Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.

Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
Peter A. Levine, Ph.D. is the developer of Somatic Experiencing®, a body-awareness approach to healing trauma, and the Director of The Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute. Dr. Levine holds doctorate degrees in both Medical Biophysics and in Psychology. He spent 35 years studying stress and trauma and has contributed to numerous scientific and popular publications. Dr. Levine was a stress consultant for NASA on the development of the space shuttle project, as well as a member of the Institute of World Affairs Task Force of Psychologists for Social Responsibility in developing responses to large-scale disasters and ethno-political warfare. He has authored several books, including international best seller, Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma and his most recent book, In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. In 2010, Dr. Levine received the Life Time Achievement award from the United States Association for Body Psychotherapy (USABP).

Blogs by Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.

VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Somatic Experiencing Approach and Titration

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine on the development of the Somatic Experiencing Approach and the concept of titration. Dr. Peter A. Levine: As I started to work with many people and we would see symptoms often connected with what we would think as being relatively benign experiences: … Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine Discusses His First Trauma Patient

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine tells the story of his first trauma patient. Dr. Peter A. Levine: I was introduced to the field of  trauma in 1979 and a colleague of mine, a psychiatrist, wanted me to see a patient of his and this patient had gone… Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on What Drew Him to Study Trauma

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine talks about what drew him to the study of trauma. Dr. Peter A. Levine: I was being interviewed on this live TV program and they said, “Well, how is it that you’re so interested in trauma? You spent your life studying trauma…. Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on the Treatment of Trauma in Different Cultures

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine describes the treatment of trauma in other cultures. Dr. Peter A. Levine: As you can see, my journey went in many directions from animal behavior to studying some of the ancient yogic and shamanic traditions.  I taught at the Hopi Reservation for… Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Historical Biasis Somatic Experiencing Approach

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine talks about the historical basis of the Somatic Experiencing Approach. Dr. Peter A. Levine: Our model for therapy has come, from Freud on, from the idea of the “talking cure,” that somehow, if we talk about these things, we’ll be freed from… Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Helping Children who Experience Trauma

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine talks about helping children who experience trauma. Dr. Peter A. Levine: Our organization, the Somatic Experiencing Trauma Institute, has done a lot of work in areas where there have been tremendous natural disasters — earthquakes, floods, tsunamis, hurricanes.  And we’ve worked with… Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Somatic Experiencing in a Group Setting

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine gives an example of the Somatic Experiencing Approach in a group setting. Dr. Peter A. Levine: My next trip was in Athens because my book was being released in Greek and I was going to do a thing for the publisher there. … Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on Sexual Abuse and Relational Trauma

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine talks about child sexual abuse and relational trauma. Dr. Peter A. Levine: What makes it ultimately more complex and more difficult is often that the perpetrator is the parent or the family member. That’s much more common than a stranger.  And so… Read more »

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VIDEO: Dr. Peter Levine on the Impact of Infant Attachment on Society

Watch an excerpt from PsychAlive’s exclusive interview with Dr. Peter Levine. Dr. Peter Levine underscores the impact of infant attachment on our society, including the increase in childhood bullying, suicide and homicide. Dr. Peter A. Levine: Actually, my co-author for both Trauma-Proofing your Kids and Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes, Maggie Klein, set up a program… Read more »

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