isabelle gannon
Somatic Therapy
Somatic Experiencing is the foundation of our work. This is a body based healing modality that helps to resolve chronic stress, trauma and supports the nervous system to achieve greater regulation. This can look like working directly with awareness of your physiology, the felt sense of being in the body and sensations.
Who is it for?
Somatic Therapy is for people who are looking for therapeutic support that is trauma informed and not purely cognitive.
It can be beneficial for people experiencing chronic stress, PTSD, CPTSD, anxiety, depression and increasing overall nervous system regulation.
If you are looking to experience a greater sense of safety and freedom in the body and in life Somatic Therapy can support. It can support you to have a better relationship with yourself, to have more awareness and understanding around your embodied experience and your emotions. Somatic Therapy is also really helpful for those who need a therapeutic space to experience safe and consensual therapeutic touch and to have a reparative relational experience that is essential when healing trauma.
What to expect in your first session:
Before your first session
You will be sent an online intake form to complete before your first session. If you would like to have a brief discussion with me on the phone about whether I would be a suitable therapist for you please let me know and we can arrange a suitable time.
During your first session
Each session will begin with an in-depth conversation to see where you are at and what your needs are for the session. Sessions will include talking therapy and may include therapeutic hands on techniques, movement, sound, therapeutic self-touch, art therapy or somatic exercises as required.
Note that clients in acute distress or those needing specialised care that is beyond my scope of practice will be referred to the appropriate professionals. This is part of my duty of care to ensure that you are getting the best and most appropriate support at all times.
How is Somatic Therapy different to counselling?
Somatic therapy is similiar to counselling but instead of simply talking through the session I will be tracking your physiology and encouraging you to do the same. We track the nervous system and the felt sense in the session to explore patterns, reactions and create new pathways. We will not only explore the thoughts and meaning, but also the felt sense of your experience - this can include images and emotions.
Meet your therapist
Isabelle Gannon
My own personal experience with purely cognitive or non trauma informed modalities left me feeling like something was missing. Understanding is crucial but we can’t simply think our way out of trauma, stress or chronic issues. A holistic and integrated approach to healing to create lasting change, my own personal therapeutic journey is what what led me to discover these incredible modalities and then inspired me to train and study them myself.
How many sessions will I need?
The answer to that will be different for everyone and there is no set session amount. How the sessions unfold will determine what is needed.
Being a trauma informed therapist means that we will always work in a way that feels manageable and within your capacity or your ‘window of tolerance’. Safety is of the upmost importance, and the foundation of the work. We work together over time to create more safety inside, safety in your environment, and safety in the therapeutic relationship.
For some people touch work may be something we spend months working up to and for others relaxation style massage may be the ideal way to integrate and support nervous system regulation.
It takes times to build safety, rapport and for me to get to know your nervous system. For this reason three sessions spaced close together is my recommendation for working with a specific issue. For complex systems or issues the process may take more time and the work may be ongoing, everyone is different and we will review your goals and progress together along the way. This ensures safety and proper integration; deep work and lasting change takes time and it is important not to overwhelm the system and work within your capacity.
Holistic healing as the foundation of somatic experiencing
This is a holistic approach, nothing exists in isolation, and we are beings of connectedness and connection. Injury and trauma often happen in relationship and the path to healing and repair involves relationship. Relationship to ourselves, relationship to our environment and relationship to the other.