Resourcing: Building Inner Safety & Support in Somatic Experiencing
If orienting is the gentle doorway back into the present moment, resourcing is what helps us stay there. It gives the nervous system something to lean into — a sense of support, steadiness, or nourishment that can hold us while we explore deeper layers of our trauma healing.
In Somatic Experiencing®, resourcing is essential.
It builds capacity.
It restores inner safety.
And it reminds the body that it is not alone.
Peter Levine writes, “Trauma is about loss of connection—to ourselves, to our bodies, and to the world.”
Resourcing is the beginning of restoring that connection.
What Is Resourcing?
Resourcing is the practice of connecting with anything that brings you a feeling of support, comfort, or strength — externally or internally.
A resource might be:
A safe person
A calming memory
A place in nature
A piece of music
A pet
A spiritual belief
A body sensation that feels grounded or warm
A personal strength (courage, humor, resilience)
Resources aren’t distractions.
They’re anchors.
They help your body experience “I can handle this” — not by thinking it, but by feeling it.
Why Resourcing Matters
Trauma narrows the nervous system’s window of tolerance. Everything feels too much, too fast, or too overwhelming. Resourcing gently expands that capacity.
When you engage a resource:
Your heart rate often slows
Breath becomes steadier
Muscles soften
The body moves toward regulation
The parasympathetic system begins to awaken
Your system can digest small amounts of activation without collapsing
Resourcing is the antidote to trauma’s rigidity.
It helps your body remember that safety exists.
And importantly:
The nervous system cannot heal from a place of threat — it heals from a place of support.
Types of Resources
You can think of resources in two categories:
1. External Resources
These exist outside your body and help you feel connected or supported.
Examples:
A loved one’s face
A favorite blanket
Your dog curled up at your side
A warm cup of tea
A piece of art
Sunlight through a window
A song that makes you feel held
External resources are powerful because they provide something outside of your system to stabilize with.
2. Internal Resources
These live within your body or your experience.
Examples:
A warm sensation in your chest
A memory of being cared for
Strength in your legs
Humor, courage, or kindness
A moment you felt proud
Your breath
Your heartbeat
Internal resources are what help you become your own safe home again.
How to Practice Resourcing
Here is the simple, SE-informed practice I often guide:
1. Bring to mind a person, place, memory, or image that feels comforting.
Not perfect. Not ideal. Simply comforting.
2. Notice where that comfort lives in your body.
Warmth?
Softness?
Expansion?
Grounding?
A shift in breath?
A sense of presence?
3. Let that sensation expand by 2–5%.
Not forcing.
Just allowing.
4. Stay with the sensation for 10–20 seconds.
This is where the nervous system rewires.
5. Notice any settling, softening, or slowing.
This is your body remembering safety.
What You May Notice
Clients describe:
More warmth
More space inside the body
Dry mouth softening
Shoulders dropping
A sense of being “held” internally
An exhale they didn’t realize they were holding
A shift from urgency into presence
Even a tiny moment of steadiness is enough.
Resourcing isn’t about feeling good — it’s about feeling supported.
Resourcing in Trauma Work
Resourcing is essential during:
EMDR
IFS
Trauma memory work
Attachment work
Deep somatic processing
Stabilizing after activation
It ensures you don’t “white-knuckle” your way through healing.
Instead, your system grows in capacity, resilience, and internal safety.
When resources are strong, the body can gently touch activation without overwhelm — paving the way for pendulation, titration, and completion.
Final Reflection
Think of a moment you felt cared for, supported, or even just okay.
Let yourself feel 1% of that now.
Where do you notice that in your body?
Can you allow it to grow just slightly?
This is resourcing — the nervous system learning it deserves support.
Join the Somatic Circle
If you want to explore resourcing in community and learn how to build a deeper foundation of regulation, I’d love to welcome you to Somatic Circle — a weekly gathering for nervous system healing and embodiment.
Your first session is free.
Sign up here: https://www.bodyandmindcollective.com/somaticcircle
Use code: FIRSTFREE
Healing is not meant to be done alone.
Let’s rebuild your supports — internally and collectively.
