Somatic EMDR Therapy in Richmond, Surrey
Restore Emotional Balance Through Body-Based EMDR
Richmond is a place full of contrast — beautiful parks, calm river paths, and a lively, fast-paced lifestyle. Yet many people living or working here quietly carry emotional strain beneath the surface. You may notice tension that doesn’t fade, sudden anxiety without a clear trigger, or a constant feeling of alertness even when your day seems peaceful. These are signs that your nervous system is still holding on to old stress or trauma.
Somatic EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) offers a gentle, grounded, and evidence-based path to healing. It works by combining traditional EMDR — which helps the brain reprocess difficult experiences — with somatic (body-focused) awareness that supports the nervous system to release stored tension. This creates a deeper, more embodied shift than talking alone.
Clients from Richmond and surrounding areas come to this approach because it engages both mind and body, allowing them to finally move past emotional patterns that once felt impossible to change.
Therapy sessions are available in-person in Weybridge or online via Zoom, giving you flexibility while maintaining the same high standard of care.
How Somatic EMDR Supports Your Healing
When something overwhelming happens, your system does everything it can to protect you. But sometimes, the brain doesn’t finish processing the event, leaving parts of it stored as sensations, beliefs, or emotions that continue affecting you today. That’s why triggers can feel confusing — the body responds as though the past is still happening.
Somatic EMDR helps complete this unfinished processing. Through gentle bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements, sound, or tapping), the brain begins integrating the experience in a way that reduces emotional intensity. Adding somatic awareness — noticing tension patterns, breath, grounding, and sensation — supports the body to relax and let go.
Over time, you may notice:
Reduced anxiety or panic
A calmer, more regulated nervous system
A softening of intrusive thoughts or emotional reactions
Increased clarity and emotional stability
A greater sense of presence and safety
Relief from tension or stress stored in the body
The process is steady, safe, and always guided by your pace.
Why Richmond Clients Choose Somatic EMDR
People in Richmond often juggle multiple roles — family life, professional responsibilities, social commitments, and the pressure to “hold everything together.” Over time, emotional strain can build, leading to symptoms that won’t shift on their own.
Somatic EMDR can be especially supportive if you’re experiencing:
Long-term anxiety or worry
Emotional overwhelm or irritability
Trauma (recent or historic)
Stress-related fatigue or burnout
Low self-worth or harsh inner criticism
Feeling disconnected, numb, or “not yourself”
This approach doesn’t ask you to retell every detail of your story. Healing focuses on how your body responds now, helping you regulate safely before approaching deeper work.
About Your Therapist
I’m Cherie James, a Somatic EMDR therapist supporting clients from Richmond and across Surrey. My therapeutic work is shaped by both professional training and meaningful personal experience — I’ve lived through burnout, anxiety, chronic stress, and profound loss. Because of this, I understand just how deeply emotional pain can settle into the body.
Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years in demanding creative and corporate environments, witnessing firsthand how stress impacts the nervous system. Today, my approach brings together EMDR, somatic grounding, trauma-informed understanding, and genuine compassion. Sessions are calm, steady, and tailored to your individual rhythm — never rushed or overwhelming.
Therapy Options for Richmond Clients
Choose the setting that best supports your wellbeing:
In-person therapy in Weybridge (approx. 20–25 minutes from Richmond)
Online Somatic EMDR via Zoom for comfort and flexibility
Both options provide a warm, supportive, confidential therapeutic space.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Does Somatic EMDR work if I don’t remember my trauma clearly?
Yes. Somatic EMDR focuses on your body’s present-day responses, not on detailed recollection. You don’t need a perfect memory for the therapy to be effective.
2. What makes Somatic EMDR different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy relies on language, while Somatic EMDR works directly with neurological and bodily responses. This helps release emotional patterns stored deeper than conscious thought.
3. Will the sessions be overwhelming?
No. We begin with grounding and stabilisation so your system feels safe before any deeper processing. You stay in control at every stage.