Brandy Vanderheiden, MA, MFT, SEP

On this page:

• About SE
• Consultation and Adjunct Services
• My Office
• Learn More about SE (videos & links)
  

Brandy is a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner.  

     "My session with you was profound. I think it was part of the last key I needed to  unlock myself." MN

     "I'm still not sure exactly what happened, or what we did, or how SE works...but it does." MB

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a biologically based method of renegotiating past events/periods of overwhelming stress in our nervous system. It helps restore our body's own natural capacity to heal itself and gives us more capacity to enjoy life fully in the present.

During times of stress, the brain sends signals to the nerves for action plans of self protection. Often, these action plans are not completed either because an alternate plan happened or there was trauma. Not realizing the event has passed, your body is still on hold waiting to complete those plans, and the energy required is on hold as well. Imagine your body finally able to complete those action plans in a gentle, easy way.

Imagine the energy that you could put to use in other ways.

SE is done mostly seated through talk. It is gentle, not cathartic, and it does not require talking about specific events. It works on a broad spectrum of symptoms, like chronic pain, fibromyalgia, anxiety, depression, nervousness, etc.

It is not necessary to know the origin(s) of the symptoms in order to help restore ease in the nervous system.

Some people with nervous system disregulation have experienced:
Accidents
Injuries
Falls                                                                                                             Surgeries/medical events/anesthesia/near death experience                                 Violence by another person                                                                                   Developmental trauma/unsupportive or unpredictable early environments           Birth trauma                                                                                                     Accumulated stress

Call or email to schedule a free 30-minute consultation.

My fee is $125 per hour. I can provide a bill for your out-of-network insurance.

24 hours notice required for canceling an appointment.

Informed Consent- If you are considering having a session, you can fill this out in advance and bring it with you to the session.

Learn More about SE

Somatic Experiencing Website

Video: SE used in Japan - great succinct description of the work

Video: Rebounding from Trauma with Peter Levine - Peter's own intro to the work.

Video: Trauma Proofing kids with Peter Levine

Preparing for surgery article by Twig Wheeler. A must read if you or someone you know is planning a surgery.

 Twig's website- great resources and information

Video Interview with Dr. Robert Scaer by Twig Wheeler. Dr. Scaer is a neurologist who works with chronic pain and injuries like whiplash using Somatic Experiencing.

Video of a wild polar bear discharging energy from procedural memory. Because we don't do this, we end up with residual effects, including the symptoms mentioned above. Polar Bear. The speaker afterward is talking about a different trauma releasing method. Good to investigate options

Find an SE practitioner anywhere in the world. (I have availability in the South Bay Area (Mountain View, CA) and occasionally in Vancouver, WA (near Portland, OR)