Somatic counselling and psychotherapy works with both mind and body, and has the potential to create real and sustained change. I see many clients who have had therapy in the past and feel like they have an intellectual understanding of why they are the way they are, yet are unsure of how to move forward.

Working somatically is a slow and gentle process. This work can help you befriend the parts of yourself that unconsciously influence how you feel and which drive behavioural, relational and thought patterns.

Working in this way allows the time and space to meet the parts of you that weren’t supported, felt scared or worried and didn’t have the opportunity to be seen or heard.

Meeting yourself by inviting the body and nervous system to be part of the process creates the conditions for sustained change as you give yourself what you need. Acknowledgment, attention, a voice, some support.

Coming into contact with these parts in a safe and supportive way helps to embody more connection and aliveness, so you can enjoy a more fulfilling life.

Getting to know these places invites in the possibility for change, presenting you with the opportunity to navigate the world in more expansive and authentic ways.

*feel less triggered during sessions by safely working with the body to process difficult emotions, rather than repeating a story that you may find traumatising. This can support you to stay within your window of tolerance

*an integrated approach that includes mind and body, helping you to achieve sustained change in a safe and gentle way

*working with what is here now, rather than revisiting the past

*create the conditions for greater awareness, self compassion and trust, helping you break habitual patterns that may have been unconsciously holding you back

*you have access to tools that can resource and support you between sessions, such as learning how to approach what may be challenging and learning how to resource yourself when you feel activated and/or numb

Michelle works with adults and finds this approach to therapy supportive when

*you are experiencing challenges within personal and professional relationships

*you are feeling anxious or not quite like yourself. This may be coming from known and/or unknown sources

*feeling grief and loss that may come from losing a loved one, separation, isolation, loss of employment, losing one’s meaning or purpose, or any event that has caused you to experience a sense of loss

*dealing with the effects of single incident ptsd and cptsd that stems from a challenging childhood

*processing your experience of an unexpected and/or chronic health diagnosis

*you find yourself at a crossroads, and are perhaps questioning your life direction, meaning and purpose

*you have an intellectual understanding of why you are the way you are, but don’t know where to next. Including your body in the psychotherapeutic process can help you take the next steps in creating sustained change

As a Polyvagal informed somatic therapist, Michelle will work with you in a safe and supportive way to grow your capacity to feel safe so you can be present during the psychotherapeutic process. Using a Polyvagal framework will help you to navigate the influence that the state of your nervous system has, and how this may be contributing to certain thoughts, behaviours, feelings and the way you relate to others in the here and now, rather than starting from a moment in time from the past.

Michelle takes a client centred outlook and will support you in a compassionate and non judgemental manner, moving between the story you are sharing, to noticing how your body is responding to what is being said. This encourages integration between mind and body, working in a way to invite the body to process difficult subject matter, rather than repeating a story that can be triggering.

The therapeutic frameworks that form the basis of session include a Focusing oriented approach, working somatically with the different parts, education about the role of the nervous system via Polyvagal theory and an attachment lens.

Online sessions are available by appointment Australia wide with limited availability in person.