100+ Free SEP Practice Questions

No. Unlike most licensing exams, the SEP (Somatic Experiencing Practitioner) credential is NOT awarded by passing a proctored exam. It is earned by completing the full 3-year SE Professional Training through Somatic Experiencing International (SEI) — approximately 216 contact hours across 8 modules at Beginning, Intermediate, and Advanced levels, plus required personal SE sessions, case consultations with an approved provider, and supervised practice sessions. This free 100-question practice set is a knowledge self-assessment, not the credential itself.

The training spans 2.5 to 3 years through 8 modules organized into three levels: Beginning (3 modules of 4 days each), Intermediate (3 modules of 4 days each), and Advanced (2 modules of 6 days each). Total contact hours are approximately 216. Between modules, students complete personal SE sessions, case consultations, and practice sessions with peers. Modules must be taken in order, and each level must be completed before advancing to the next.

SEI welcomes helping professionals from a wide range of backgrounds — licensed mental health clinicians (psychologists, LCSWs, LMFTs, LPCs), physicians, nurses, bodyworkers, physical therapists, occupational therapists, chiropractors, coaches, and educators. Some regions allow non-licensed participants to train for personal or professional development, but only those with an appropriate license or scope may use SE clinically with clients. Always confirm local and regional requirements with SEI before enrolling.

Total program cost typically ranges from $8,000 to $12,000 USD over 3 years, varying by country, trainer, and venue. This covers tuition for the 8 training modules. Additional costs include required personal SE sessions (typically 15+ sessions at practitioner rates), case consultations with an approved consultant, travel, and lodging. Some trainers offer payment plans; SEI also offers scholarships and reduced rates for qualifying applicants.

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-oriented approach to resolving trauma developed by Peter Levine, PhD, and described in his books Waking the Tiger, In an Unspoken Voice, and Trauma and Memory. SE is grounded in the observation that animals in the wild rarely develop PTSD despite constant life threats because they naturally discharge survival-response energy. Trauma, in Levine's model, results from incomplete discharge of the thwarted fight/flight/freeze response. SE works by gently tracking sensation, titrating activation, and supporting the nervous system to complete and settle.

SE focuses on the felt sense and sensation in the body rather than narrative or cognitive processing. Unlike cathartic approaches, SE uses titration — working with small doses of activation — to prevent overwhelm and re-traumatization. Pendulation oscillates between activation and regulation. SE can be integrated with EMDR, IFS, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, DBR, and NARM. Many SEPs combine SE with their primary modality rather than replacing it.

The SEP credential is NOT a license to practice therapy or healthcare. SEPs practice within the scope of their existing professional license or certification — a psychologist SEP provides psychotherapy using SE, a massage therapist SEP provides bodywork informed by SE. Non-licensed SEPs typically work in coaching, education, or personal-growth contexts and must not diagnose or treat mental health conditions. Scope-of-practice, informed consent for body-focused work, and cultural considerations are central to SEI ethics.

There is no fixed study time. Most SE students review concepts as they progress through each training module. Use this 100-question self-assessment to identify knowledge gaps, then revisit relevant sections of Levine's books (Waking the Tiger, In an Unspoken Voice, Trauma and Memory), Porges' Polyvagal Theory materials, and your training manual. Aim for 80%+ as a confidence benchmark — but real SE competence is developed through supervised practice, not test scores.