When the nervous system is constantly on alert, even ordinary days can feel like wading through heavy mud. You might sleep, drink coffee, try to “be healthy” – and still feel strangely flat, wired or exhausted. In my Weybridge practice, I use somatic EMDR to help quiet those internal alarms and untie the deeper knots that quietly drain your energy, so capacity can return in a way that feels real, not forced.
We begin not with pushing you to “do more”, but with giving your body somewhere to land. Together we develop portable regulation anchors you can use in and out of sessions. That might include feeling the weight of your feet on the floor, sensing the support of the chair beneath you, softening your jaw, letting your gaze widen to take in more of the room, or lengthening the out-breath just a little. These small, repeatable cues don’t magically fix everything – but they lower background strain, like turning down a loud hum you didn’t realise you were always hearing. When the baseline alarm reduces, your system spends less energy simply surviving.
Once a bit of steadiness is in place, we bring curious attention to where your vitality leaks away during the day. Somatic awareness helps us trace this, not in abstract labels, but in concrete patterns. Perhaps your energy plummets after certain conversations, spikes and crashes around deadlines, or disappears when you scroll late at night instead of resting. Often the leak shows up as:
people-pleasing – saying yes when your body is a clear no
perfection – redoing work, never feeling finished, staying “on” for too long
avoidance – postponing tasks until the last moment, then pushing in a panic
In sessions, we notice how each pattern feels in your body. People-pleasing might come with a tight smile and a held breath. Perfectionism might show as a clenched jaw and racing thoughts. Avoidance might feel like heaviness in your limbs, a foggy head, a desire to disappear. Instead of shaming these responses, we treat them as your system’s best attempts so far to stay safe. Then we begin to experiment with kinder options that consume less energy: smaller yeses, bounded effort, gentler internal commentary, shorter bursts of focus followed by real pauses.
EMDR then helps us reach the roots of these patterns. Its bilateral rhythm – gentle left–right eye movements, taps or sounds – supports your brain and body in reprocessing the experiences and meanings that keep your “energy drain” stuck open. Together we identify key moments: perhaps a childhood where rest was labelled lazy, workplaces where mistakes were punished, caregiving roles that taught you to be endlessly available, or relationships where saying no felt dangerous. We also work with the beliefs that formed around those experiences: “I must be on all the time”, “If I stop, everything will fall apart”, “My needs are a problem.”
In EMDR sessions, we move through this material in short, paced rounds. Before each set, we return to your anchors – feet, breath, gaze, contact with the room – so your system knows where the present moment is. Rounds are deliberately brief, pauses are frequent, and consent is always visible. You are encouraged to notice when something feels like “enough for now” and when your energy dips. Our aim is not to exhaust you with intense processing, but to let your system digest just enough that a little more life becomes available for today.
Between sessions, we focus on protecting and gently expanding your capacity, rather than asking you to “power through.” Together we design micro-rests that can realistically fit into your life: a three-breath pause between tasks, a minute with your eyes off screens, a brief stand at the window to let your gaze settle on something stable. We also look at simple movement that supports your nervous system – not punishing workouts (unless you genuinely love them), but small, repeatable motions your body can actually enjoy: a short walk, stretching your back against a wall, rolling your shoulders, shaking out tension from hands and arms.
These practices are intentionally light. They are there to stop your limited energy from evaporating through constant tension, and to show your system that brief rests are allowed and safe. Over time, as EMDR loosens old meanings and your daily habits become a little more supportive, many people notice they have just enough extra capacity to make different choices: going to bed a bit earlier, saying no once, taking a proper lunch break, leaving a task unfinished without collapsing into shame.
The change is often subtle at first – less end-of-day collapse, fewer mornings that feel impossible, slightly more stable focus. But as internal alarms quieten and energy leaks are reduced, you may find that life demands the same from you, yet you are not as constantly depleted. Your body is no longer spending all its resources fighting invisible fires.
If you’re in or near Weybridge and you recognise this pattern of ongoing tiredness, overdrive or burnout, you’re welcome to explore whether somatic EMDR might help. To ask questions or arrange an initial session, please use the contact page: https://www.cherie-james.com/contact
— you can outline how your energy currently feels, what you’ve already tried, and what kind of change would make the most difference. From there, we can see together whether this nervous-system-aware, EMDR-informed way of working is a good fit for you.
FAQ
Q1. What do you mean by freeing energy with EMDR?
We process what consumes bandwidth—stuck alarms, old beliefs—so more of you is available for today.
Q2. Will I learn ways to protect new capacity?
Yes—micro‑rests, boundary lines and brief movement that keep gains intact.
Q3. Are options flexible for busy schedules?
Yes. Weybridge and secure online sessions are available.