modalities i use
somatic
experiencing®
This therapeutic approach can be used with children, teenagers and adults.
describe this approach?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE), developed by Dr. Peter Levine, is a gentle, body-based approach designed to help the nervous system recover from stress and trauma. Instead of focusing on the story of what happened, SE supports your body in completing the natural fight–flight–freeze responses that may have become stuck during overwhelming experiences.
Many people come to SE because they feel “on edge,” shut down, or caught in repeating patterns of overwhelm. SE offers a slow, safe pathway back to greater ease, resilience, and choice — helping the body remember its capacity to regulate and feel grounded again.
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HOW IT WORKS
Regulation through sensation:
SE helps you tune into the subtle sensations of your body — such as tightening, warmth, trembling, expansion — which are the nervous system’s way of communicating. By learning to follow these sensations at a comfortable pace, the body can gently release stored survival energy.
Small steps, not catharsis:
Rather than reliving trauma or diving into intense emotion, SE works in small, manageable pieces. This keeps you within your window of tolerance and allows change to unfold safely.
Tracking activation and settling:
Together we track what’s happening in your body: when it becomes activated, when it settles, and the pathways in between. Over time, this builds resilience and flexibility in your nervous system.
Completing survival responses:
Stress and trauma often interrupt the body’s instinctive fight, flight, or freeze responses. SE helps the body safely complete these impulses, which can bring profound relief and a renewed sense of aliveness.
Bottom-up healing:
Talk is welcome, but SE doesn’t rely on narrative or analysis. The work is somatic-first, helping your body lead the way while your awareness supports the process.
Building capacity and safety:
We move slowly and collaboratively, always centred on what feels safe and manageable. This pacing helps your system learn that it no longer needs to brace, collapse, or react in old ways.
key principles
Nervous system-based:
SE views trauma as a physiological response, not a psychological flaw. When the nervous system can regulate, symptoms naturally ease.
Gentle and client-led:
You set the pace. The work follows your system’s capacity, not any agenda or technique.
Non-pathologizing:
Responses like anxiety, shutdown, or hypervigilance are seen as intelligent survival adaptations. SE helps them unwind rather than forcing them to change.
Embodied and experiential:
SE emphasizes experience over explanation. Meaning often arises naturally as your body settles and integrates.
Restoring resilience:
As your system becomes more regulated, you may notice greater ease, clearer boundaries, steadier emotions, and an increased sense of presence in your daily life.
The therapy Process
01. initial enquiry
Reach out to enquire about working together. I’ll send you key information about my approach and what to expect so you can get a clear sense of whether this feels like the right support for you.
02. phone call
We’ll have a free 20-minute call to explore your needs and answer any questions. If you’d like to continue, I’ll send you an intake form to complete and return before our first session
03. first session
In this 90-minute session (€120), we begin by briefly discussing your intake form. From there, we move into a somatic-focused session so you can experience the work directly and begin building a felt sense of safety and connection in the body.
04. deepen into the work
Therapy continues in a block of six sessions (€390), held at the same time and day each week. Ongoing work is recommended to support deeper regulation and embodiment, with breaks between blocks encouraged to allow for rest and integration.
In Somatic Experiencing®, survival energy refers to the natural energy the nervous system generates in response to stress or threat (such as fight, flight, freeze or fawn). When an experience is overwhelming, this energy can remain held in the body, contributing to symptoms like tension, anxiety, shutdown, or feeling “stuck.”
Working with survival energy in a titrated way means approaching this energy slowly and in very small, manageable amounts, rather than all at once. The practitioner helps you notice subtle sensations or impulses connected to activation, while regularly returning to sensations of safety, ease, or support. This back-and-forth process (called pendulation) allows the nervous system to gradually build capacity without becoming overwhelmed.
Throughout the session, the pace is guided by your body’s responses. We pause often, track changes together, and allow natural completion of responses in a way that feels contained and supportive. You remain present, oriented, and in choice at all times. Over time, this gentle titration supports the nervous system in releasing stored activation, increasing resilience, and restoring a greater sense of regulation and flexibility.
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I work with adults, teens, and children. Teens typically attend sessions independently.
When working with children, a parent is always present. Depending on the child’s needs, sessions may involve working with the child while a parent observes, or working with the parent and child together in the same session. This will be discussed in advance to determine what is most supportive for your family.
Sessions with younger children integrate play-based activities alongside touch and Somatic Experiencing® (SE) work.
Payment is required in advance at the time of booking. Payments can be made by cash, bank transfer, Revolut, or PayPal (details will be provided before your first session).
Cancellations made with less than 24 hours’ notice will forfeit the session fee, except in the case of illness or emergencies. To maintain consistency in the work, missed sessions due to illness or emergencies are not rescheduled within the same week; instead, the agreed 6-week block is extended accordingly.
Please ensure any transfer fees are covered so the full session fee is received.
The number of sessions varies depending on your goals, history, and current capacity. Some clients benefit from short-term support, while others choose to work over a longer period. In general - regulation work is not a quick fix and usually requires consistent sessions over time. This can be discussed during an initial session and reviewed as we go.
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Ready to begin your regulation journey? Schedule a session today and take the first step
towards more balance and wellbeing.
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