Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors

This is an uncontrolled field study of the outcome effects of a somatically based therapy with tsunami victims in southern India. One hundred and fifty (150) participants, prescreened for trauma symptoms, received 75 minutes of somatic therapy and training in affect modulation and self-regulation. The results indicate a reliable and significant treatment effect at immediate, 4-week, and 8-month follow-up assessments. At the 8-month follow-up, 90% of participants reported significant improvement or being completely free of symptoms of intrusion, arousal, and avoidance. The results support the effectiveness and reliability of this modified version of Somatic Experiencing Therapy in working with trauma reactions and invite future controlled trials of this therapy.

Journal

English

Catherine Parker
Ronald M. Doctor
Raja Selvam

Parker, C., Doctor, R. M., & Selvam, R. (2008, September). Somatic therapy treatment effects with tsunami survivors. Traumatology, 14(3). 103-109. doi:10.1177/1534765608319080