“I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable but the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening – a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation”
Peter A. Levine PhD.
Counselling or Somatic Experiencing™
When you attend a first appointment with me, we will discuss your needs. From this information we will decide together if counselling or Somatic Experiencing™ would be most helpful.
Counselling can help you to talk through difficulties and stressors to help manage day to day life. Somatic Experiencing™ uses our experience of physical sensations, thoughts, feelings and images to reduce symptoms of stress and trauma and increase resilience.
I support clients by creating a safe, gentle and compassionate space. I will listen with understanding. We will work together to explore your difficulties and support healing . You will develop a better understanding of yourself, helping you to find ways of supporting yourself to deal with life stressors and create change.
Responses for Human Survival
Fight, flight and freeze are essential for our survival. We cannot protect ourselves if our mind’s and bodies don’t respond to threat with one of more of these responses. Sometimes, before, during or after an event, things happen that interrupt these survival responses. As a result the energy from these responses can build up in our bodies. This can cause physical health issues, psychological and emotional pain. We live our lives as if under threat. When this is happening we find it difficult, to truly experience and connect to life in the present moment.
Instead of moving on with our lives, we play out the same patterns, we find ourselves triggered by similar experiences, unrelated experiences or sometimes “nothing at all”; and we develop ways of managing everyday life. Sometimes even these ways of managing stop working so well.
Finding Healing through
Somatic Experiencing™
At Athrú Somatic Therapy and Mindfulness, I support clients to slowly work through these patterns. This allows the client’s system to relearn how to deal with stressors and triggers. This is done by increasing client’s awareness, touching into support and noticing their bodies’ responses in the moment. As a result, traumatic energy held in the body is released, integrating the trauma and the client’s tolerance for more difficult emotions and energy increases.
Clients are able in time, to recover and live with more presence and (for the most part) with more safety. Clients are also left with the knowledge and confidence that comes with awareness of their bodies; symptoms of stress and survival responses; and what can help them to support themselves through future stressors.
Somatic Experiencing™ and Touch
At times, Somatic Experiencing™ Touch work can help to further support the movement of trauma energies. This can be in the form of guided self touch or touch from the therapist. The client can remain in a sitting position or lay a therapy table. The touch is not massage, but gentle touch on joints, diaphragms or viseral areas.
This supports regulation in the area, can promote organisation of the body to complete survival responses and promote the flow of energy through the body. This can result in the relief of physical symptoms experienced as a result of traumatic stress.
Touch work is not suitable for all clients. While it may be suggested, it is always up to the client if they wish for this type of support and can withdraw consent at anytime.