Somatic Experiencing vs. NARM for Anxiety: Understanding Two Body-Based Therapy Approaches

Many people who begin exploring therapy for anxiety come across a range of different therapeutic approaches. While traditional talk therapy often focuses primarily on thoughts and emotions, some therapies work more directly with the nervous system, the body, and identity.

Two such approaches are Somatic Experiencing (SE) and the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM). Both recognize that anxiety often lives not only in the mind, but also in the body and nervous system, shaping how we show up in the world through survival adaptations and patterns of identity.

Although these approaches share some similarities, they each offer a different perspective on how anxiety develops and how healing happens.

Understanding these differences can help people feel more informed about the types of therapy that may support them.

What Is Somatic Experiencing (SE)?

Somatic Experiencing is a body-oriented therapeutic approach developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on how the nervous system responds to stress and trauma.

The core idea behind Somatic Experiencing is that the body naturally has the ability to regulate and recover from stress. However, when stressful or overwhelming experiences occur, the nervous system can become “stuck” in patterns of activation or freeze.

This can lead to symptoms such as:

• chronic anxiety
• hypervigilance
• restlessness
• difficulty relaxing
• feeling constantly on edge

Somatic Experiencing works by helping individuals gently reconnect with their bodily sensations and gradually release stored survival responses, allowing the nervous system to restore a greater sense of ease and access to life energy.

For many people experiencing anxiety, this approach helps the body learn that it no longer needs to remain in a constant state of alertness. Instead, the nervous system begins to develop a greater capacity to move through activation with more support and expanded regulation.

What Is the NeuroAffective Relational Model (NARM)?

The NeuroAffective Relational Model, also known as NARM, is another therapeutic approach that integrates cognitive insight with nervous system awareness.

Developed by Dr. Laurence Heller, NARM focuses on how early relational experiences shape our sense of self, connection, and emotional regulation.

While Somatic Experiencing focuses more directly on resolving survival responses stored in the body, NARM places greater emphasis on identity, relational patterns, and developmental experiences.

In NARM therapy, anxiety is often understood as a pattern that developed in response to earlier experiences where connection, safety, or emotional support may have been inconsistent.

For example, someone might have learned to:

• stay hyper-aware of others’ needs
• anticipate conflict
• suppress their own emotions
• feel responsible for maintaining harmony

These adaptations may have once helped someone navigate difficult environments, but over time they can contribute to chronic anxiety and self-pressure.

NARM helps people explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion while gradually supporting the nervous system in finding more flexibility, agency, and choice.

Key Differences Between SE and NARM

Although both approaches recognize the importance of the nervous system, they tend to focus on different aspects of healing.

Somatic Experiencing primarily addresses physiological survival responses stored in the body. It works with physical sensations, emotions, and nervous system activation to help the body release unresolved stress.

NARM, on the other hand, integrates relational and identity-based patterns that developed over time. It explores how our early experiences shape how we see ourselves and how we relate to others.

In practice, this means that Somatic Experiencing may spend more time tracking physical sensations in the body, while NARM often includes deeper exploration of relational experiences, beliefs about the self, and patterns of connection.

Both approaches emphasize pacing, safety, awareness, and nervous system regulation.

How Both Approaches Can Help With Anxiety

Despite their differences, both Somatic Experiencing and NARM share an important understanding: anxiety often develops as a protective adaptation of the nervous system, which then influences our thoughts, behaviors, and relational patterns.

Rather than trying to eliminate anxiety through force or control, both approaches help individuals develop greater awareness of their internal experiences and gradually expand their capacity for regulation.

Over time, people often notice changes such as:

• feeling less overwhelmed by anxious sensations
• greater awareness of their internal state
• increased ability to slow down and regulate
• more flexibility in how they respond to stress

These shifts can make anxiety feel more manageable and less controlling.

A Final Thought

No single therapy approach works for everyone, and many therapists integrate elements from different models to best support each individual.

Both Somatic Experiencing and the NeuroAffective Relational Model offer valuable perspectives on how anxiety develops and how healing can happen when we work with both the mind and the body.

If you’re experiencing anxiety and feel that therapy could help, you can learn more about my approach to anxiety therapy and how I support clients in working with anxiety through somatic and relational approaches.

You’re also welcome to reach out to schedule a consultation if you’d like to talk more about what’s been coming up for you and whether therapy together might feel supportive.