Trauma informed soft tissue therapist
I can ease the pain & tension that holds you back, restoring balance to your body so you can get back to enjoying the life you love.
For people & for dogs
Gloucester | Newent | Cinderford
About
Specialising in physical issues related to trauma & anxiety, I have over 10 years experience as a bodywork therapist resolving pain & soft tissue restrictions.
Bodywork for people
- The Bowen Technique
- Scar Tissue Release
- TMJ Therapy
- Massage & Energy Therapies
Bodywork for dogs
- Canine Bowen Therapy
- Scar Tissue Release
- Zoopharmacognosy (Herbal Self-Selection)
My soft tissue therapy practice
Taking a trauma informed approach to resolving pain within the body, I offer you connection in a safe & nurturing space. You will be seen & heard with compassion, without judgement. Whether your issues are trauma related or not, I am committed to understanding how you are feeling. If you are feeling discomfort & disconnect from your body, then you have come to the right place!
Trauma has the capacity to shape our posture, the way we move & the way we feel in our body. Over time this can lead to physical pain & tension, restricted movement & even inflammation.
Often, talking therapies alone are not enough for the trauma survivor, but bodywork therapies can help bridge the gap.
What is trauma?
Trauma is the emotional or physical hurt we feel following adverse experiences that overwhelm us. When we experience trauma it shatters our sense of safety, challenging the assumptions we have about our world. It is a survival adaptation not a disorder, an imprint left by adverse experience not the experience itself.
We may think that only big, dramatic events lead to trauma, but in fact any unpleasant experience has the capacity to overwhelm & unbalance us. Much like a spectrum, events that feel traumatic for one individual may not leave a trauma trace for another.
“How deep is the mud? Depends on who you ask – we all go through the same stuff differently”.
Anonymous
How does trauma affect the body?
Trauma can have significant & lasting impacts on our wellbeing because it imprints itself on the body.
When faced with a perceived threat to our safety our nervous system goes into survival mode & our body contracts in preparation for fight, flight or freeze. If the sense of overwhelm remains after the threat is gone, our nervous system gets stuck in survival mode. When feelings of overwhelm persist the body stays in a contracted state, commonly manifesting as tension, restriction & pain in the soft tissues. Over time this can lead to compensatory patterns building up in the soft tissues leading to more pain, more tension & the risk of inflammation.
The imprints that trauma leaves on the body can be subtle & we may even be unaware they are there. Examples include:
- unprocessed emotions that get stuck in soft tissue, affecting how we present ourselves to the world & how we respond to the world
- physical trauma that gets stuck in tissue, affecting how we move as the nervous system works hard to protect the specific area from further harm
How can soft tissue therapy help?
Bodywork therapies can help ease the pain & release the tension & restrictions stored in the soft tissues, bringing the body back into balance.
Non-invasive soft tissue therapy helps reconnect individuals with their body & reconnect their body with the world. Using light touch bodywork techniques can instigate regulation of the nervous system & in turn help the body feel safe again.
A better regulated nervous system is a more solid foundation from where the individual can begin their journey to recovery from trauma.
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.”
Peter A Levine
In my soft tissue therapy practice details of traumatic or harrowing experiences are not expected. However, should you wish to share your story with me, it will be held with the strictest of confidentiality.
My story…
I 1st felt the benefits of The Bowen Technique for myself while recovering from a C-section. I had already had 2 previous traumatic birthing experiences, which had left me feeling anxious & disconnected the 3rd time round.
