My Approach to Healing Trauma
Working with body, emotions and relationships
Developmental trauma can affect how we regulate ourselves, our emotions and our nervous system, how we see ourselves and how we connect with other people.
For this reason, I don't see the body, emotions and relationships as separate. My approach brings these three different dimensions together:
REGULATE
When the nervous system is frequently overwhelmed, activated or shut down, it can be difficult to feel safe and present.
Somatic awareness and nervous-system regulation can help develop a greater capacity to stay present with emotions and bodily sensations. Where appropriate, I also use TRE® (Tension, Stress & Trauma Releasing Exercises) to support regulation and release chronic muscular tension.
UNDERSTAND
Many of the ways we respond to ourselves and others developed as adaptations to earlier experiences and relationships. NARM® helps you explore these survival strategies, emotional patterns and ways of relating — and how they may still be influencing you today.
IFS® (Internal Family Systems) can complement this process by helping you understand different inner parts and their protective roles within your inner personality system.
RECONNECT
The aim is not simply to understand yourself better or reduce symptoms.
Therapy can support a deeper connection with your body, emotions and needs — and greater capacity for authentic connection with other people.
As old survival strategies become more conscious and begin to loosen, there can be more space for choice, self-regulation, self-worth, intimacy and full aliveness.
Therapy
tailored to you
Depending on what is happening for you, our work may involve relational exploration, present-moment awareness, nervous-system regulation, NARM, IFS or somatic approaches such as TRE.
You don't need to decide which method you need.
That's something we explore together.