Potential Applications of Somatic Experiencing^® in Applied Sport Psychology

Abstract

In recent years, applied sport psychologists have become more open to “third wave therapies” that focus on the holistic promotion of human well-being. In this article, the potential application of body psychotherapy, Somatic Experiencing^® (SE™), is presented within the sport context. SE^™ focuses on resolving the symptoms of chronic stress and post-traumatic stress, among other things by directing the client’s attention to internal sensations, both visceral (interoception) and musculoskeletal (proprioception and kinesthesis) to resolve a dysfunctional state of the autonomic nervous system. The basic tenets of the SE^™ framework are initially described with a short account of its effectiveness. Then, SE^™ intervention context and ethical considerations are discussed, followed by a hypothetical example of its application with a judoka who experienced stress following an unexpected loss in a competition. Reflections and recommendations for practitioners are provided.

Keywords:

• Interoception
• judo
• mindfulness
• psychotherapy
• trauma treatment

Data availability statement

Data sharing not applicable – no new data generated.