SomatoEmotional Release (SER)
When the body is holding more than the physical story.
What is SomatoEmotional Release?
SomatoEmotional Release (SER) is a body-based therapeutic process that explores the connection between what is happening physically and the emotional experiences that may be associated with it.
SER developed from CranioSacral Therapy and continues to work with the body's physical responses and craniosacral rhythm. Where SER differs is in the greater attention given to the emotional and experiential aspects that may also be contributing to what is happening.
Sometimes SER develops naturally during a CranioSacral Therapy session. At other times, it may be the focus of an appointment from the beginning — particularly when there is already an awareness of trauma or significant emotional experiences, or when a physical pattern continues to return and there appears to be more contributing to it.
The same issue keeps returning
You understand it — but your body still reacts
You've already talked about it
Talking about emotions isn't easy for you
Something feels unresolved, even if you can't explain why
Trauma or significant emotional experiences are part of the picture
Why might someone choose SomatoEmotional Release?
Something may improve or settle, but the same physical or emotional pattern continues to come back. Sometimes that can be a clue that there may be more contributing to what is happening.
You may logically understand what happened, know that a situation is over, or have already made sense of it — yet particular situations, places, people, sounds or other reminders still create a strong response.
You may have explored an experience through counselling or other talking therapies and understand it well, but feel that talking about it again isn't necessarily what you need.
You don't need to be able to explain everything beautifully or spend an entire appointment describing how you feel. SER can use dialogue when it is useful while continuing to work with what is happening physically.
You may feel stuck, experience reactions you don't fully understand, have memories that are incomplete, or simply sense that there is more going on than you can consciously identify.
Grief, loss, shock, PTSD, accidents, difficult relationships or other significant experiences may continue to influence how you respond physically and emotionally. SER provides a way of exploring those responses while continuing to include the body in the process.
What happens during a
SomatoEmotional Release session?
Your SomatoEmotional Release appointment will begin with a conversation about what has brought you in and what you have been experiencing. You don't need to know exactly what is causing the problem or be able to explain everything you are feeling — we can begin with what you do know.
From there, we'll begin to explore what is happening for you and establish a few starting points for the session. This might be something you notice physically, an emotional response, a particular situation or memory, or something that continues to trigger a reaction even though you understand it logically. We don't need to have the whole story — we just need somewhere meaningful to begin.
You'll remain fully clothed and lie comfortably on the treatment table. SER uses the same gentle, light-touch craniosacral work as CranioSacral Therapy, with your practitioner continuing to follow the craniosacral rhythm and the physical responses occurring within your body.
As the work progresses, physical responses, emotions, thoughts, images, memories or other awareness may arise. You don't need to make anything happen or know where the session needs to go. We work with what presents.
Dialogue may become part of the session when it is useful. Something you say may be accompanied by a change within your body, or a physical response may lead to a thought, memory or realisation. At other times the conversation may naturally stop while your practitioner continues to follow what is changing physically.
You don't need to tell the whole story for meaningful work to take place. Sometimes only a small amount of dialogue is needed to reach an understanding of what the body appears to be
responding to.
This can be particularly helpful if you find it difficult to talk about emotions, have already talked extensively about what happened, or don't consciously remember every part of an experience.
The aim isn't to create an emotional release or make you relive a difficult experience. It is to support the interaction between the physical and emotional responses so that, where possible, the experience can become more integrated and your system no longer needs to respond to it in quite the same way.
Towards the end of the appointment, we may return to some of the starting points we established at the beginning, giving you an opportunity to notice what has changed — physically, emotionally, or in the way you now respond to what brought you in.
Kerry Heritage
CranioSacral & SomatoEmotional Release Practitioner
Meet your practitioner
Kerry has undertaken CranioSacral Therapy and SomatoEmotional Release training through the Upledger Institute, including CranioSacral Therapy 1 & 2, SomatoEmotional Release 1 and The Brain Speaks 1.
Her approach is practical and individualised, combining the physical foundations of CranioSacral Therapy with the deeper physical and emotional integration that can form part of SomatoEmotional Release. Each session is guided by what has brought you in, what your body is presenting and what emerges as the work progresses.
After your SomatoEmotional Release session
After a SomatoEmotional Release session, some people notice a difference straight away, while for others the changes become more apparent over the following days.
You may notice a change in how you feel physically or emotionally, or in the way you respond to something that previously affected you. A situation, memory, conversation, place or other reminder may simply feel different — perhaps less intense, less overwhelming or no longer carrying quite the same response.
Sometimes the change is subtle. You may not consciously notice anything immediately, but later realise that something which would normally have triggered a familiar reaction simply didn't affect you in quite the same way.
This is one of the reasons we establish meaningful starting points at the beginning of your appointment. It gives us something real to refer back to — not only what you thought or felt, but what your body was doing and how your system was responding.
Feeling comfortable and having a say in what happens matters.
“Thank you Kerry 😊 for your understanding when I share my problem. You listen as well as explaining what the problem would be and how you are going to help.
You always ask if it's OK before doing anything so that you feel comfortable. You have the freedom to say yes or no to her suggestions.
I have been helped by her over the years when I have needed help.
Such a comfortable atmosphere causing you to feel relaxed.”
- Judith - ★★★★★
Not sure whether you need CranioSacral Therapy or SomatoEmotional Release?
SomatoEmotional Release developed from CranioSacral Therapy, and there is considerable overlap between the two. If what has brought you in feels predominantly physical, you may prefer to begin by learning more about CranioSacral Therapy. If there appears to be more underlying what is happening, SomatoEmotional Release may provide an opportunity to explore the interaction between the physical and emotional responses.
Supporting greater integration — physically, emotionally and mentally.
SomatoEmotional Release works with the interaction between physical responses, emotional experiences and awareness, supporting greater integration and helping your system find a different way of responding.
SomatoEmotional Release
55 minute appointment
Face-to-face $170
29 Jetty Road
Brighton, South Australia 5048
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