Online Somatic therapy | Manchester & UK Wide
Specialist Trauma, Breathwork & Mind-Body Counselling with Nicola Pott
(BACP, CSP & HCPC Registered).
Because sometimes talk therapy alone, isn’t enough…..
Have you tried traditional talk therapy but still find yourself struggling?
You may have gained good benefit from talking to a compassionate therapist - safely sharing your story, identifying past patterns, and learning to be kinder to yourself. Yet, your body keeps reacting to triggering situations in the exact same old ways.
Chronic Anxiety or Panic: You experience breathlessness, a racing heart, muscle tension, gut discomfort, or lightheadedness. Your body feels permanently braced for danger, even when your mind knows you are perfectly safe. You may be avoiding situations, which is making your life smaller. It is exhausting.
Anger or irritation: You feel an intense rush of heat, muscle tension and/or altered breathing that feels disproportionate to the situation. This flood of anger may lead to you acting in ways that you later regret, which is impacting on your relationships or your working life. Or you may try to push the anger down and you don’t know what to do with it or how to let it go.
Shutdown & Numbness: When life overwhelms you, you disconnect. You feel heaviness or numbness in your body, pulling you towards curling up on the sofa or going back to bed. You might feel guilty or call yourself “lazy”, but you aren't. Your nervous system is simply overwhelmed by stress, making it harder for you to stay present and engage with your life and those close to you.
Do you recognise any of these patterns?
How somatic therapy can help you to heal
Imagine moving away from survival mode and feeling more:
Regulated: Equipped with practical somatic tools and breathwork to help to calm and regulate your nervous system.
Connected: Experiencing healthier relationships with yourself, your body, and those around you.
Confident: Able to set healthy boundaries, ask for what you need, and face old triggers with more ease.
Peaceful: Like the impact of past trauma is reduced and you feel lighter in your mind and body.
Present: Ready to experience more calm, self-compassion and joy in your daily life.
Hello, I’m Nicola
Hello, I’m Nicola. I am a certified counsellor, trauma therapist, and breathwork physiotherapist (registered with the BACP, CSP and HCPC).
I provide a somatic (mind-body) therapy approach for clients across Manchester and the UK. Together, we can work to help you to heal from past trauma, ease chronic anxiety or panic, reduce anger or lift the heavy fog of nervous system shutdown.
I am here to help you to move beyond ‘just surviving’, to let go of the weight of the past, create happier relationships and connect with a fuller, more vibrant life.
Training, Qualifications & Experience
My combined counselling, physiotherapy and trauma therapy training means that I won’t just look at your thoughts or your body in isolation. My experience gives me the ability to bridge the two, offering you a whole person approach that can support you to guide your nervous system back to safety.
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MSc in Counselling and Psychotherapy (graduated with Distinction)
BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy
Certified Breathwork & Pranayama Teacher
Certified Yoga Teacher
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I am a fully qualified healthcare and mental health professional, registered with the following organisations and bound to their ethical frameworks:
BACP (British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy)
HCPC (Health and Care Professions Council)
CSP (Chartered Society of Physiotherapy)
APRC (Association of Chartered Physiotherapists in Respiratory Care)
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I am trained in the following approaches and use a combination of them to provide therapy that is tailored to your individual needs:
Person Centred Therapy: The foundation of my work, offering empathic understanding, acceptance and a space where you can feel unconditionally valued.
Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT): An acupressure-based somatic therapy technique that gently reduces the impact of past trauma and increases wellbeing.
Integrated Eye Movement Technique (IEMT): A neuro-somatic model (similar in scope to EMDR) that helps to release the emotional weight of past trauma so you can move forwards with your life.
Breathwork therapy: Using breathwork techniques that I tailor to your unique needs and breathing pattern, to help to calm your nervous system and reduce anxiety, panic, anger, or stress.
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I have been a Chartered Physiotherapistfor over 20 years.Gaining NHS experiencein a broad range of medical conditions. I have been a Respiratory Specialist physiotherapist for over 15 years.
I was the Team Lead Physiotherapist for the Asthma and Airways service at the North West Lung Service.
In this role I specialised in identifying and treating breathing pattern disorders (breathing habits that reduce health and wellbeing).
Many of the people I worked with struggled with hyperventilation, which is a big part of many panic attacks.
I identified which aspects of someone’s breathing needed to change and then worked with them to optimise their breathing.
I noticed that for many clients this helped them to reduce anxiety and stop or reduce panic attacks.
I now offer the same knowledge and skillset to clients in my Somatic therapy practice.
I have over 5000 client hours of experience as a Somatic therapist, providing a combination of Counselling, Emotional Freedom Technique, Integrated Eye Movement Techniques and Breathwork.
I developed and taught the Breathing for Calm training programme, which taught Counsellors, Psychotherapists, Medical Professionals & Coaches how to provide safe, effective breathwork for their clients.
Inhale
Exhale
Inhale Exhale
What is Somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy uses a mind body approach to help you to heal from past stress or trauma. It acknowledges that our mind and body are not separate and that a ‘thought’s only (cognitive) approach to therapy isn’t helpful for some people.
When we go through a stressful or traumatic time, our nervous system can shift into survival mode. It’s trying to protect us, but we can experience anxiety, panic, anger or low mood and energy, because of it. When the stressful time ends, our nervous system can need support to help it realise that we are now safe. Somatic therapy helps with this.
Clients tell me that it has helped them to reduce anxiety, anger, stress, panic and low mood. It has helped them to look after themselves better and to create happier connections with other people. It can also be helpful when you are still going through stressful life events, to help you to cope and to reduce the impact on your nervous system
How Somatic therapy works
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We will start by looking at your current struggles and goals. Together, we explore how your body might be holding onto stress, anxiety, anger, or past trauma. We’ll explore what you would like from the therapy, so that we can set meaningful, realistic goals and start to work towards them.
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When it’s helpful and appropriate to do so, I’ll support you to turn your attention inwards. I will guide you to notice physical sensations, tracking where tension, numbness, or anger live in your body. We will connect these physical responses to your thoughts and emotions, helping you to understand the patterns that have been playing out for you, without judgement.
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You will learn specific, body-based techniques that can help you to change how you feel in the moment. Using grounding techniques, individually tailored breathwork, emotional freedom techniques, or physical movement, you can practise how to calm a racing nervous system or gently lift yourself out of a numb shutdown state.
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Throughout the therapy I will share any knowledge or information that could be relevant and helpful. This could include teaching you about polyvagal theory, attachment theory for relationships, emotional neglect and/or communication skills.
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I will support you to safely process trauma, without overwhelming your system. We will do this using emotional freedom techniques, integrated eye movement techniques and/or parts work.
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My aim is for you to leave therapy having achieved your goals and with a "toolkit" that helps you to regulate your nervous system, maintain kind boundaries, prevent burnout, create healthy relationships and navigate life’s challenges with more confidence.
Why my experience can support your recovery
Over 5,000 Client Hours: As a dedicated counsellor and somatic therapist, I have spent thousands of hours guiding individuals through trauma recovery, helping them to reduce anxiety, panic, anger, stress and/or chronic nervous system shutdown.
20+ Years as an NHS Healthcare Professional: My approach is rooted in the experience that I gained when working for the National Health Service, providing compassionate therapy that is grounded in physiology.
15+ Years as a Specialist Respiratory Physiotherapist: I have spent over a decade and a half helping individuals to improve the way that they breathe. My ability to assess how you are breathing and its potential impact on your nervous system, means that I can empower you to make positive changes which can help to shift the physical stress response at a nervous system level. Clients tell me that this has helped them to reduce anxiety, calm their anger and to stop (or reduce) their panic attacks.
Frequently Asked Questions
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I will reply to you within 2 working days.
We will arrange a free 20 minute phone consultation. This is an opportunity for you to tell me what you would like support for and for you to ask any questions that you might have. If we both decide that we are a good fit for working together, we will find a time slot that works for you.
Before your first appointment I will ask you to complete a couple of short forms online and to send the payment for your session in advance of the appointment.
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I offer either weekly or fortnightly sessions, depending on your preference.
Most of my clients have a regular slot that I keep for as long as they need it e.g 10.45am every Monday.
I also have capacity for a few clients who need ad-hoc sessions e.g. if they work shifts or don’t have a regular schedule.
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The sessions are £75 for an hour of therapy.
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I work between 8am and 5pm on a Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday.
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No, my appointments are held online via Zoom or over the phone.
My clients find this to be a convenient way to fit therapy into a busy life and have sessions from the comfort of their own home.
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Online somatic therapy can be incredibly effective because it allows you to engage in deep mind-body work from the safety, comfort, and privacy of your own home. Your home environment is often where your nervous system feels most secure, which can enhance the healing process. I am very experienced in carrying out breathwork assessments and teaching online, after gaining experience of this in the NHS and in my private practice.
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To get the most out of our online therapy sessions, you will simply need:
A private, quiet room where you will not be disturbed or overheard.
A stable internet connection and a laptop, tablet, or phone with a working camera (use of a laptop or tablet makes it easier to see your breathing during breathwork).
A comfortable place to sit or lie down where I will be able to observe your upper body during breathwork exercises.
Any comforting items that you would like to have with you, such as a cosy blanket and a hot drink. Your dog or cat are also very welcome! :)
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Yes, what you tell me in the therapy sessions is confidential. The only exceptions to this are if I am required to share information for legal reasons or in order to protect against harm to yourself or another person.
I also have regular supervision, which is a requirement of my professional membership with the BACP. In these sessions I talk about some of the details from clients sessions, but without using any personally identifiable information. This supervision process is in place to ensure that you receive the best possible therapy.
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It varies according to your individual needs. Some clients only need a few sessions, most of my clients need long term therapy. I’d say that the average is 6 - 12 months, but some people need longer than this.
You are in control and are free to end the sessions at any point. Normally therapy ends when you are happy that you have achieved the changes that you would like.
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My therapy is likely to work well for you if:
You are happy to commit to regular therapy, either weekly or fortnightly
You are open to a holistic approach that includes a focus on mind, body and breath.
You are willing to practice self-care exercises between our sessions e.g. breathwork exercises - even 5 minutes a day can make a difference!
Kind words from clients
“Breathwork has worked so well for me to control anxious thoughts, rising panic and panic attacks. Things that triggered anxious thoughts or panic attacks suddenly don't appear frightening anymore. It helps me feel calm, connected to my life and the people around me.”
“Nicola has so many ways of working to expertly offer at different stages or ‘states’ in the therapy, and throughout our work together has been dedicated to helping me find ways to feel heard, seen, valid, as well as offering tools to support me in crisis.”
“It has made a tremendous difference to me, to be able to talk to and have therapy with Nicola. She has the combination of deep awareness, spiritual depth and a wide range of “tools” which makes her a very professional and loving therapist. If you want real change in your life I can recommend Nicola as your guide!”
“Through having this therapy, my anxiety has significantly lessened. Nicola was incredibly empathetic and intuitive, making me feel completely understood. My experience of EFT left me feeling optimistic and positive about a future free from anxiety."
“My emotions in general have become a lot less scary to me. I’m no longer afraid of them and don’t need to do that shutting off/ suppressing thing anymore. Life and people felt threatening before and they don’t anymore. I feel better equipped to deal with life’s ups and downs.”
"I approached Nicola in a very difficult time in my life. Submerged in grief, fearing interactions with others, retreating to myself in avoidance of facing problems, and carrying heavy baggage from childhood, I reached out for help. What happened since, transformed my life. "
Let’s connect
I’d love to hear from you.
Taking the first step and reaching out can feel daunting, but I am here, and I am ready to listen.
Please contact me using the contact form or the details below. I will reply to your message within two working days.
Email: nicolapott@protonmail.com
Phone, Text, or What’s App: 07594260492
