Veterans’ Experiences of Somatic Experiencing for PTSD: A Plain-English Review
This 2025 study explored how military veterans experienced two different approaches to working with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Somatic Experiencing (SE) and Prolonged Exposure (PE).
Rather than simply measuring whether symptoms improved, the researchers wanted to understand what therapy actually felt like from the participants’ point of view.
Thirty participants from a randomized controlled trial were interviewed after taking part in therapy. All had military-related PTSD and were Israeli former soldiers. Participants received either Somatic Experiencing or Prolonged Exposure.
What did the study find?
Three broad themes emerged across both therapies: participants’ experience of change, their relationship with the therapist, and their experience of the therapeutic process.
One particularly interesting finding was that the body featured prominently in participants’ descriptions of both approaches, although it was experienced and used differently within the two therapies.
People who received Somatic Experiencing commonly described becoming more aware of what was happening in their bodies and learning ways of responding to bodily sensations and symptoms.
Some described the process as gradually learning a new kind of language — the language of the body. Participants also spoke about reconnecting with bodily experience and developing ways of regulating themselves that they could use outside therapy.
Participants receiving Prolonged Exposure described a different process. Repeatedly approaching traumatic memories and situations they had been avoiding was central to their experience, with some describing this as difficult but ultimately helpful.
What does this mean in practice?
This study is valuable because it looks beyond symptom scores and asks people what the therapeutic process itself was like.
For the Somatic Experiencing participants, change was often described not simply as symptoms disappearing, but as developing greater awareness of bodily responses and a greater ability to work with those responses.
The therapeutic relationship was also important. SE participants frequently described therapists as caring and attentive while also providing clear guidance and expertise.
The findings suggest that understanding how someone experiences a particular therapeutic approach may be important alongside simply asking whether that treatment reduces symptoms.
A note of caution
This was a qualitative study, so it was designed to understand participants’ experiences rather than establish which treatment is more effective.
Only 30 people were interviewed, and all were Israeli military veterans. Their experiences therefore cannot automatically be assumed to represent other people with PTSD or people from different backgrounds.
The researchers also emphasise that Somatic Experiencing still has a much smaller scientific evidence base than established PTSD treatments such as Prolonged Exposure.
This study therefore contributes an interesting picture of how people experienced SE, rather than providing proof that SE is superior to other approaches.
The original research
Harwood-Gross, A., Elias, S., Lerner, K., Nacasch, N., Lawi, C., Brom, D. & Barak, A. (2025). Veterans’ experiences of somatic experiencing and prolonged exposure therapies for post-traumatic stress disorder: A qualitative analysis.Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 98, 175–192.
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