integrative somatic therapy
in Salisbury and online
what is integrative somatic therapy?
from the greek word 'soma' meaning the living body in it's wholeness, somatic techniques honour the connection between the body and the mind.
One of the principles of somatics is that the stories in your mind (your thoughts) follow the state in your body (your feelings), yet we often try to tackle our problems by changing our thoughts e.g. by "thinking positively", cognitive and talking therapy, and neglect tending to our bodies.
When our bodies feel unsafe, they adapt into survival states (fight, flight, freeze/shut down) to keep us safe. Sometimes, the body can get stuck in these states even when in reality we are now safe.
Somatic techniques help us to gently reconnect with our bodies and pay attention to their sensations, and then help our bodies to learn we are safe now, so they can release the survival states and our symptoms helping us to feel better.
You can read more about somatic techniques here.
"Once you start approaching your body with curiosity rather than with fear, everything shifts."
– Bessel A. van der Kolk - The Body Keeps the Score
my approach to healing:
my trauma-informed approach honors the wisdom of the body; it is always trying to keep us safe and many symptoms such as anxiety, low moods, fatigue, dissociation can be a result of our body being stuck in survival states.
Our sessions will combine psychoeducation (using the polyvagal theory framework) to help you compassionately understand your symptoms and the therapeutic application of trauma informed mindfulness, breath, movement, and parts work therapy to gently help you reconnect to your body, regulate your nervous system, create a healing environment of safety for healing and integration.
In your sessions you'll come to know that I am your guide, but you are the healer. All of the healing comes from you, with tools that are already inside of you - I'll be here to help you to find them.
“Knowing oneself comes from attending with compassionate curiosity to what is happening within.”
- Gabor Mate
who is integrative somatic therapy for?
integrative somatic therapy with Claire can be helpful if you are experiencing anxiety, mood related symptoms, burnout and/or when there is a history of trauma. Some people have a clear idea of a past event (or events) that has effected them (e.g. a chaotic childhood, abusive ex-partner or loss), however, you may not have a specific memory or know what happened in your past, or may feel you had a good childhood but just have a feeling that something isn't right....or a symptom that you can't shrug. Sometimes trauma occurs from big, sudden and obvious events or series of events, and sometimes it is more subtle; for example not having your needs met as a child. In somatic therapy you don't need to talk about any memories or past events, as we are working with your present day symptoms.
Read more about the somatic pathway to healing trauma here.
If you have ever had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, psychotic disorders, personality disorder, current suicidal thoughts or feelings, epilepsy, or current substance abuse or dependence, unfortunately Somatic Therapy with Claire may not be suitable for you. If you have any of these contraindications, or if you are unsure whether somatic therapy is right for you, please consult your doctor. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch.
"You can't go back and change the beginning, but you can start where you are and change the ending."
- CS Lewis
what are the benefits of intergative somatic therapy?
✔ Release stress and tension from the body: you will learn how to breathe and move stored tension away, changing the state in your body to change the stories in your mind.
✔ Compassionately reframe your symptoms: with the framework of polyvagal theory, you will understand that you make sense, and be able to view your symptoms compassionately as your body keeping you safe. This reframing will help you befriend yourself as you realise you make sense.
✔ Learn practical tools to help regulate your nervous system and tone your vagus nerve: you will fill your toolbox with practical exercises that not only soothe your symptoms, but also alter the neurobiology in your body by lowering stress hormones and improving your vagal tone; helping to recalibrate your nervous system towards safety.
✔ Heal trauma: somatic therapy teaches your body it is safe to gently release stored trauma, so you can move on more peacefully with your life.
how might we work together?
After speaking with you in your free zoom consultation, I usually recommend six or eight private 1:1 sessions, but we may also extend this into longer term work. Six sessions is usually the minimum I offer since there is no quick fix to healing; the brain, body and nervous system need commitment and repeated practices to retrain and retune to safety.
We will meet in-person or online once a week for 50 minutes for your fully private, confidential and bespoke sessions. After your session I may send you .pdf worksheets &/or audio files of practices to keep you going in between sessions.
about your guide:
Hello, I'm Claire.
I'm an integrative guide and therapist who specialises in trauma-informed mindfulness, somatic trauma therapy, hypnotherapy and somatic yoga. Over the years I have guided hundreds of people through group and individual healing journeys:
As a trauma-trained practitioner, you feeling safe in your sessions and practices is my number one priority.
After being disconnected from my own body for many years with an eating disorder, I finally learnt to come home and reconnect to my body through mindfulness, somatics and yoga.
Now I just love all bodies; and it is my passion to help people understand and come home to live peacefully in their own bodies with these healing tools and practices.
where do sessions take place?
Online sessions take place on Zoom. You will need to have a quiet place where you can be undisturbed for the duration of the session, and a chair in which you can comfortably recline and relax.
In-person sessions take place in a cosy therapy room in Salisbury city centre.
when can I start?
I currently have a waiting list of 2-3 weeks. If you are interested in taking a space to start in a few weeks, please book a consultation at your earliest convenience.
After your consultation we will find a time in our diaries for your sessions, I will send you the client contract to fill in with payment and cancellation terms, once these are returned I will book you in and look forward to seeing you for your first session.
My usual client work hours are:
Mondays 12midday - 3pm, Tuesdays 10am-4pm, Wednesdays 10am-4pm, though I can occasionally offer odd sessions outside of these hours.
are you ready to start your journey?
If you feel ready to start your journey, or want to find out more, please book a free 20 minute consultation. Please ensure you have checked the 'who is integrative somatic therapy for?' section above to make sure you do not have any contraindications. If you are unsure, please email me. Your consultation is a chance to get to know me, for you to hear more about the sessions and for you to ask any questions. I look forward to meeting you.
Articles on Somatics from my Mind-Body Blog:
