Relational Somatic Therapy is a body-centred psychotherapy.
Our bodies hold all of our experiences; the moments of joy, sorrow, connection, pain, and our healing.
When we slow down and listen to what is happening in the body, we can experience the steady stream of signals and communication that help guide our lives. They prompt us to become alert, cautious and wide-eyed when we sense danger or, feel open-hearted and warm when we see the smiling face of a good friend. Most of these signals serve us well.
There can be patterns, thoughts and reactions driven from old stories, old wounds and outdated coping strategies. These strategies were once vitally important to our safety and we can out-grow them. We often run up against difficulties in life when our strategies no longer serve us. Often we want to change but the grooves of these patterns run deep.
By bringing awareness to the body and kindly observing sensation and impulse, we witness and gather information about our inner world. Attending to the body in this way means we can set interpretations, or our stories aside and work with our felt-experience and our physiology. Integration and healing happens on a foundational level, experienced as a ‘full-body knowing’. Clients feel lighter, open to possibilities, with new found energy to live authentically.
RST is experienced as a gentle unfolding. Together, we create the right support and follow the signs from the body. The body naturally wants to heal. The approach facilitates nervous system regulation, builds emotional capacity and loosens long-held beliefs, patterns and trauma.
RST draws upon Attachment theory, Polyvagal theory, trauma-renegotiation modalities and the latest findings in neuroscience.
Our sessions together are tailored to support you and your needs. Mindfulness and interventions from Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Narrative therapy may also help guide the process.