Somatic EMDR in Weybridge
A body-based pathway to emotional healing
When you’ve been through something deeply distressing, your body and mind can hold onto the experience in ways that words alone can’t reach. You might notice tension that never quite goes away, sudden emotional reactions, or a lingering sense of unease even when life seems “fine.” These are signs that your nervous system is still carrying unfinished business from the past.
Somatic EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic approach designed to help you release that stored stress. It draws on the well-researched EMDR framework while incorporating gentle, body-centred techniques that restore safety and balance to your whole system. In my Weybridge practice, this integrative method supports clients to process trauma, anxiety, and loss with compassion, clarity, and calm.
How Somatic EMDR works
When a traumatic or overwhelming event occurs, the brain’s normal information-processing system can become disrupted. Instead of being filed away as a memory, the experience remains “stuck” in the nervous system — complete with the sensations, emotions, and limiting beliefs that accompanied it. You may find yourself reacting to present situations as if the past were happening again.
During Somatic EMDR sessions, we use bilateral stimulation — gentle eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds — to engage both hemispheres of the brain. This helps the body release the frozen energy connected to the event and allows the brain to complete the processing that was interrupted.
Because this approach also attends to the body, we integrate mindful awareness, breathwork, and grounding to create a felt sense of safety before revisiting difficult memories. Over time, distressing experiences lose their emotional charge, and the nervous system learns that the danger has passed. The result is a calmer mind, a more relaxed body, and the freedom to respond rather than react.
Why combine somatic therapy with EMDR?
Traditional EMDR already supports deep psychological change, but some clients notice that their body still holds tension or pain long after their thoughts feel resolved. The somatic component bridges this gap. It recognises that trauma lives not only in memory but in muscle, posture, and breath.
By listening to the body’s signals and incorporating small, supportive movements, Somatic EMDR allows healing to reach the layers where talk therapy cannot. You begin to experience safety as a felt sense — not just an intellectual understanding. This embodied safety becomes the foundation for lasting change.
What to expect in sessions
Each session is collaborative and paced to your comfort. In the first meeting, we discuss your goals, history, and current challenges. We spend time developing resources for self-regulation so that you always have strategies to return to calm between sessions.
As therapy progresses, we gradually approach the experiences that still feel charged, using the Somatic EMDR framework to transform them. Clients often describe feeling lighter, more present, and more self-compassionate. The process is not about reliving trauma but about completing what the body never had a chance to finish — the natural cycle of stress, release, and restoration.
About Cherie James
I’m Cherie James, an EMDR Therapist in Weybridge specialising in somatic and integrative approaches to trauma recovery. My own healing journey and years in high-pressure creative industries taught me how profoundly stress and emotional pain can affect the body. That personal insight informs my work with clients: therapy that is empathetic, evidence-based, and attuned to real-world challenges.
I believe everyone can benefit from therapy when it’s delivered with warmth, respect, and curiosity. My role is to provide a safe space where you can reconnect with your innate resilience and rediscover a sense of ease within yourself.
The benefits of Somatic EMDR
Reduces symptoms of trauma, anxiety, and chronic stress
Calms the nervous system and restores physical balance
Shifts limiting beliefs and negative self-talk
Increases self-awareness and emotional regulation
Builds resilience and confidence in daily life
Promotes lasting, embodied change — not just temporary relief
Whether you’ve experienced a single traumatic event or years of accumulated stress, Somatic EMDR can help you integrate those experiences and reclaim your sense of wholeness. Sessions are available in Weybridge or online, offering flexibility and confidentiality.
If you’re ready to explore a new way of healing, let’s talk. The first step is often the hardest — but it’s also the moment transformation begins.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Is Somatic EMDR suitable for everyone?
Most people benefit from this integrative method, but the approach is always tailored to your individual needs and readiness. Before beginning, we’ll discuss your history and goals to ensure EMDR is a good fit and to adapt the pace accordingly.
2. How many sessions will I need?
There’s no fixed number. Some clients notice meaningful improvement within a few sessions, while others prefer ongoing support for deeper or long-term issues. We review progress regularly so you feel empowered throughout the process.
3. Can Somatic EMDR help if I’ve already tried other therapies?
Yes. Many clients come to Somatic EMDR after traditional talking therapies have plateaued. By including the body’s wisdom in the healing process, this approach often reaches levels of transformation that purely cognitive methods cannot achieve.