🚨 Somatic Experiencing (SE) Course

Welcome to the Somatic Experiencing (SE) Course for Everyday People (professionals & non-professionals)

Free Course by Everything IFS Academy | Somatic Experiencing (SE)

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Somatic Experiencing, or SE, was developed by Dr. Peter Levine, who began shaping it in the 1970s around one simple, striking question: why do wild animals shake off life-or-death encounters and walk away unscathed, while a person can carry a single frightening moment for years? Trained in both medical biophysics and psychology, Levine spent decades turning his answer into a complete, body-based approach to stress and trauma, one now taught in more than forty countries and backed by a growing body of research. Its central insight is that trauma lives not in the event itself but in the nervous system, in the survival energy that never got the chance to release, and that the body, given the right conditions, holds its own quiet power to settle, complete, and heal.

This course teaches pure Somatic Experiencing, with no other modalities blended in, written in plain, emotionally relatable language anyone can follow, whether you work in the field or have never set foot in a therapy room. It isn't clinical training for therapists; it's Somatic Experiencing you can put to use in your own life. Each module offers clear teaching, real-life examples, and the practical tools, techniques, and strategies SE is known for, and every lesson ends with a simple practice so you can begin using the skill right away.

This course is self-paced, with no tests, exams, or homework. Feel free to go through it in order, or jump around to whatever interests you most.

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Course Outline

Click any lesson below to begin.

Orientation

• Module 1 — What Is Somatic Experiencing?

• Module 2 — Who Is Peter Levine?

• Module 3 — The Survival Responses: Fight, Flight, and Freeze

  
  

Core Teachings

• Module 4 — The Felt Sense and Tracking Sensations

• Module 5 — Resourcing

• Module 6 — Grounding, Orienting, and the Voo Breath

• Module 7 — The Window of Tolerance

• Module 8 — Titration

• Module 9 — Pendulation

• Module 10 — Discharge and Completion

• Module 11 — The SIBAM Model

  
  

Closing

• Module 12 — Using Somatic Experiencing in Everyday Life

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Disclaimer: Everything IFS Academy is an independent educational platform and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to the IFS Institute. While we strive for accuracy, errors can occur, and users are encouraged to cross-reference critical information. These courses, lessons, skills, and practices are offered for educational and self-reflection purposes only. They do not constitute therapy, mental health treatment, clinical training, or crisis support, and they should not be used as a substitute for professional mental health care.

Crisis Support: 🚨 If you are experiencing a mental health crisis, feel unsafe, feel at risk of harming yourself or someone else, or feel too overwhelmed to safely use self-directed practices, please pause this material and reach out for immediate support. Contact a licensed mental health professional, call or text 988 in the U.S. or Canada, or use your local emergency or crisis resources.

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