Somatic EMDR Therapy for Guildford
Restore Balance and Reconnect with Yourself
When we experience trauma, prolonged stress, or emotional overwhelm, our mind and body can hold onto the past in ways that shape how we live today. You may notice anxiety that doesn’t make sense, a constant feeling of alertness, or physical tension that never fully eases. These are often signs that your nervous system hasn’t yet completed its natural healing process.
Somatic EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) offers a gentle, evidence-based path forward. It helps you release unresolved emotional energy, restore calm in the body, and reprocess distressing experiences so they lose their intensity. Through this integrative approach, you can begin to feel grounded, present, and safe again.
Why Somatic EMDR?
Traditional talk therapies focus primarily on thoughts and emotions. Somatic EMDR goes deeper — it recognises that trauma is stored not just in memory but within the nervous system itself. When something overwhelming happens, our body may freeze or go into survival mode. Even years later, that reaction can stay “stuck,” showing up as anxiety, fatigue, or disconnection.
By combining EMDR’s structured, research-backed framework with gentle body-based awareness, Somatic EMDR helps both the brain and body to heal. Using bilateral stimulation (like eye movements, tapping, or sound) and grounding techniques, we guide your system to safely process old experiences. As the body releases tension, the mind naturally finds new perspective and emotional freedom.
Therapy in a Safe, Supportive Setting
In sessions, safety is always the foundation. We start by helping you feel regulated and anchored before approaching any difficult memories. Each step is paced to your comfort — there’s no pressure to talk about details you’re not ready to share.
Clients often describe the process as surprisingly calm and empowering. Over time, memories that once felt painful begin to lose their emotional charge, and your nervous system learns that it is safe to relax again. You may notice yourself sleeping better, feeling lighter, and responding to life’s challenges with more ease.
Who Somatic EMDR Can Help
Somatic EMDR is suitable for anyone who feels stuck in patterns of fear, tension, or emotional overwhelm — even when you can’t pinpoint why. It’s especially helpful for:
Trauma and post-traumatic stress (PTSD)
Anxiety, panic, and hypervigilance
Chronic stress or burnout
Loss, grief, or relational trauma
Feeling detached or “numb”
Low confidence and self-worth
Many people come to Somatic EMDR after other therapies haven’t provided the lasting relief they hoped for. Because this approach works with both body and mind, it often reaches deeper layers of change.
About Working with Cherie
I’m Cherie James, a Somatic EMDR Therapist supporting clients in Guildford, Weybridge, and online via Zoom. My practice combines scientific understanding of trauma with a compassionate, human approach. Having personally experienced the impact of burnout, anxiety, and loss, I understand what it’s like to feel stuck — and how powerful the right therapeutic tools can be.
My goal is to help you reconnect with a sense of safety, purpose, and confidence. Together, we’ll work at the pace that feels right for you, integrating mind and body to create real, lasting transformation.
Flexible Appointments
In-person sessions: available in Weybridge, easily accessible from Guildford and surrounding Surrey areas.
Online sessions: offered via Zoom, ideal if you prefer therapy from home or live outside the area.
Wherever you are, you can expect the same grounded, confidential, and supportive space.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How is Somatic EMDR different from regular EMDR?
Somatic EMDR includes awareness of body sensations, breath, and posture, helping to release physical stress responses alongside emotional healing. It allows the body and brain to integrate change together.
2. Do I have to revisit traumatic events in detail?
No. We focus on helping your nervous system process the stored response, not on reliving the memory. You’re always in control, and the pace is adjusted to your comfort.
3. Can sessions be done online?
Yes. Many clients in Guildford choose secure Zoom sessions. The method is highly effective online, with adapted bilateral stimulation techniques that ensure safety and engagement.