Somatic Experiencing
trauma therapy

No two sessions are the same, but the first meeting focuses on creating safety, collaboration, and a steady foundation. There is no pressure to retell your story or revisit painful memories. Attention is gently brought to your present experience, noticing sensations in your body and identifying what feels steady or supportive.

Subtle sensations are explored as the language of the nervous system, while internal and external resources are recognised to support stability. The approach is non-pathologising, consent based, and body led, guided by curiosity rather than force to prevent overwhelm.

It depends on what you’re working with.

Some people come for short-term support (6–8 sessions) to address a specific issue. Others engage in longer-term work to process developmental trauma or long-held patterns.

Somatic work is gradual and layered. We regularly review progress together and adjust as needed.

• Weekly one hour sessions are recommended at the beginning to build stability and momentum.
• Consistency matters during distress. If you are moving through significant stress or emotional intensity, regular sessions support deeper progress. Seeing someone only once a month during severe distress often does not provide enough continuity to reach the root of what is happening. At the same time, we work within your financial and practical constraints and find a rhythm that is realistic for you.
• One hour sessions are usually sufficient once the work feels more steady.
• Ninety minute sessions can be helpful if you need more time to open up or have a lot to process, particularly in the early stages.

We can always adjust frequency and length as your needs and circumstances change.

Sometimes. Stress, shock, and emotional suppression can affect the nervous system and contribute to certain types of pain. Somatic work helps regulate the nervous system and may help release stored tension.

It can be helpful for chronic tension, headaches, burnout, trauma related symptoms, and some back or neck pain. Some people also report improvements in autoimmune symptoms when deeply held emotions are safely expressed and integrated, though results vary.

Not all pain and illness are connected to the nervous system. Conditions involving disease, structural degeneration, or significant tissue damage are unlikely to change through somatic work, though it may still support relaxation and overall wellbeing.

Somatic Experiencing addresses trauma at a physiological level, focusing on the body’s responses rather than just the mind.

It is holistic and integrative, complementing other therapies by connecting the body and mind. At its core, somatic work is about integration, helping experiences be processed and understood so they can be fully held in the body.

Research and clinical reports support its effectiveness, showing improvements in emotional regulation, resilience, and overall wellbeing.

I am a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP), trained in trauma healing methods developed by Dr. Peter Levine. I’ve also studied Trauma Releasing Exercises (TRE) and other body-based approaches.

My work integrates somatic science with lived experience, grounded presence, and continued professional development.

Yes. Somatic Experiencing integrates well with many therapeutic approaches. Because it works through the nervous system and the body’s responses to stress and trauma, it can complement talk therapy, psychotherapy, EMDR, attachment work, coaching, and other modalities.

Rather than replacing other therapy, it often deepens it. Somatic Experiencing helps regulate activation, reduce overwhelm, and build capacity so insights gained in other approaches can be embodied rather than remaining purely cognitive.

The work may be supported or informed by the following approaches:

• Trauma Release Exercises (TRE) developed by Dr. David Berceli
• Polyvagal Theory developed by Dr. Stephen Porges
• Compassionate Inquiry developed by Dr. Gabor Maté
• Internal Family Systems (IFS) developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz

These frameworks offer additional understanding of nervous system regulation, trauma resolution, parts work, and compassionate self inquiry, and can integrate well alongside somatic work depending on your needs.

I bring specific experience working with neurodivergence, especially ADD and ADHD, alongside trauma histories. These often overlap, shaping how you relate to time, memory, emotion, and connection. The work is trauma informed and neurodivergent aware, recognising attention and regulation challenges not as personal failings, but as adaptations of a sensitive and intelligent nervous system.