needs and current abilities. This is only possible when the therapist is qualified, experienced, and attuned to your signals.
Ending Words
Traumatic experiences don’t live in the mind; they also live in the body. To heal the complex interplay of post-traumatic symptoms, you need a complex mix of therapeutic modalities that are tailored to what the client needs. EMDR and SE offer a powerful treatment that helps the client both reprocess their memories and release the tension from the nervous system. Together, they bring both cognitive clarity and somatic ease.
At EMDR Therapy Nashville, we practice a holistic approach that combines EMDR and SE to help clients move away from survival into physical, emotional, and mental well-being. If you are curious about how SE and EMDR might support you, schedule your call, so we can jointly create your personalized path to healing.