My Somatic Experiencing® Training Experience: How SE Is Transforming My Work as a Trauma-Informed NYC Dietitian
A NYC registered dietitian shares her Somatic Experiencing® training experience and how SE enriches trauma-informed nutrition care for anxiety, stress, and recovery.
A Note From Me (Maria, 212 Nutrition)
In November, I completed Beginning I of the Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) Professional Training as part of the Manhattan cohort. I’m not yet a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) as the training takes 3 years to complete, but Beginning I is the true foundation of the method. It was one of the most profound trainings I’ve ever experienced, and I’m already integrating the principles into my nutrition work.
This blog is a deep dive into what the training was like, what I learned, and why SE™ is becoming an essential part of the way I support clients, especially high achievers, people in recovery, and those whose relationship with food is tangled up with stress physiology.
Why I Chose SE™ (and Why Now)
I’ve always understood that “food issues” are rarely about food. In clinical settings, private practice, and community work across NYC, I meet clients who know “what” to eat, but can’t seem to figure out the “how.” Not because of laziness or lack of willpower, but because their nervous systems are overwhelmed, depleted, or stuck in survival mode.
Patterns like:
Skipping meals all day, then overeating at night
Losing appetite during stress
Feeling out of control with sugar or caffeine (a lot of “I’m addicted to carbs” talk)
Eating quickly and not feeling satisfied
Feeling “all or nothing” with nutrition
Forgetting to eat during busy periods at work
Losing hunger/fullness cues
Feeling anxious around food or eating in public
are physiological, not moral.
I knew that to truly help high achievers, trauma survivors, and clients navigating recovery, I needed a methodology that addressed the body’s stress response, not just behavior change.
That’s when Somatic Experiencing® kept showing up in my world. Virtually every time I researched regulation, embodiment, or resilience, I landed back on Peter Levine’s work.
So when I found an opening in the Manhattan cohort, I applied immediately. I had no idea how impactful Beginning I would be.
What Somatic Experiencing® Is (and Why It Matters for Nutrition)
Somatic Experiencing® is a body-based approach to healing stress and trauma by restoring nervous system regulation. Instead of retelling trauma stories, SE™ focuses on helping the body:
come out of fight/flight
“thaw” freeze responses
complete incomplete survival energy
restore a sense of safety
develop capacity and resilience
The foundational principle is that the body doesn’t need to be forced into healing. Instead, it needs space, time, and support to do what it already knows how to do.
This is exactly where my approach to nutrition and SE™ overlap.
Some chronic nutrition issues are closely intertwined with nervous system issues:
Dysregulated eating patterns mimic fight/flight/freeze
Emotional eating is often a self-regulation strategy
Binge/restrict cycles mirror activation and shutdown
Poor digestion is linked to sympathetic dominance (that’s, like, science)
Low appetite often comes from dorsal vagal collapse
Cravings can reflect under-resourced physiology
SE™ doesn’t replace nutrition counseling, it enhances it. When the body feels safer, food choices naturally shift. Beginning I introduced me to the somatic language behind these patterns.
My Experience in Beginning I of Manhattan Cohort
The training took place over four intense, beautiful, deeply embodied days from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in Manhattan. The room was filled with therapists, coaches, bodyworkers, yoga therapists, and a few medical practitioners like myself.
The learning included:
✔ Foundational SE™ theory
We studied how the nervous system stores incomplete survival responses and how SE™ uses titration, pendulation, and resourcing to safely discharge stored activation.
✔ Experiential dyads
We practiced basic skills on each other, such as tracking sensation, orienting, using internal and external resources, and building capacity in micro-increments.
✔ A deeper experience of my own nervous system
Throughout the training, I noticed how my body held activation, where it felt braced, and where it softened with support. I walked out with a different awareness of my posture, my breathing, and my boundaries.
✔ A sense of being part of a healing lineage
This work feels profound, slow, ethical, and deeply respectful. Beginning I is only the start, but it is the foundation that future trainings build on.
The Biggest Things I Learned (That Changed Me as a Dietitian)
1. Survival mode always wins over nutrition goals
You cannot biohack your way out of a dysregulated nervous system. Stabilizing physiology comes first. It sucks, I know, especially for my high achievers who are used to powering through feelings.
2. Capacity matters more than motivation
Many clients think they “lack discipline,” but they actually lack regulation capacity. When capacity grows, consistency follows.
3. Slowness is a skill
High achievers rush everything, including eating. SE™ taught me that healing requires slowing wayyyyy down (gross!)
4. You can feel two things at once
5. Small shifts change everything
Micro-doses of safety create macro-shifts in physiology and behavior.
6. Food is often a regulation strategy, not a problem to “fix”
This reframes emotional eating from “bad habit” to “creative survival adaptation.”
7. Attunement is medicine
When clients feel seen and regulated through co-regulation, their digestion, hunger cues, and sense of safety shift.
How SE™ Is Already Influencing My Client Work
I’m not yet an SEP. I will not be for another 2.5 years. But the experiential nature of the training calls for immediate, ethical integration into supportive modalities, especially nutrition.
Here is how it already shows up in my work:
✨ 1. We start with the body, not the plan
Before talking macros or habits, we explore what the body feels capable of today.
✨ 2. We regulate first, strategize second
If a client arrives overwhelmed, we use grounding and orientation (not force) before discussing food.
✨ 3. I help clients notice cues again
Subtle fullness
True hunger
Anxiety vs. appetite
Fatigue cues
Tension in the chest
Bracing in the gut
These are somatic, not cognitive.
✨ 4. Meals become moments of experimentation
Rather than “eat better,” we explore:
what slows your breathing
what helps your body feel grounded while eating
noticing colors, textures, and satisfaction
tracking if the stomach tightens or softens
✨ 5. I use SE™ pacing principles in goal-setting
We don’t leap into all-or-nothing plans. We build regulation capacity in small steps.
✨ 6. I recognize freeze patterns better
Many high achievers present with shutdown masked as “I’m fine.” SE™ gives me a map for supporting them.
Why This Matters for High Achievers & Clients in Recovery
For high achievers:
SE™ helps address:
burnout eating
shutdown around food
chaotic routines
stress-driven cravings
dysregulated appetite
poor interoception (not noticing body cues)
High performers often live in chronic activation but don’t realize it.
For clients in recovery (SUD, disordered eating, trauma):
Regulation is the missing piece. When physiology stabilizes:
Cravings may decrease
dissociation softens
decision-making improves
shame gets quieter
The body becomes a partner instead of a bully.
What’s Next in My SE™ Journey
Beginning I was only the start. Next comes Beginning II, then Beginning III, Intermediate I–IV, and Advanced I–III.
Every module deepens:
practical skills
nervous system literacy
somatic attunement
ability to track physiology
ability to support regulation safely
I am committed to this full 3-year professional training. Not because I need another credential, but because this is the work. This is the bridge between nutrition science and lived experience, between physiology and psychology, between nourishment and true embodiment.
How I Plan to Use SE™ With Current & Future Clients
In 1:1 nutrition counseling:
supporting clients in finding safety with food
improving digestion through regulation
reconnecting hunger and fullness cues
slowing eating without force
reducing stress-based cravings
building capacity for consistent nourishment
In recovery-focused work:
stabilizing physiology to reduce overwhelm
supporting grounding during meal patterns
helping clients identify somatic triggers
building small “islands of safety” around food
In group workshops and corporate wellness:
nervous system education
somatic stress resets
grounding before meals
helping high achievers understand the physiology of burnout
In my long-term vision for 212 Nutrition:
a trauma-informed, body-centered nutrition practice
integration of SE™ principles with MNT
offerings for high performers and recovering individuals
community work that brings somatic tools to underserved groups
Why SE™ Feels Like a Community
Somatic Experiencing® made something click for me: Nutrition is never just about nutrients or foolproof meal plans. It’s about capacity, safety, and the nervous system’s ability to receive support. Beginning I provided me with a different way of being with clients. A slower, more attuned approach that honors the body’s wisdom. I’m nowhere near done. There is so much to learn and experience, and that’s exciting.