“Until you make the unconscious conscious,
it will continue to direct your life
and you will call it fate.”
Carl Jung
What is Integrative Somatic Therapy
Integrative Somatic Therapy is the unique blend of modalities I draw on to meet each client’s individual needs in my sessions.
The primary modality our sessions are based on is Embodied Processing (EP), (you can find a detailed description of EP below) supported by Expressive and Transpersonal Arts Therapy, Heart Math, Mindfulness, Positive Neuroplasticity, as well as a personalised blend of personal and spiritual coaching.
The purpose of these sessions is to support you to come home to your body and your heart, and to help you grow the capacity to compassionately explore your somatic experience.
Unlike talk therapy, the bulk of these sessions is spent connecting with your body and internal sensations as a means of unwinding the root cause of the symptoms you are experiencing, so you grow the capacity for deeper presence, embodiment and connection with yourself.
What is Embodied Processing
Embodied Processing is an integrative and holistic somatic-psychotherapy modality, designed to resolve trauma and offer deep and lasting transformation for symptoms and challenges associated with mental and emotional health.
With its roots firmly planted in the wisdom of pioneers in the field of trauma including Peter Levine, Bessel Van Der Kolk, Pat Ogden, Stephen Porges and Gabor Mate, it is grounded in the latest neuroscience as well as in the deep roots of ancient healing traditions.
It draws on the body’s innate intelligence to discharge stress and return to homeostasis, and is founded on a blend of therapeutic modalities including Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems, Kiloby Enquiries, Compassionate Inquiry, Polyvagal Theory, Neurolinguistic Programming, Attachment Theory, Neuro-Affective Relational Model, Mindfulness Practice and Diamond Inquiry.
Understanding trauma, stored survival stress and somatics.
Many of the psychological and emotional health challenges we experience in our lives have their roots in stressful historical experiences that left an emotional charge in the body that we were unable to process or digest at the time. The continued contraction of this stress in the body contributes to a nervous system that may habitually be dysregulated. The dysregulation we experience is actually the primary cause of suffering and pain in our lives, forming the foundation for many of our unwanted behaviours and symptoms.
Stress, anxiety, depression, coping strategies and addictions including socially acceptable ones such as food, social media, shopping and more, people-pleasing, dysfunctional relationship patterns, chronic pain, self-sabotage, as well as many physical ailments etc. all have their roots in this dysregulation.
Put simply, we don’t have the capacity to be with the discomfort of the inner disturbance of this dysregualtion, and implement whatever strategies we can to ameliorate it in an attempt to restore homeostasis to a system that is out of balance.
The need for a bottom-up approach.
Traditionally, top-down approaches that focus on the thinking mind such as talk therapy (psychology, counselling, psychotherapy or coaching) have been the dominant route for addressing these challenges, and although they can certainly be beneficial, the focus on the mind bypasses the stress stored in the body.
80% of neurological signals originate in the body and travel up to the brain, (bottom-up) shaping the way we see, feel and experience ourselves and the world. 20% come from the brain into the body. (top-down)
By embracing a bottom-up approach, blending somatic and psychotherapeutic tools, EP empowers you to safely unwind and release stuck energies held in the body at the root cause of problematic behaviours and symptoms, slowly nurturing your capacity to reconnect with and stay present to your authentic, essential self.
Though we work therapeutically together in our sessions, the outcomes listed below are the result of continued practice and commitment to translating all that you learn in the therapy space, into your daily life. We are nurturing a new way of being.
What outcomes can I expect?
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Move from feeling disconnected with your body, heart and inner self, to cultivating a deep and compassionate relationship with yourself and all of your inner experience.
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Move from holding back from speaking your truth and being real and vulnerable with others, to recognising the inherent gift in vulnerability and growing the capacity and safety to be open and authentic about how you really feel and what you really want. Ultimately creating the ground for deeper intimacy and more meaningful connections in all areas of your life.
Go from hiding, denying or suppress your true emotions to recognising them as guideposts to your inner world, and invitations to be more true to yourself. -
Move from struggling to say no or set clear boundaries, to having the capacity to know what is right for you, and to assert it from a place of self-love, self-worth, self-confidence and with care and compassion for yourself and others.
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Go from feel trapped, or unseen/unheard in your relationships to feeling more resourced to express what is true for you, knowing that you matter and have a right to be seen and heard.
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Go from avoiding broader opportunities in your work to grow your visibility to feeling empowered, to feeling safe and ready to take on the emotional risks required to grow, be seen and heard in your wisdom, vision, mission and message.
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Recognise the call to greater authenticity as a gateway to deeper healing and spiritual growth, and deepen your experience of embodiment, presence and connection with your true and most essential self, and all of life.
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When we are knocked over by the challenges we experience in life, it is because we don’t have the capacity to tolerate the stress or big/uncomfortable feelings that come with them. This work focuses on growing the skills and capacity to be with discomfort as it arises. This builds your emotional resilience over time so that you are better equipped to manage both daily stress and bigger challenges.
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The state of our nervous system drives our overall health + wellbeing. A nervous system stuck in fight/flight/freeze or fawn sends messages to the body that it is time to survive, and not thrive. The more regulated we are, the better equipped the body is to perform the functions necessary for our life force to flow freely and for our body to heal and perform at its best.
"Healing is embracing what is most feared;
opening what has been closed and softening
what has hardened into obstruction.”
Jeanne Achterberg
KEY PILLARS OF INTEGRATIVE SOMATIC THERAPY
Safety
All is welcome here. We meet within container of psychological, emotional and physical safety.
Everything you bring to therapy is held with respect and compassion in a safe, supportive environment. This allows you to freely express your whole self, unfiltered and undefended. Often, we suppress uncomfortable feelings deemed unacceptable in society, but here, all of you is welcome.
Self-Compassion
Know that you are already enough.
At the core of all the work we do on the path to healing is the cultivation of a loving and compassionate relationship with ourselves. When we are able to befriend all of ourselves, including the parts that are hurt, that we have learned to reject and those that we don’t understand,
we can then embrace our full humanity and
live from a place of authenticity.
Psycho-education
Understand why we do what we do.
When we know ‘why’ we do what we do and how the BodyMind operates to keep us safe, as well as what it needs in order to thrive, we are better equipped to make conscious, life affirming choices that align with who we truly are and what we deeply know to be true for ourselves. Education is the keystone of a powerful foundation for lasting transformation.
Nervous System Health
Talk therapy is helpful, but not enough for
deep transformation.
Many people try to think their way out of challenges, but true transformation occurs by addressing stored survival stress. While talk therapy focuses on changing thoughts and feelings, it often bypasses core wounds held in the body. A body-centric approach unwinds stored stress in the nervous system, resolving unhelpful patterns and returning the BodyMind to homeostasis. By working with the foundations of our human experience, we achieve deep, lasting transformation.
Embodiment
The pathway home to our authentic self
is through the body.
When we've learned to find belonging and safety by disregarding our own needs to please others, we disconnect from our bodies to avoid pain. This leaves us unable to truly connect because our physiology shields us. Reconnecting is a sacred process of listening to our body's wisdom, releasing stored stress, and trusting its guidance. This reconnection not only aligns us with our inner truth but also opens us to deeper connections with others.
Empowerment
Stop seeking answers outside of yourself,
all that you seek is within.
As your guide, my role is not to fix, change or make you better in any way, I support you to develop the courage, skills, and capacity to deeply know and trust yourself. True empowerment comes from descending from the mind into the body, recognising your embodied wisdom and the intelligence of your heart as your true source of answers. By mindfully and compassionately meeting yourself and staying open to your full experience, you'll recover your authentic self and learn to trust its guidance.
3 Stages of our
Journey Together
Reconnect
The first part of our journey together involves creating the internal safety necessary to reconnect with the parts of ourselves that we have learned to deny, distract from and avoid. The pathway into these parts is through connecting with the body, nurturing a safe foundation for exploration using a combination of internal and external resources.
Release + Resolve
The second part of our journey involves bring mindfulness, compassion and an attitude of curiosity to the exploration of your inner world, to meet and unearth the unprocessed experiences stored in your body-mind. With patience and intention to befriend painful emotions and deep wounds we cultivate the capacity to embrace all of you, slowly unraveling and releasing all that is held to reveal the true self underneath.
Reclaim
When the patterns of the past are no longer driving your thoughts, feelings, beliefs and choices, the possibility of living in alignment with your deepest nature becomes available. From an internal place of feeling connected to your whole self, we can work on establishing aligned values, a vision and pathway forward that has you emerge into a more present, authentic, aligned and embodied life.
Ready to start?
Individual Session
$165
75 minutes
Can be purchased at any time
Includes 1 x 1:1 Session
(In-Person or Online)
Getting Started
$590
75 minutes
Valid for 2mths
Includes 4 x 1:1 Sessions
In-between session follow-ups
Diving Deep
$1160
75 minutes
Valid for 6mths
Includes 8 x 1:1 sessions
In-between session follow-ups
Commitment to Growth
$1700
75 minutes
Valid for 6mths
Includes 12 x 1:1 sessions
In-between session follow-ups
Connect with me
If you feel called, trust that something is calling you.
I offer a complimentary, super casual 30 minute connection call to discuss your individual needs, share more of what I offer and assess whether
this pathway would support you at this time.
FAQ’S
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I believe that the most important work we can do in our lifetime is to commit to the journey of discovering and knowing ourselves deeply. To know our body and how it operates to ensure we survive, and what it needs to thrive. To recognise the patterns of thinking and feeling that drive our choices, behaviour and how we see ourselves and the world, and do the inner work to grow the emotional awareness and emotional resilience that serves our ability to feel safe and free to be ourselves in the world with openess and trust in all of life.
Therapy is a necessary part of this process, as is a guide who has travelled the road before you. I myself have explored and been deeply immersed in multiple forms of therapy over the last two decades and am forever a student of the inner workings of the human condition. Some of my therapeutic encounters have been for short periods of time where I have learned and grown and moved to other things, and some have become a lifestyle, a way of living in my body and being in the world that deepens my experience of being alive, and enriches my ability to have deep and meaningful connections in all areas of my life, including with myself.Your experience of therapy, and the outcomes you get will depend solely on your willingness to be an active participant in the process, on your courage to meet difficult places, on your openness to feel all that your inner world presents to you and on your commitment to your growth, depth and expansion.
I offer a free 30 Connection Call where we can discuss how what I offer may be helpful for you. Book your call below.
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Although there is a thread of continuity between all sessions, the process can vary for different people depending on their unique healing journey, objectives and what presents in each individual session. The expectation that I can set is that I will meet you where you are at, and together we will work towards achieving your goals.
Sessions may involve the following:
Conversation about your personal experiences, life journey and how the pattern you are wanting to resolve shows up for you currently.Deeper exploration of relational patterns and communication challenges in both business and personal life. Psycho-education on relevant topics including: NS Education Trauma Types + Adaptations/Survival Patterns Resourcing Thoughts + Beliefs Trauma + Spirituality
Growing new skills and inner-resources such as mindfulness, self-compassion and embodiment to help you notice thoughts, emotions, feelings and sensations so that you can deepen self-knowledge, cultivate greater emotional awareness and emotional resilience. Exploration of your somatic experience to help you identify, navigate and release stored survival stress, undigested life experiences and painful thoughts and beliefs.
Identify personal values, passions and life goals.
Practices, exercises and tools for continued practice outside of sessions.
Book a call below
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In Australia, somatic therapists are not elligible for rebates.
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I need a minimum of 24hrs notice for any cancellations. Anything under 24hrs will incur a fee of 50% of the cost of a full session.
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Therapy is different for everyone, and highly dependent on where you are at in your healing journey, how deep you want to go, and how much you want to heal.
For most people I recommend beginning with a Starter Pack (4 sessions) to develop an understanding of what we are doing in our work together, and then moving into a Diving Deep Package (8 sessions) so we can do the deeper work. How long it takes for your body to unwInd all that it has been holding, and how long it takes for you to embody all that you learn in our work together, is up to you, the commitment you invest and how you integrate this in between sessions. Some clients who are further along their journey reach the level of healing, self-knowing and internal change they are looking for in a handful of sessions, and for others it takes a significantly longer amount of time. Some clients love the work so much, that it becomes a lifestyle choice to coninue to go deeper.
I like to advise my clients that regular work, over extended periods of time will serve you in the best way. If you are new to somatic work, I would suggest estimating a minimum of 12 sessions to begin to embody what you are learning, and assess your needs from there.
For those genuinely committed to their growth and deepening, the Commitment to Growth plan will support you with in-between session messaging/coaching as you take your new self into the world, and encounter experiences that will invite you to respond in a new way. This additional support will help you anchor our work together into your daily life.
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To begin with, I recommend having 6 consecutive weekly sessions if that is possbile for you. If not weekly, then keeping to a fortnightly rhythm is also great but in the beginning weekly is advised.
Once you begin to embody this work and understand what we are doing, having a session once every few weeks to continue the learning and deepening is ideal.
What is important to understand is that this work forms the foundation for an entirely new way of being in the world, and the more we commit to embodying it, the deeper the transformation and healing. It becomes a lifestyle.