Preparing for Somatic Therapy and Coaching – What to Expect
Working with somatic therapy in Auckland or through online somatic therapy (Aotearoa New Zealand-wide) is a gentle, body-based process that supports healing from trauma, stress, anxiety, and overwhelm.
It helps your nervous system return to balance — often through small, powerful shifts that build up over time.
Here’s what to expect before, during, and after a session:
Set-Up for a Session
When seeking a practitioner, trust your sense of safety and connection — this relationship is key. A helpful starting place is to notice how your body responds in the space between us: does something feel settled, open, or at ease? Listening to your own body sense is an important part of choosing a practitioner to work with — as well as being a first opportunity to apply the principles of somatic work!
You don’t need to have everything figured out before we begin. You’re welcome exactly as you are, whether you feel clear, confused, overwhelmed, or unsure. I invite you to bring your questions and curiosity, both in the early stages and throughout our work together. I strongly believe that this adds huge value to your process, and growth.
Sessions take place in a quiet, calm space, either in person or through online somatic therapy sessions. Both have their advantages. Many people find online sessions helpful by allowing them to be in a familiar, comforting environment, especially when working with body-based therapy for anxiety or trauma. If online, bringing a comfy resource or two is a great idea - maybe a cosy blanket, supportive cushion, and/or a comforting drink. I may also invite you to locate other resources as our sessions progress.
You’ll be asked to complete an intake form before we begin. This gives me a sense of your nervous system’s history, and helps us tailor the work to your needs.
How Sessions Work
Sessions are gentle, collaborative, and guided by your nervous system. It may feel like a regular conversation at first, but I’ll be tracking what’s happening in your nervous system, and guiding you to do the same — through noticing sensations, emotions, images, impulses, or beliefs as they emerge.
The focus is on growing safety and capacity before exploring deeper material. We won’t rush into trauma or other potentially activating material. Instead, we’ll build a stronger foundation in your nervous system, so that when we do touch into more difficult places, you’re able to stay present and move through it with resilience.
Examples of this foundational nervous system regulation work might include:
Orienting to the present moment by gently shifting your attention to your surroundings or the connection between us.
Tracking physical sensations in a slow, titrated way — one piece at a time.
Identifying and connecting with internal and external resources that bring ease, comfort, or steadiness.
Experimenting with small, supportive movements or grounding practices that feel good to your body.
Everyone’s nervous system is different. Our work is collaborative, and will unfold at a pace that supports your system’s readiness and capacity. Whether you're working through chronic stress, overwhelm, or trauma, trauma-informed coaching in Auckland (or online) is designed to meet you where you are. Many clients take home practices they can use between sessions to continue building nervous system regulation.
After a Session
Somatic Experiencing® is often described as “sneaky powerful.” Even gentle sessions can produce noticeable shifts — sometimes in subtle ways that unfold over hours or days.
After each session, I’ll encourage you to track your system for the next 24–48 hours. I’ll invite you to keep an eye out for things like fatigue, waves of emotion, or activation. You might feel more settled, or more activated for a period while your system reorganises and integrates the work. Sometimes, you’ll need to prioritise rest. This feedback will guide and inform our ongoing work together, so we work within your system’s current capacity.
Give yourself permission to rest, move gently, or journal what you notice. You don’t need to process or analyse it all — simply tracking your body’s response helps us understand what supports you best and builds long-term resilience.
Final thoughts
Whether you're seeking support for anxiety, burnout, chronic symptoms, or trauma, somatic therapy and nervous system regulation coaching can help you come back into relationship with your body in a safe, respectful way.
You don’t need to push, analyse, or have all the answers. This work is about tuning into what your body already knows — and gently building the capacity to stay with yourself, even in challenging moments.
If you're looking for trauma therapy in Auckland or want to explore online somatic therapy from anywhere in New Zealand, you're in the right place. Reach out if you have questions — I'm happy to talk it through.
Enquire here - I provide a free 30-minute intro call to explore working together and answer your questions.
Want to learn more?
Read my article about Somatic Therapy here.