What is Somatic therapy?
"Once you start approaching your body with curiosity rather than with fear, everything shifts.”
Bessel Van De Kolk
Somatic therapy uses a mind-body approach to help you heal from past stress or trauma. It acknowledges that your mind and body are deeply connected, and that a ‘talk-only’ (cognitive) approach to therapy isn't always enough.
When you go through a stressful or traumatic time, your nervous system shifts into survival mode. It is trying to protect you, but staying in this state can lead to anxiety, panic, anger, or low mood/energy. When the stress passes, your nervous system often needs support to realise that you are safe, allowing you to return to a state of more calm and well-being. Somatic therapy helps with exactly that.
Clients tell me that our somatic work together has helped them find more calm, joy, energy and confidence. It has helped them to look after themselves better and build healthier, happier relationships.
This therapy also supports people who are currently navigating difficult life transitions such as divorce, career challenges, or becoming a parent, empowering them to cope better and move through hard times with greater resilience.
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 regulate your nervous system, reduce emotional overwhelm and change how you are feeling 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 helpful to you e.g. teaching you about polyvagal theory, attachment theory for relationships, emotional neglect or healthy communication skills.
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I will support you to gently process stressful or traumatic experiences, 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.
Here is how we can begin, together
one
Explore
Browse this website to find out if my approach feels like it would be a good fit for you.
two
Connect
Book a free 20 minute phone consultation, so we can find out if we are a good fit.
three
Begin
If we decide to work together, we will agree a time that suits you and begin your journey.
Together, we can help you to recover from the past, reconnect with your well-being and create happier, healthier relationships.
As a Counsellor, Somatic Therapist, and Breathwork Physiotherapist registered with the BACP, HCPC, and CSP, I bring together over twenty years of experience as a healthcare professional with a warm, holistic approach. By working with both mind and body, I support you to find more calm, joy, and freedom in your life.