How best can I help you?
Here are some of the ways that people make use of the services I provide. The number of appointments varies from person to person, ranging from 4-6 appointments for a simple problem, to 6-12 months for complicated or early childhood traumas – and also for those who simply enjoy this way of working and would like to get the most from it.
Each of my clients is a unique and appreciated individual, but what all have in common is the courage and resilience to have managed so well up to this point, and the awareness to seek help when they need it. My approach includes strengthening what is already working for you, and using choice and preference to build a sense of agency and empowerment. At the first appointment we discuss what you would like to gain from treatment, and review things after a few weeks to make sure you are happy with progress. It’s a good idea to book a few appointments in advance, this helps you settle more deeply in to the work. People usually come weekly or fortnightly until they are well on the way to meeting their goals, then may choose to reduce the frequency of appointments.
Help with past traumas
Somatic Experiencing™ can be very effective for helping resolve the effects of frightening or difficult things that have happened in your life. With a structured approach over several sessions, you will learn techniques you can practice at home to bring your nervous system back into a more comfortable balance. In our sessions together we will work with reducing any hypervigilance or PTSD symptoms, building positive resources and completing the protective responses that were not available to you at the time of the trauma. We can also work with coming out of the freeze response back into more connection with your emotions, energy and vitality and the qualities that make you your ‘best self’.
Examples of the kind of traumas that people ask for help with are falls, car accidents, medical trauma, assaults, childhood traumas and many others. The physiology of the body and the processes of memory are similar in a wide range of situations, and Somatic Experiencing principles hold true no matter what the cause of the distress.
Early childhood traumas
We all wish for every baby to have a perfect bond with their main carer, but sometimes it’s not so easy – perhaps the carer is worried about money or safety, perhaps the home environment is in some way frightening to the baby or child. When things don’t go well with early bonding we call this Attachment trauma, and can be helped with skills I have learned from Somatic Experiencing and other approaches including Diane Poole-Heller’s DARe training (part 1) and Aline LaPierre’s Neuroaffective touch training (currently studying).
Developmental trauma is a term we use for other difficult events that may affect a young child such as being born prematurely, or having major surgery when very young. These can be helped with gentle work best taken at a slow pace and so will often need a longer course of appointments.
Nervous System ‘tune-up’
Are you curious to learn about your nervous system from the inside out? With exercises using movement, imagination and other experiential approaches connecting to the ‘felt sense’ of the body, you can get in touch with your instinctive protective responses in a safe environment and check that they are in good shape just in case you need them. I like to think of it as a course in ‘Life-quake preparedness’. About six sessions would be a good number, though more might be helpful if we encounter any significant past traumas along the way.
The Missing Piece
A number of my clients have already engaged with counselling or psychotherapy over a period of time, and come to me for the somatic ‘piece of the puzzle’. It is a privilege to work with people who have a high level of self awareness and to witness new insights and understandings emerge from a more embodied perspective.
Training for groups, tutoring for individuals
I am available to give talks in person or on Zoom to small groups and individuals such as Medical professionals, Counsellors, Yoga teachers and other therapists who would like more understanding of the mind-body connection and how past traumas can affect our clients.
I occasionally run a six week course open to everyone, where you get the chance to practice techniques from a wide range of approaches including mindfulness, conscious movement, simple meditations, Somatic Experiencing and wellbeing tips learned from helping thousands of people achieve better health and happiness. Please ask if you are interested.
Julie Forsey 