Somatic and Movement Healing

Somatic Experiencing for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Randomized Controlled Outcome Study

Brom D, Stokar Y, Lawi C, et al. · Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2017

This was described as the first randomized controlled study of Somatic Experiencing, a body-focused therapy for trauma. Sixty-three adults meeting full criteria for PTSD were randomly assigned to 15 weekly Somatic Experiencing sessions or to a waitlist, and the waitlist group later received the therapy too. In this study, the treatment group showed significant reductions in posttraumatic symptom severity and depression compared with the waitlist, and these changes were still present at follow-up. The authors conclude Somatic Experiencing may be an effective approach for PTSD. An honest limitation: the comparison was a waitlist rather than another active therapy, and the authors say more research is needed to understand who benefits most.

Our summaries describe what each study found. They are not medical advice, and the practices at Halcyon are not a treatment for any condition.