Childhood trauma reshapes the nervous system to protect you. Therapy helps it learn that protection can soften now.
In Weybridge I offer carefully paced somatic EMDR. We begin with stabilisation—sensory orientation, breath that lengthens, and resourcing that fits your day. The goal is a felt sense of safety before we approach anything difficult.
We listen for where young strategies still live: shrinking away, bracing to please, going numb so feelings don’t spill. Somatic awareness lets us meet these patterns with kindness. You’ll practise micro‑skills that teach your body it has options: soften the jaw, widen the gaze, place a steady hand to the chest, take a slow step outside.
When you are ready, we use EMDR’s bilateral stimulation to process the moments and beliefs that keep old alarms active. We work in short sets, pausing often to check capacity and re‑orient to the present. It’s slow for a reason: your system deserves care, not pressure.
Between sessions we design tiny supports that guard progress—simple routines that make the day friendlier to your nervous system. With repetition, the body learns that no longer being a child also means having more safety and choice.
Many people notice less startle, gentler self‑talk and the ability to stay with feeling a little longer. Change is paced, real and held with respect for what you carried.
FAQ
Q1. Is EMDR appropriate for childhood trauma work?
Yes—when stabilisation and consent lead, EMDR can update old learnings safely with a somatic lens.
Q2. How do we avoid overwhelm during processing?
We use titration, frequent pauses and grounding; you control pace and how close we go.
Q3. Can routines help between sessions?
Yes. Simple, repeatable anchors help your system keep changes: morning settle, pre‑call breath, sleep staircase.