The Georgian-American Somatic Experiencing® Trauma Institute was founded on September 11, 2023, by Katey Gagnidze-McCormick, Nino Beruashvili, Maia Kalandarishvili, and Magda Machavariani. The Institute represents Somatic Experiencing® International (SEI) — the global educational and scientific organization — in Georgia.
Our Institute’s mission is to organize and deliver the Somatic Experiencing® training program and to engage in scientific/research activities.
What is Somatic Experiencing®?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE™) is a body-oriented modality that helps individuals resolve trauma and other stress-related disorders. This method was developed by Peter Levine, Ph.D., who holds doctorates in both psychology and medical biophysics. SE™ is the result of multidisciplinary research in stress physiology, psychology, etiology, biology, neuroscience, indigenous healing practices, and medical biophysics — and has been successfully applied for more than 45 years.
The central principle of SE™ is this: Trauma is not the memory of an event — trauma is an incomplete physiological response. Therefore, the Somatic Experiencing® approach does not attempt to “retrieve” memories; instead, it supports the body (our nervous system) in completing, integrating, and regulating its unfinished responses.
It is well known that the vast majority of people experience trauma at some point in their lives, and these experiences can significantly affect health and wellbeing. The prevalence of trauma exposure in the general population is estimated to range between 60–100%.
Why SE Georgia?
Joining SE Georgia means entering a space where professionals from diverse fields come together with a shared purpose — supporting individuals and communities facing trauma. Here, therapists, social workers, teachers, researchers, emergency response professionals, medical providers, and other specialists meet in one community, united by their daily encounters with human pain, resilience, and the capacity for recovery.
Our team aims to create a safe environment where professionals can not only share knowledge but also support one another. Raising awareness about secondary trauma is especially important — an invisible yet widespread phenomenon that emerges when a person repeatedly engages with others’ suffering through empathy and responsibility. We understand how heavy this experience can be, and that is why we are committed to helping institutions and professional groups recognize and manage its impact.
With decades of experience in trauma healing support, Somatic Experiencing® International (SEI) gives us a unique opportunity to become a place where professionals learn, grow, gain strength, and stand beside one another. This is a space where no one faces trauma alone.