Introduction to Systemic Therapies and SE
A lot of people are familiar with cognitive behavioral therapy (most popular types of therapy), but there are other forms of therapy that can also be effective in treating different kinds of issues. One such form is called systemic therapies, and another is somatic experiencing (SE). Let’s look at both of these approaches in more detail so we can see how they work with people who are suffering from various mental health symptoms (anxiety, depression) and trauma-related issues.
Systemic Therapies
Systemic therapies are based on the idea that how we relate to one another affects our psychological health. For example, if two people in a family are constantly fighting, this can trigger negative emotions in their children. Or if the parents have unresolved issues with each other that they don’t talk about, this could negatively affect how those children grow up and deal with conflict as they get older. In short, systems theory says that it’s not just individuals who have mental health problems; their relationships do too!
Systemic Therapy works with the family system to help family members identify patterns of interaction that are dysfunctional and encourages them to learn healthier patterns of communication. It’s also called “Family Systems Therapy”.
Systemic Therapy works with the family system to help family members identify patterns of interaction that are dysfunctional and encourages them to learn healthier patterns of communication. It’s also called Family Systems Therapy.
Mind-body therapy
Mind-body therapy focuses on the interaction between the brain, mind, body and behavior. It is based on the belief that mental and emotional problems can cause changes in how we think and feel. This can contribute to the development or worsening of illness.
Mind-body therapy looks at different ways to help patients improve their quality of life by reducing stress and improving coping skills.
Somatic Experiencing
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is an innovative, naturalistic approach to healing trauma developed by Peter Levine, Ph.D.. SE is extremely gentle and effective in releasing trauma symptoms such as anxiety, panic, depression and phobias. Often these symptoms result from our instinctive responses during a difficult situation. These responses sometimes do not resolve themselves easily when the threat dissipates. Clients are gently led through their natural processes to completion using SE techniques that release residual tension caused by stress or trauma.
There are a lot of different ways to approach therapy from a systemic or mind-body perspective
There are many different approaches to therapy from a systemic or mind-body perspective. They include:
- Family systems therapy
- Mind-body therapies
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)
- Systemic therapy
Conclusion
We hope this article was helpful in giving you a better understanding of both systemic therapy and somatic therapies and how they can help you with your symptoms. If you’re interested in learning more about systemic therapy, we recommend reading, “It Didn’t Start with You” by Mark Wolynn. If you’re interested in learning more about Somatic Experiencing, we recommend reading Peter Levine’s book “Waking The Tiger: Healing Trauma”.