EMDR, Somatic Experiencing & Brainspotting
Somatic Experiencing
Brainspotting
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Somatic Experiencing (SE), developed by Peter Levine, is a body-based, trauma-informed approach that supports the nervous system’s natural capacity to heal and regulate after overwhelming experiences.
SE is grounded in the understanding that trauma is not only something we remember cognitively — it can also remain held in the body through patterns of tension, hypervigilance, shutdown, or chronic stress.
What I appreciate about Somatic Experiencing is its gentle and deeply respectful pace. Rather than pushing clients to revisit painful experiences before they feel ready, SE helps people gradually build awareness of physical sensations, nervous system responses, and the body’s subtle signals of stress and safety. Through this process, clients can begin to release stored survival responses and reconnect with a greater sense of stability, resilience, and presence. I consistently find that it is an essential support to the healing work of Deep Brain Reorienting and EMDR.
SE is supported by trauma and nervous system research and offers an approach that many people experience as grounding, collaborative, and empowering. For individuals who feel overwhelmed, disconnected from their bodies, or stuck in patterns of anxiety or tension, Somatic Experiencing can provide a compassionate pathway toward healing and regulation.
I have completed the Beginning and Intermediate years of SE training and look forward to completing the Advanced year in 2027.
Brainspotting is a powerful, yet gentle treatment for survivors of trauma and abuse. It is also helpful in the treatment of anxiety, depression, addictions, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and somatic pain. Musicians, writers, actors, athletes, and public speakers find it extremely helpful for performance enhancement and reducing performance anxiety.
Brainspotting is a neuroscience-informed treatment which targets the brain’s natural healing mechanisms, using specific eye positions and focused mindfulness, resulting in reduced emotional distress, new insights, and deeper or new feelings of safety within the self, relationships and world.
I have completed Levels 1 and 2 of Brainspotting training as well as many specialised workshops.
EMDR is an evidence-based trauma therapy that helps the brain and nervous system process experiences that may feel emotionally “stuck.”
Using bilateral stimulation (BLS) in a safe and supportive therapeutic space, EMDR supports the brain’s natural ability to integrate difficult experiences so they no longer feel as overwhelming in the present.
What I appreciate most about EMDR is that it doesn’t ask clients to simply “think differently” about trauma. Instead, it works with the ways trauma can become held emotionally, physically, and neurologically over time. Many people find that experiences which once felt highly activating begin to feel more distant, manageable, and less charged.
In my work, I value EMDR because it offers both structure and flexibility. It is grounded in extensive research while still allowing therapy to move at a pace that feels respectful, collaborative, and attuned to each person’s nervous system and lived experience. For many people, EMDR can support a deeper sense of regulation, clarity, self-trust, and connection after trauma.
I am a Certified EMDR therapist and continue to read, consult, and take further courses to deepen and broaden my understanding of this approach to healing trauma.
