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När kroppen får tala: En kvalitativ studie av terapeuters upplevelser av Somatic Experiencing som terapeutisk metod

Wåhlberg, Emma LU and Geitz, Sandra LU (2026) PSYK12 20252
Department of Psychology
Abstract
This bachelor’s thesis is a qualitative study examining licensed psychologists’, psychotherapists’ and counseling therapists’ experiences of Somatic Experiencing (SE) as a therapeutic method. SE is a body-oriented approach grounded in the regulation of the nervous system. Research on SE remains limited, and to date there is no previous research focusing on therapists’ own experiences of working with the method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five practicing SE therapists and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three overarching themes: (1) the body and the nervous system as the foundation of the therapeutic process; (2) therapeutic presence and self-regulation as central aspects of the work; and (3)... (More)
This bachelor’s thesis is a qualitative study examining licensed psychologists’, psychotherapists’ and counseling therapists’ experiences of Somatic Experiencing (SE) as a therapeutic method. SE is a body-oriented approach grounded in the regulation of the nervous system. Research on SE remains limited, and to date there is no previous research focusing on therapists’ own experiences of working with the method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five practicing SE therapists and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three overarching themes: (1) the body and the nervous system as the foundation of the therapeutic process; (2) therapeutic presence and self-regulation as central aspects of the work; and (3) SE as a complementary method within a broader therapeutic context. Participants described SE as a way of working that deepens the understanding of clients’ stress reactions and enables a responsive therapeutic practice focused on regulating the autonomic nervous system. At the same time, they emphasised that SE is rarely used as a standalone method. The findings contribute to increased knowledge about how SE is experienced and applied in clinical practice. However, the generalisability of the results is limited by the small and relatively homogeneous sample. Further research is needed, particularly regarding clients’ experiences and how SE is integrated with other forms of treatment. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
Denna kandidatuppsats är en kvalitativ studie med syfte att undersöka legitimerade psykologers, psykoterapeuters och samtalsterapeuters upplevelser av Somatic Experiencing (SE) som terapeutisk metod. SE är en kroppsorienterad metod med fokus på nervsystemets reglering. Forskningen inom området är begränsad, och det saknas tidigare studier som belyser hur terapeuter själva upplever att arbeta med metoden. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem verksamma SE-terapeuter och materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Analysen resulterade i tre övergripande teman: (1) kroppen och nervsystemet som grund för den terapeutiska processen; (2) terapeutisk närvaro och självreglering som centrala aspekter av arbetet samt; (3) SE som en... (More)
Denna kandidatuppsats är en kvalitativ studie med syfte att undersöka legitimerade psykologers, psykoterapeuters och samtalsterapeuters upplevelser av Somatic Experiencing (SE) som terapeutisk metod. SE är en kroppsorienterad metod med fokus på nervsystemets reglering. Forskningen inom området är begränsad, och det saknas tidigare studier som belyser hur terapeuter själva upplever att arbeta med metoden. Semistrukturerade intervjuer genomfördes med fem verksamma SE-terapeuter och materialet analyserades med tematisk analys. Analysen resulterade i tre övergripande teman: (1) kroppen och nervsystemet som grund för den terapeutiska processen; (2) terapeutisk närvaro och självreglering som centrala aspekter av arbetet samt; (3) SE som en kompletterande metod i en bredare terapeutisk kontext. Deltagarna beskrev SE som ett arbetssätt som fördjupar förståelsen av klienters stressreaktioner och möjliggör ett lyhört behandlingsarbete med fokus på reglering av det autonoma nervsystemet, men betonade samtidigt att metoden sällan används isolerat. Studiens resultat bidrar med ökad kunskap om hur SE upplevs och används i praktiken. Generaliserbarheten är dock begränsad av det lilla och relativt homogena urvalet som låg till grund för studien. Fortsatt forskning behövs, särskilt avseende klienters erfarenheter och hur SE integreras med andra behandlingsformer. (Less)
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author
Wåhlberg, Emma LU and Geitz, Sandra LU
supervisor
organization
course
PSYK12 20252
year
type
M2 - Bachelor Degree
subject
keywords
Somatic Experiencing, kroppsorienterad terapi, trauma, terapeuters upplevelser, tematisk analys, body-oriented therapy, therapists’ experiences, thematic analysis
language
Swedish
id
9219634
date added to LUP
2026-01-23 15:28:09
date last changed
2026-01-23 15:28:09
@misc{9219634,
  abstract     = {{This bachelor’s thesis is a qualitative study examining licensed psychologists’, psychotherapists’ and counseling therapists’ experiences of Somatic Experiencing (SE) as a therapeutic method. SE is a body-oriented approach grounded in the regulation of the nervous system. Research on SE remains limited, and to date there is no previous research focusing on therapists’ own experiences of working with the method. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with five practicing SE therapists and analyzed using thematic analysis. The analysis resulted in three overarching themes: (1) the body and the nervous system as the foundation of the therapeutic process; (2) therapeutic presence and self-regulation as central aspects of the work; and (3) SE as a complementary method within a broader therapeutic context. Participants described SE as a way of working that deepens the understanding of clients’ stress reactions and enables a responsive therapeutic practice focused on regulating the autonomic nervous system. At the same time, they emphasised that SE is rarely used as a standalone method. The findings contribute to increased knowledge about how SE is experienced and applied in clinical practice. However, the generalisability of the results is limited by the small and relatively homogeneous sample. Further research is needed, particularly regarding clients’ experiences and how SE is integrated with other forms of treatment.}},
  author       = {{Wåhlberg, Emma and Geitz, Sandra}},
  language     = {{swe}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{När kroppen får tala: En kvalitativ studie av terapeuters upplevelser av Somatic Experiencing som terapeutisk metod}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}