🐅Somatic Experiencing (SE) | Free Course

Free Course by Everything IFS Academy | Therapeutic Modalities Series

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Welcome to the Free Somatic Experiencing (SE) Course for Everyday People

Somatic Experiencing was created by Dr. Peter Levine, who began developing it in the 1970s after a career-defining question: why do wild animals, threatened almost daily, not become traumatized, while humans so often do? The answer he found grew into one of the world's most influential body-based approaches to healing, carried to millions of readers through his bestselling book Waking the Tiger and now practiced by trained SE practitioners across dozens of countries. At its heart sits a single, hopeful lens: trauma doesn't live in the event that happened to you. It lives in the nervous system, and the nervous system already knows how to heal.

This course teaches pure Somatic Experiencing, with no other modalities blended in. It's 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 Threat Response Cycle

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Core Teachings

Module 4 The Felt Sense

Module 5 Tracking Sensation

Module 6 Grounding And Orienting

Module 7 Resourcing

Module 8 Pendulation

Module 9 Titration

Module 10 Discharge

Module 11 Completing Self-Protective Responses

Module 12 SIBAM: The Five Channels Of Experience

Module 13 Boundary Repair

Module 14 Renegotiation

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Closing

Module 15 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.