Living with unresolved trauma can feel as though your body remains braced for difficulties that happened long ago. You might experience hypervigilance, physical tension, or persistent alertness even in quiet moments. Trauma-informed somatic therapy provides a unhurried online space to help you explore these bodily responses at your own pace.
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A trauma-informed approach prioritises personal safety, clear consent, and gentle boundaries. Traditional talking therapy can sometimes create an implicit expectation to retell painful stories in detail. In my practice, establishing physical and emotional safety comes first. You will never be pushed to recount overwhelming events before feeling grounded and ready, allowing us to move strictly at a pace your system can manage.
Trauma influences how your nervous system perceives safety and threat. Following overwhelming experiences, the mind may seek to move forward while the body continues to hold protective bracing. A trauma-informed model recognises that hypervigilance, muscle tightness, or numbness are protective strategies rather than personal shortcomings. We respect these bodily responses rather than attempting to force rapid change.
Developed by Dr Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing explores how stress and traumatic experiences are held in the body. When a threat arises, the nervous system naturally prepares to fight, flee, or freeze. If those self-protective responses are interrupted, physical tension, ongoing bracing, or an underlying sense of anxiety can remain stored in bodily patterns over time.
By noticing physical sensations such as warmth, muscle tightness, or subtle changes in breath, somatic therapy invites a gentle exploration of bodily tension without overwhelming your system. Combining body awareness with a person-centred foundation, I offer empathy and steady presence, creating a secure relational environment where your nervous system may gradually find greater physical ease.
Sessions last 50 minutes at a fee of £90, conducted online for clients living anywhere across the UK or Ireland. If you experience heightened anxiety or panic alongside trauma symptoms, you can read more about my work on somatic therapy for anxiety or explore my general guide to online somatic therapy in the UK.
Reaching out when you feel on edge can feel daunting, so I keep the initial process straightforward. We begin with a free 20 minute introductory call over video. This short conversation offers a calm, low-pressure space to share what you hope to work on and explore whether my approach feels like the right fit for you.
I am an MSc-qualified therapist and an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Accred), with eight years of experience. Sessions are £90 for 50 minutes, conducted online across the UK and Ireland, beginning with a free 20 minute consultation. I accept the following insurance providers:
I am registered as an approved provider with Aviva, AXA, Bupa, Healix, and Vitality, and I also work a couple of days each week as a Bupa therapist. If you plan to claim session fees through private health insurance, please mention this during our initial consultation so we can outline the administrative steps together with ease.
No. Trauma-informed somatic therapy does not require you to revisit or retell painful memories to process them. Instead, we pay attention to how your nervous system holds tension in the present moment, working safely within your comfort level so you stay grounded throughout our work.
Hypervigilance reflects a nervous system remaining alert to keep you safe. Somatic Experiencing tracks subtle physical cues like muscular tension and breathing patterns, helping your system explore gentle grounding so you can notice whether the present environment feels safer than past experiences.
Yes. Online therapy allows you to stay in your own familiar space where you already feel comfortable. Video sessions offer the relational connection needed for somatic work, allowing us to attend to bodily cues, pacing, and grounding just as attentively as in-person sessions.
If you feel constantly on edge and want to explore a gentle, trauma-informed somatic approach, book a free 20 minute intro call to begin.
Book a free 20-minute call with Peter