Somatic Experiencing (SE) and EMDR (eye movement desensitisation and reprocessing) are two well-known therapies for the effects of trauma. Both pay attention to the body and neither requires you to retell every detail of what happened. EMDR follows a structured eight-phase protocol in which you hold a memory in mind while following side-to-side eye movements or sounds. SE is a flexible, body-led approach that helps you notice sensations and gently settle your nervous system.
Last updated: 5 November 2026
Reading time: about 13 minutes
How we wrote this article: this article was written by Saj Ali. It compares Somatic Experiencing and EMDR using clinical guidelines from the WHO and US health bodies, the developers’ own descriptions and published research, and every research claim links to its source.
SE vs EMDR in brief
- EMDR. Developed by psychologist Francine Shapiro in 1987; an eight-phase therapy using eye movements or other side-to-side stimulation.
- Somatic Experiencing. Developed by Peter Levine; works through body sensation, pacing and settling the nervous system.
- Guidelines. The WHO, the US VA and NICE in the UK include EMDR among recommended PTSD treatments.
- Research on SE. A randomised trial found large improvements in PTSD symptoms, and reviewers call the early results promising.
- Our guides. See Somatic Experiencing and EMDR for the full detail.
Contents
- The Short Answer
- Where EMDR Comes From
- Where Somatic Experiencing Comes From
- What Happens in a Session
- How Each Is Thought to Work
- What Clinical Guidelines Say
- What the Research Shows
- Who Each Approach May Suit
- Can You Combine Them?
- Finding a Practitioner
- A Gentle Next Step
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Takeaways
- Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
- Sources
The Short Answer
Somatic Experiencing and EMDR are both used to help people recover from trauma, and both treat the body as part of the story rather than focusing only on thoughts. They differ in structure. EMDR is a set, phased protocol that works on specific memories, one at a time, while you pay attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound (US VA National Center for PTSD). Somatic Experiencing is more open and is led by what your body is doing in the moment, with a strong focus on pacing and building a sense of safety (Payne et al., 2015).
EMDR has the larger research base and appears in major clinical guidelines for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) (WHO, 2013). Somatic Experiencing has a smaller but growing evidence base, including a randomised trial with encouraging results (Brom et al., 2017). Many people find that one style simply suits them better, and some use both at different times.
Where EMDR Comes From
EMDR was developed by American psychologist Dr Francine Shapiro. In 1987, while walking in a park, she noticed that moving her eyes seemed to ease the emotional charge of her own upsetting memories. She went on to test the idea, add other treatment elements, and develop a standard procedure (EMDR Institute: history). Her first controlled study was published in 1989 (Shapiro, 1989).
Today EMDR is an eight-phase therapy. Early phases cover history-taking, planning and learning ways to handle distress. Later phases focus on processing a chosen memory with eye movements or other bilateral (side-to-side) stimulation, then strengthening a more helpful belief (EMDR Institute). Read our EMDR guide for each phase in detail.
Where Somatic Experiencing Comes From
Somatic Experiencing was developed by Dr Peter Levine, who drew on biophysics, psychology and observations of how animals in the wild recover from threat. Its core idea is that trauma can leave the nervous system stuck in a state of high alert or shutdown, and that gently tracking body sensations can help it complete its natural responses and return to balance (Payne et al., 2015).
SE uses ideas such as titration (working with small amounts of activation at a time), pendulation (moving gently between difficult sensations and places of ease) and resourcing (finding things that help you feel steady). Our Somatic Experiencing guide explains these ideas step by step, with a simple exercise you can try.
What Happens in a Session
Both therapies start with getting to know you and making sure you have ways to feel steady before working with harder material. After that, sessions feel quite different.
| EMDR | Somatic Experiencing | |
|---|---|---|
| Starting point | A specific target memory, with its images, beliefs and body feelings | What you notice in your body right now |
| What you do | Hold the memory in mind while following eye movements, taps or tones in short sets of about 30 seconds | Notice sensations, movement impulses and places of ease, guided by the therapist |
| Talking about the event | Not in detail; you think about it but do not need to describe it | Not required; the focus is on sensation and regulation |
| Structure | Eight phases, set protocol | Flexible, principle-led |
| Homework | None required | Often small practices such as orienting or grounding |
| Typical length | About 3 months of weekly 50 to 90 minute sessions (US VA) | 15 weekly sessions in the main randomised trial |
The EMDR details above come from the US Department of Veterans Affairs (US VA National Center for PTSD), and the SE trial length from Brom and colleagues (Brom et al., 2017). Your own therapist will tailor the plan to you.
How Each Is Thought to Work
EMDR. The VA explains that trauma memories can be stored in a way that makes them easy to trigger, and that paying attention to a back-and-forth movement helps you stay in the present while your brain processes the memory, so that it becomes less distressing over time (US VA National Center for PTSD). A meta-analysis found that the eye movements themselves add a moderate effect beyond the rest of the procedure, and a larger effect in laboratory studies of memory vividness (Lee and Cuijpers, 2013).
Somatic Experiencing. SE focuses on interoception (sensing inside the body) and proprioception (sensing posture and movement). Levine and colleagues describe how attending to these sensations, slowly and safely, can help the nervous system settle and restore a sense of being able to act (Payne et al., 2015). This links SE with polyvagal ideas and with the wider field of nervous system regulation.
What Clinical Guidelines Say
Guidelines from health bodies focus on PTSD, so they are a useful guide if you have that diagnosis or similar symptoms.
- World Health Organization. WHO guidance from 2013 recommends trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and EMDR for adults with PTSD (WHO, 2013), and describes them as techniques that help people reduce vivid, unwanted, repeated recollections of traumatic events (WHO news release, 2013).
- US Department of Veterans Affairs. The VA lists EMDR as one of the most effective treatments for PTSD (US VA National Center for PTSD), and the 2023 VA/DoD guideline recommends it alongside cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure (VA/DoD, 2023).
- American Psychological Association. The APA guideline includes EMDR among the therapies it suggests for adults with PTSD (APA, 2017).
- NICE (UK). In the UK, NICE recommends offering EMDR to adults with PTSD more than three months after a non-combat-related trauma, usually over 8 to 12 sessions (NICE (UK), 2018).
- Somatic Experiencing. SE is not yet named in these guidelines. Researchers describe its evidence as early but promising (Kuhfuß et al., 2021).
What the Research Shows
EMDR has been tested in many randomised trials. A 2020 meta-analysis of psychological therapies for PTSD in adults concluded that trauma-focused CBT and EMDR have the strongest evidence and should be first-line options (Lewis et al., 2020).
Somatic Experiencing has fewer studies so far. In the first randomised controlled trial, 63 adults with PTSD received 15 weekly SE sessions or joined a waiting list; the SE group showed large improvements in PTSD symptoms and depression, which held at follow-up (Brom et al., 2017). A 2021 scoping review of 16 studies found preliminary evidence of positive effects on PTSD symptoms, mood, body symptoms and wellbeing, and called for more high-quality trials (Kuhfuß et al., 2021).
In short, EMDR is the more established option for diagnosed PTSD, while SE is a well-liked, gentler-feeling approach with encouraging early findings.
Who Each Approach May Suit
- EMDR may suit you if you have one or more clear memories you want to work on, you like a clear structure, you would rather not talk through the details, and you want an approach with strong guideline support.
- SE may suit you if you feel your stress mostly in your body, find it hard to put things into words, prefer a slow and flexible pace, or have experiences that are hard to pin down to one memory.
- Both may suit you if you want a therapist who pays attention to your body, your sense of safety and your own pace.
Can You Combine Them?
Yes, many therapists draw on both. Some EMDR therapists use grounding and body awareness from somatic work during the preparation phase, and some SE practitioners are also trained in EMDR. You can also use self-help tools alongside therapy, such as Havening, breathing exercises and the practices in our Trauma Recovery guide. Our EFT vs Havening comparison looks at two more body-based self-help options.
Finding a Practitioner
For EMDR, look for a licensed mental health professional who has completed EMDR training through a recognised body, such as the EMDR International Association (EMDRIA) in the US or the EMDR association in your country. For SE, look for a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), who has completed the three-year SE training. Our SE guide lists session prices from practitioners’ own listings, and our SE hub and EMDR hub collect directories, books and videos.
Whichever you choose, a good fit with your therapist matters. It is fine to ask about their training, how they pace sessions and what a typical course looks like.
A Gentle Next Step
Read our EMDR guide and Somatic Experiencing guide, then notice which description feels more like you. If you are finding things hard right now, please reach out to your doctor or a local support service.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the main difference between Somatic Experiencing and EMDR?
EMDR is a structured eight-phase therapy that works on specific memories using eye movements or other side-to-side stimulation. Somatic Experiencing is a flexible, body-led approach that focuses on sensations and settling the nervous system.
Is EMDR or Somatic Experiencing better for PTSD?
EMDR has more research and is recommended in WHO, US VA and UK NICE guidance for PTSD. Somatic Experiencing has encouraging early research, including a randomised trial with large improvements.
Do I have to talk about my trauma in EMDR or SE?
Not in detail in either. In EMDR you think about the memory but are not usually asked to describe it, and SE focuses on body sensations rather than retelling.
How many sessions do EMDR and SE take?
The US VA describes EMDR as about 3 months of weekly sessions, and NICE in the UK suggests 8 to 12 sessions. The main SE trial used 15 weekly sessions.
Who created Somatic Experiencing and EMDR?
Somatic Experiencing was developed by Dr Peter Levine. EMDR was developed by Dr Francine Shapiro, who first noticed the effect of eye movements in 1987.
Can I do Somatic Experiencing or EMDR on my own?
Both are therapies delivered by trained practitioners. Simple self-help practices such as grounding, orienting and slow breathing can support you between sessions.
Can a therapist use both SE and EMDR?
Yes. Some therapists are trained in both and use body awareness from somatic work alongside EMDR, especially when preparing for memory processing.
Key Takeaways
- SE and EMDR both help people recover from trauma and both pay attention to the body.
- EMDR is a structured eight-phase therapy using side-to-side stimulation while you hold a memory in mind.
- SE is a flexible, body-led approach focused on sensation, pacing and settling the nervous system.
- EMDR appears in WHO, US VA, APA and UK NICE guidance for PTSD; SE has promising early research.
- Neither requires you to retell every detail of what happened.
- The best choice is the approach, and therapist, that feels right for you.
Explore More on Self Help Supermarket
Use these pages alongside this one:
- EMDR – our complete guide
- EMDR hub – books, videos and directories
- Somatic Experiencing – our complete guide
- Somatic Experiencing hub – resources and practitioners
- Trauma Recovery – every approach in one place
- Havening – a gentle touch-based technique
- Browse all self-help techniques – compare every method on Self Help Supermarket.
Sources
- US Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) for PTSD. https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/emdr.asp
- Payne, P., Levine, P. A., and Crane-Godreau, M. A. (2015). Somatic experiencing: Using interoception and proprioception as core elements of trauma therapy. Frontiers in Psychology, 6, 93. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00093
- World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241505406
- Brom, D., Stokar, Y., Lawi, C., Nuriel-Porat, V., Ziv, Y., Lerner, K., and Ross, G. (2017). Somatic Experiencing for posttraumatic stress disorder: A randomized controlled outcome study. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 30(3), 304–312. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22189
- EMDR Institute. The history of EMDR therapy. https://www.emdr.com/history-of-emdr/
- Shapiro, F. (1989). Efficacy of the eye movement desensitization procedure in the treatment of traumatic memories. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 2(2), 199–223. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.2490020207
- EMDR Institute. What is EMDR? https://www.emdr.com/what-is-emdr/
- Lee, C. W., and Cuijpers, P. (2013). A meta-analysis of the contribution of eye movements in processing emotional memories. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 44(2), 231–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2012.11.001
- World Health Organization. (2013, 6 August). WHO releases guidance on mental health care after trauma. https://www.who.int/news/item/06-08-2013-who-releases-guidance-on-mental-health-care-after-trauma
- US Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. (2023). VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for the management of posttraumatic stress disorder and acute stress disorder. https://www.healthquality.va.gov/guidelines/MH/ptsd/
- American Psychological Association. (2017). Clinical practice guideline for the treatment of PTSD in adults: Treatments. https://www.apa.org/ptsd-guideline/treatments
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (UK). (2018). Post-traumatic stress disorder (NG116): Recommendations. https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116/chapter/Recommendations
- Kuhfuß, M., Maldei, T., Hetmanek, A., and Baumann, N. (2021). Somatic experiencing: Effectiveness and key factors of a body-oriented trauma therapy. A scoping literature review. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12(1), 1929023. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2021.1929023
- Lewis, C., Roberts, N. P., Andrew, M., Starling, E., and Bisson, J. I. (2020). Psychological therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder in adults: Systematic review and meta-analysis. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11(1), 1729633. https://doi.org/10.1080/20008198.2020.1729633
Self Help Supermarket guides are for general information and are not a substitute for professional medical or psychological advice.