Breaking Down

Breaking Down

Somatic Experiencing (SE): Getting Out of Your Head and Into Your Body

Sep 10, 2026 · 1 hr 3 min · 9 segments

Why does our body stay locked in stress, tension, and fight-or-flight long after a difficult situation is completely over? In this episode of Breaking Down, hosts Jeff Guenther, LPC and Dr. Lindsey…

Why does our body stay locked in stress, tension, and fight-or-flight long after a difficult situation is completely over? In this episode of Breaking Down, hosts Jeff Guenther, LPC and Dr. Lindsey Lerner welcome somatic coach and certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner Woodrós Wolford to explore the body-based approach developed by Peter Levine. First, Woodrós breaks down how modern living turns us into "zoo animals" who cannot run, shake, or yell to release survival stress. They explain the core concepts of Somatic Experiencing in simple terms: titration (taking tiny, manageable sips of distress), pendulation (swinging between uncomfortable tension and safe comfort), and why you do not have to retell your trauma story to heal your nervous system. Then, Woodrós guides Jeff through a live, grounding somatic session. Starting with an orienting exercise focused on a beloved Nada Surf concert poster, Jeff traces the physical difference between a painful breakup memory and the empowering sensation of buying the poster for himself, learning to let his chest tension and musical energy coexist. Finally, the group breaks down the physical signs that a nervous system is settling (like deep sighs and digestive releases), the relief of doing therapy without a rigid agenda, and how body awareness brings your vitality back. Learn more about Woodrós Wolford Learn more about Dr. Lindsey Lerner Follow Jeff on Tiktok and Instagram

Why does our body stay locked in stress, tension, and fight-or-flight long after a difficult situation is completely over? In this episode of Breaking Down, hosts Jeff Guenther, LPC and Dr. Lindsey…

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Meet Woodrós Wolford0:00 – 1:42

Jeff GuentherHost

0:00

Do you want to say it at the same time? Okay,

Lindsey LernerHost

0:02

ready?

Jeff GuentherHost

0:03

Hello and welcome to Breaking Down.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:06

Nope, that was bad.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:07

Okay, I'm going to do

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:08

it.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:10

We're going to keep it.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:11

Hello and welcome to Breaking Down.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:13

My name is Jeff Gunther.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:16

I am a licensed professional counselor and I have my co-host here.

Lindsey LernerHost

0:19

I'm Dr. Lindsay Lerner.

Lindsey LernerHost

0:21

I'm a licensed psychologist and psilocybin facilitator.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:24

Yes, and today we are with...

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:27

Woodrose Wolford.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:28

Hi, I'm a somatic coach and recently officially an SEP, which is somatic experiencing practitioner, which is like a big deal, right? Like that's a lot of training.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:40

How big of a deal

Jeff GuentherHost

0:41

is that?

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:42

Kind of a big deal.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:44

It's three years of training.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:46

So the beginning year, intermediate year and the advanced year.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:50

And each year you have 12 days of intensive day long training that you do.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:55

And you also have to do consults and individual sessions and group case consults and consults with faculty.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:02

There's like a lot of very specific process.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:04

I haven't added up all the hours so that I can just say a lot this amount of a lot of hours, but it's a lot.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:10

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:10

It almost feels

Lindsey LernerHost

1:11

like a graduate school or something.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:14

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:15

It's like it is the thing you can get for doing somatic experiencing.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:20

That's the credential for somatic experiencing.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:23

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:23

So

Lindsey LernerHost

1:23

congratulations.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:24

Thank you.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:24

Yeah.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:25

All right.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:26

Well, we'll ask you some questions about how you explain this theory.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:31

I know after hearing that, that it's three years of really intense stuff that sometimes that's hard, but sort of maybe in your words, how do you best explain this theory to someone who's maybe never heard of it before?

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Meet Woodrós Wolford0:00 – 1:42

Jeff GuentherHost

0:00

Do you want to say it at the same time? Okay,

Lindsey LernerHost

0:02

ready?

Jeff GuentherHost

0:03

Hello and welcome to Breaking Down.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:06

Nope, that was bad.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:07

Okay, I'm going to do

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:08

it.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:10

We're going to keep it.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:11

Hello and welcome to Breaking Down.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:13

My name is Jeff Gunther.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:16

I am a licensed professional counselor and I have my co-host here.

Lindsey LernerHost

0:19

I'm Dr. Lindsay Lerner.

Lindsey LernerHost

0:21

I'm a licensed psychologist and psilocybin facilitator.

Jeff GuentherHost

0:24

Yes, and today we are with...

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:27

Woodrose Wolford.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:28

Hi, I'm a somatic coach and recently officially an SEP, which is somatic experiencing practitioner, which is like a big deal, right? Like that's a lot of training.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:40

How big of a deal

Jeff GuentherHost

0:41

is that?

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:42

Kind of a big deal.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:44

It's three years of training.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:46

So the beginning year, intermediate year and the advanced year.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:50

And each year you have 12 days of intensive day long training that you do.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

0:55

And you also have to do consults and individual sessions and group case consults and consults with faculty.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:02

There's like a lot of very specific process.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:04

I haven't added up all the hours so that I can just say a lot this amount of a lot of hours, but it's a lot.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:10

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:10

It almost feels

Lindsey LernerHost

1:11

like a graduate school or something.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:14

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:15

It's like it is the thing you can get for doing somatic experiencing.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:20

That's the credential for somatic experiencing.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:23

Yeah.

Woodrós WolfordGuest

1:23

So

Lindsey LernerHost

1:23

congratulations.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:24

Thank you.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:24

Yeah.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:25

All right.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:26

Well, we'll ask you some questions about how you explain this theory.

Lindsey LernerHost

1:31

I know after hearing that, that it's three years of really intense stuff that sometimes that's hard, but sort of maybe in your words, how do you best explain this theory to someone who's maybe never heard of it before?