Somatic Therapy for Nervous System Regulation
My approach
Somatic Therapy using Somatic Experiencing®
Somatic therapy sessions usually begin seated and at first, may look or feel like an ordinary conversation. My role is to support you to gently bring awareness to your present moment experience in and around the body. I’ll invite you to pay attention to what’s happening in real time — for example physical sensations, impulses, breath, tension, or places that feel more or less connected. We work with what arises — for example tracking and following sensation; supporting gestures, sound, or movements that want to happen; or providing support or containment to your system. We use resources to provide support to the body and nervous system. These can be internal, such as imagination or taking attention to neutral/positive sensations; or external, such as supportive props or self-contact.
This work supports your nervous system to grow more capacity and regulation over time. In turn, that provides the conditions to effectively support the resolution of stored survival stress (which can show up as symptoms, tension patterns, activation, post traumatic stress, or emotional and mental health challenges). The work is gentle and titrated (done in small doses) so as not to overwhelm the nervous system.
SE Touch Work
I also offer SE touch work, a gentle, consent-based form of therapeutic touch, usually taking place with you lying face up on a massage table. It involves the careful application of supportive touch to specific areas of the body—such as joints, diaphragms, kidneys/adrenals, and the belly/abdomen —to support body awareness, a felt sense of safety, nervous system regulation, and the completion or repair of stress and trauma responses. As with seated somatic therapy sessions, the work is guided by gentle tracking of your nervous system, allowing change to unfold at a pace your system can comfortably integrate.
Typically, sessions focus either on seated Somatic Experiencing® work or on touch-based work. While we usually work primarily in one mode per session, over the course of our work together many clients experience both seated and touch-based sessions, depending on what best supports their process at the time.
Location
I primarily work from therapy rooms in Rosedale/Albany on Auckland’s North Shore.
I also work from therapy rooms in Parnell, Auckland City by arrangement.
Online sessions are also available and are a popular choice for those outside the area or who find online sessions more convenient. The work is equally effective online and the choice often comes down to personal preference.
Appointment Information
Standard sessions: 50 minutes with a few extra minutes for booking and payment.
Extended sessions (touch work only): 75 minutes.
Fees are payable on the day of appointment by bank transfer or cash. Payment is also available in session via my accounting app.
Cancellation Policy
I operate a standard cancellation policy. Please provide 24 hours notice if you need to cancel or postpone a session. If less than 24 hours notice is provided, the full session fee is charged. This is because your booking time, including room usage, is reserved exclusively for you.