Somatic Therapy with Aisling
"Aisling is not only well trained, but is a highly gifted therapist.
I would highly recommend working with her as a pathway to healing and becoming more whole."
What is Somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body- centred approach to healing psychological difficulties.
Working with the whole person, body and mind, it is at the leading edge of therapy today.
Drawing on neuroscience and new understandings of trauma and distress,
it works skilfully, gently and holistically to bring healing. It has been both my personal
and professional experience that a somatic approach can bring life change in profound and
long-lasting ways, empowering people to find freedom from cycles of suffering.
"It was all so natural, done in small amounts, so that whatever came up was manageable rathern than overwhelming.
Really I was coming home to my body."
It is effective because it goes to the roots of suffering, which as science is now showing,
is stored in the body. The body becomes the doorway to the deeper levels of the self, as well
as holding the healing capacities which can restore balance and well-being.
This when combined with dialogue and a mindful approach, offers a
powerful blend which can bring long lasting healing and well-being,
as well as giving you self care tools to last a lifetime.
"Aisling is kind, warm and non-judgmental and creates a healing space to explore all aspects of being human.
I have learned how to be more kind and loving to myself and self-regulate when I am in emotional pain."
When is it used?
Somatic therapy can help people who suffer from stress, anxiety, grief, addictions, eating disorders, sexual abuse, depression, anger, a lack of sense of self or life purpose, birth trauma, relationship issues, as well as issues related to trauma and accidents. It can also help with chronic physical pain including back and sciatica and digestive disorders.
Somatic therapy can be used in either individual, couple, or group settings.
"Working with Aisling has given me a greater connection with my inner self. I have learned to be more mindful of what my body is trying to tell me and I have gained a better connection with my child within."
What happens in a session?
A somatic approach combines talk therapy and tracking your body sensations.
This allows you to get in touch with yourself in deeper ways than talk therapy alone.
A key first step in Somatic therapy is "resourcing"- helping you to find safety and well-being.
This provides the foundations from which we then begin to explore your experience.
From there, we may use a mixture of talking, tracking sensations and gestures,
creative expression and healing touch, depending on your needs on the day.
Allowing your inner world to emerge "drop by drop",
helps to befriend and eventually transform difficulties.
As your therapist, I will guide and support you, by holding a space of loving presence,
empathy, and deep respect for what unfolds.
(Please see more testimonials below).
SOMATIC THERAPY: 70 euros per one hour session.
In person, online, and group sessions are available.
Contact Aisling on 085 155 2233 to book your first session.
Aisling recieves on-going supervision from Joan Davis, sensory-motor psychotherapist and founder of "Origins", the first Somatic therapy and education training in Ireland.
Further Information
Why work with the body?
As the old saying goes, " The body never lies".
Current scientific research is showing that for long lasting life transformation to occur, we need to address
our body as well as our psychology, as both are intertwined. This is where Somatic therapy comes in- working with the body responses that underlie the psychological, especially on a nervous system level, the body can heal the mind.
In Somatic therapy, the body is understood as the gateway to our inner world, as well as containing healing capacities to restore balance and well-being.
Through attending to our body's sensations, gestures, and tone of voice, we can discover the behaviours
that are embedded there, and begin to transform them. Often these patterns have their roots in early childhood- in pre-verbal stages which talking alone cannot reach. As we contact these places through our body's sensations, we can gently and safely allow areas of blockage to release, bringing emotional healing, and a re-newed sense of life's possibilities.
Together, we build skills to regulate and balance these responses which often have their roots in ancient survival responses of fight/ flight/ freeze. When unregulated, this can lead to feelings of fear, anger, dissociation, and disempowerment. By addressing trauma and difficulties on this level of the nervous system, it is possible to go to the root source of stress and distress, and gently release stored trauma and re-pattern our responses.
Techniques of somatic therapy include:
- embodied mindfulness: present moment awareness
- talking therapy
- tracking body sensations, gestures and movement
- titrating: a drop by drop, safe and measured approach
- therapeutic touch, drawn from biodynamic cranio-sacral therapy and Bodymindcentering.
- creative expression
Testimonials
"Aisling creates a warm and safe environment where it feels safe to open up, and there is never pressure to share more than I want. It has helped me to accept myself in the present moment- I'm more friendly and patient with myself. I really appreciate the wide spectrum of forms of support I can receive: from guided meditation,relaxation ,counselling to authentic movement and artistic expression."
"The somatic therapy has been a springboard for me to take control and do things for myself. I have valued the movement because it energised me in stuckness, and I find myself dancing more even at home. I loved the security that's brought through, to bring me home when I would be overwhelmed maybe by fears. I could come back to myself. "
"Staying present in the body is difficult for me at times, but always brings release and change in the way I feel. I always feel better and more relaxed after our one hour sessions."
I have come to the conclusion that human beings are born with an innate capacity to triumph over trauma. I believe not only that trauma is curable, but that the healing process can be a catalyst for profound awakening—a portal opening to emotional and genuine spiritual transformation. I have little doubt that as individuals, families, communities, and even nations, we have the capacity to learn how to heal and prevent much of the damage done by trauma. In so doing, we will significantly increase our ability to achieve both our individual and collective dreams.”
― Peter A. Levine, Healing Trauma: A Pioneering Program for Restoring the Wisdom of Your Body
