Deep Connexions

07/05/2026

Ten years ago, I officially launched my therapy practice.
It has been a real leap of faith as at the end of that same month, my marriage totally fell apart.

I gritted my teeth and stayed on course to become the healer I knew was inside me and needed to come forward.

to all those who also believed in me and trusted me to guide them to achieve their true potential. 🙏😍🙏😍🙏

My 'work' and the people I support amaze me bloomin' everyday. They sign up to the deep dive and we journey together uncovering their story ✨✨ bringing them back into connexion with themselves, their true wisdom and innate power.

www.deepconnexions.co.uk

07/05/2026

Now this is extremely controversial....

Yes. I truly feel sad and somewhat horrified.

I understand that this gives hope to those who are desperate to conceive and become parents but what about the little one's quality of life - not just in this artificial space but going forward in life???

As a pre and perinatal tharapist, I work with the baby's story - the baby that sits within all of us, our earliest self that is still with us everyday. We have all been the baby. We a have our own experience of journeying into this physical realm. And mothers do not know this individual story.....they are not the baby. They are the vessel through which we come but they do not experience what the baby experiences.

I work with the underlying traumas that the little one experiences through conception, pregnancy and birth:
# Their sense of abandonment, rejection
# their struggle to get their needs met and survive
# how they have had to deal with the effects of maternal blood conditions, medication, toxicity, alcohol, drugs, emotions, diet.....

I believe this development is truly scary for humanity. We do not survive in wholeness and achieve our potential if we are disconnected from another.
Coming into mother (conception and implantation) is our first sense of attachment.
As mammals we need to be in heartfelt connection with mother, our tribe/others in order to achieve our potential. There is so so much research around this.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1E7W2pDVXr/

This is one of those moments where science stops you in your tracks and makes you think about everything differently.
Japan has successfully created the world's first artificial womb. This means that for the very first time in human history, an embryo can grow and develop completely outside of a woman's body. No natural womb needed.
For many people this sounds like something straight out of a movie. But this is real. This is happening right now and it could change the future of pregnancy, medicine, and human life as we know it.
Think about the women who cannot carry a pregnancy due to medical conditions. Think about premature babies born too early with little chance of survival. Think about couples who have tried everything and still cannot have a child. This technology could be the answer so many people have been praying for.
The artificial womb works by recreating the exact environment of a natural womb. It controls temperature, nutrients, oxygen, and everything else a growing embryo needs to develop safely and healthily.
Of course this breakthrough also opens up big conversations around ethics, religion, and what it means to be human. Those are important conversations and the world needs to have them openly and honestly.
But at its core this is about giving life a chance where life was not possible before. That is a beautiful thing.
Japan continues to push the boundaries of what science can achieve and this time the entire world is paying attention.
The future of human life just changed forever.

26/04/2026

This!! Totally evident in the pre and perinatal work I do with my clients where we work with the unseen story of the individual's conception, womb and birth - experiences that are preverbal and definitely held within our cells.
I am also seeing the cross over of donor experiences in a kidney transplant client of mine too.
Totally fascinating and very real. 😊

Scientists just overturned one of neuroscience's most fundamental assumptions — memory is not stored exclusively in the brain but distributed across the body's entire cellular network, with non-neural cells in organs, muscles, and immune tissue actively participating in memory formation and recall.

Research at the Salk Institute using single-cell RNA sequencing across 47 different tissue types found that learning experiences trigger identical molecular memory consolidation processes in liver cells, kidney cells, muscle cells, and immune cells as those occurring simultaneously in hippocampal neurons during memory formation. The cellular memory process involves epigenetic modifications — chemical changes to DNA packaging that alter which genes are expressed — that encode information about experiences in cells throughout the body with the same molecular signatures as neural memory engrams. Blocking these peripheral cellular memory processes impaired recall even when brain hippocampal function remained completely intact.

The most striking finding came from transplant medicine: organ recipients receiving livers and kidneys from donors with specific phobias showed measurable preference changes and mild acquired responses related to their donor's documented experiences in 12 documented cases — previously dismissed as coincidence but now explicable through cellular memory transfer. Non-neural cellular memory appears to encode emotional and physiological associations with experiences through hormone and neurotransmitter exposure during the original experience.

This discovery fundamentally expands where neuroscience looks for memory and potentially where medicine intervenes when memory-related conditions require treatment.
Source: Salk Institute for Biological Studies, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Nature Cell Biology, 2025

26/04/2026

Do you know that our central nervous system is basically developed by the end of the first timester?

The experiences of the little one during early pregnancy can result in immaturities and glitches in the CNS that can go on to impact and hinder the birth process of the baby and the future development of the child.

I had the opportunity to share this knowledge with fellow INPP Ltd Licenciates at INPP Supervision this weekend, which is a requirement of our on going practitioner code of practice and development.

If you are baffled by your child's behaviour or lack of academic performance and would like to know more, please send all your contact details to:
info@deepconnexions.co.uk and let's organise a discovery call. 😊

26/04/2026

More toys don't help. More stimulation doesn't help.

But a calm caring attuned response and environment does massively.

We spend years preparing kids for school, but 85% of brain development happens before age 3. That means the most critical learning window unfolds long before most parents think about education. During these early years, the brain builds over 1 million neural connections per second, shaped by everyday experiences rather than flashcards or early academics.

What truly builds your baby's brain are focused play, simple toys, independence, problem solving, exploration, and responsive caregiving. These small, repeated moments where your child feels safe to explore while you consistently respond wire the foundations of executive function. When a baby explores a simple toy, struggles with a new task, or moves freely in a calm space with a responsive adult nearby, their brain learns more than any academic activity could offer.

Here's what most parents don't realize: more toys don't help, and more stimulation doesn't help. A calm, thoughtful environment does. You don't need to teach your baby traditionally. Create conditions for learning through slower days, less overwhelm, simple objects, rich face-to-face interaction, and room for curiosity. The goal isn't pushing more information in but supporting the brain's natural building process. Save this reminder for moments you feel pressured to do more. What matters most is how your child feels, explores, and connects with you in these first few years."

23/04/2026

Why is writing so important?

I often talk to parents about this in my session work.
Many of the children that come to see me are struggling with reading and writing. I understand the pressures of needing to do well. And if a child is struggling, one of the ways the educational system tries to support is by providibg the child with technology such as their own laptop because it is easier to tap the words in than write.

Yep I totally get it 😊
But fundamentally this is not helping.
It is not helping the development of the child.
It is only addressing the symptoms of the real issue and the school's need for results to stay high in the league tables.... Controversial I know 🙃

The research below validates the reasons and huge benefits for writing.

So if your child is struggling to write, why not book a discovery call so I can explain how retained reflexes may be the root reason and how an individualised developmental movement programme can remedy much of this and more.

Email: info@deepconnexions.co.uk
Text or call 07790 783280

www.deepconnexions.co.uk

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A small but groundbreaking study from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology used advanced 256-electrode EEG nets to peek inside our brains while writing. They found when you write words by hand, brain regions light up in elaborate patterns--- connecting visual, motor, and sensory inputs in a symphony of engagement. But when you type those very same words, reaction in these vital areas is more minimal. The physical act of forming letters—feeling the pen, applying pressure, seeing thoughts emerge into unique shapes you create—demands a complex sensorimotor experience that deeply engages your brain, enhancing learning, memory, and even fine motor skills in ways simple key presses just can't replicate.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38343894/

19/04/2026

Is it important to delay cord clamping?

What’s the evidence on optimal cord clamping?

We’ve known for many years that there are many advantages to leaving the umbilical cord intact for a few minutes after birth.

Clamping and cutting the cord too early (including with shoelaces – please don’t ever do this) can deplete a baby’s iron stores and be detrimental to their health.

In premature babies, early clamping and cutting of the cord leads to a lower chance of survival.

This is important information for parents, caregivers, birth workers and others.

I have just updated my blog post which lists and summarises the evidence on this topic.

You can see it at https://www.sarawickham.com/research-updates/optimal-cord-clamping/

09/04/2026

Are you baffled by your child's behaviour or lack of academic performance?

Are you exhausted and feeling frazzled from constantly having to parent emotional outbursts?

Such challenges can reflect much earlier stages of development and a profile of retained reflexes.
We each have our own individual experience of womb and birth which can leave imprints upon our neurology. I like to visualise these like fingerprints or maps of experience that become our subconscious go to when we are dealing with transition or stressful times.

The good news is that a personalised drug free therapeutic developmental movement programme can remediate such issues and create lasting change for all.

Working together, we will uncover the root causes for your child’s struggles whilst transforming their retained reflex profile via a programme of daily exercises. I will also mentor and empower you with practical tools, strategies and emotional support to improve your own and your child’s wellbeing. Through deeper understanding and increased clarity, you will be able to build a stronger, happier family dynamic whilst creating a nurturing environment for growth and success of all.

If you think your child or family could benefit, or you would like to understand more about retained reflexes, please call 07790 783280 or email: info@deepconnexions.co.uk leaving your contact details for further information.

www.deepconnexions.co.uk

04/04/2026

This. I often talk about the impact of ultrasounds scans on the embryo and foetus,
as I work with the aftermath trauma of this in my therapy practice:
Children who come to me because they
# are hypervigilant
# have a fear of the outside world
# are suffering high anxiety

The little one is sentient.
The little one is conscious.

An ultrasound invades their world. It is unknown. It can set up imprints which then influences the way the induvidual goes on to live their life.

And this is apart from the fear that can be generated for the parents.... Which the little one then 'marinades' in.

We all need to remember, we develop our neurology during the first trimester.
What happens in those first few weeks of a little one's life can have the most profound impact on them going forwards.

If you are struggling to parent your child's anger or anxiety, and would like to understand your child better, please reach out to organise a discovery call. Email
info@deepconnexions.co.uk with your mobile /telephone number and let's have a chat.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DWEnx7XkdJ0/?igsh=dmtuZmhiNWpicGtx

23/03/2026

As an INPP Ltd Licentiate, I totally believe in the INPP developmental movement programme for integrating retained reflexes.
If you would like to know more, please email info@deepconnexions.co.uk and let's organise a conversation 😊

The child who can't sit still might not have a behaviour problem.

They might have an unfinished body.

We're trained to look upward when a child struggles — to attention, motivation, intelligence, home life.

But what if the answer lies further down?

In the nervous system. In the body itself.

There's a concept called neuromotor immaturity — the idea that some children enter the classroom still carrying primitive reflexes that should have integrated in their earliest months of life.

These reflexes aren't a diagnosis. They're a developmental stage that hasn't fully completed.

And when they persist, they can interfere with everything we associate with being "ready to learn" — sitting still, tracking a line of text, copying from a board, regulating emotions on the playground.

Not because the child isn't trying.data: Because the physical foundations aren't yet in place.

Sally Goddard Blythe and the Institute for Neuro-Physiological Psychology (INPP) have spent decades researching exactly this — the connection between physical development, central nervous system maturation, and learning readiness. Their work is documented and accessible at inpp.org.uk.

The practical response is the INPP Schools Programme — a 10-minute daily movement routine, led by a qualified teacher, with the whole class.

Schools running this programme have reported outcomes including 40 minutes more concentration time per day, playground incidents reduced by half, and measurable improvements in learning outcomes.

Not through additional intervention. Through addressing what was missing at the foundation.

12 more experienced teachers are now taking this approach into their schools as part of the current cohort — a signal that this is gaining real traction in the classroom.

If you're a teacher or SENCO who has tried the usual approaches and still feels like something foundational is being missed — this might be the lens you've been looking for.

Two ways to take this further:

→ Attend the next course in St Albans on 5th June — details at inpp.uk

→ Want to bring this training to your whole staff? Contact info@inpp.uk to host a course

How many children in your school might this describe?

10/03/2026

The validity of Reflex Integration.

This is a great post by a fellow reflex integration practitioner explaining why reflex integration is so important and the history of this cutting edge therapeutic modality that is ever evolving and requires specific training.

As a mum of three, when the medical and educational professions could not explain why my children were not achieving their full potential, I had to dig deep to find the missing piece of the puzzle.
This led me to training with INPP Ltd and becoming a holistic developmental trauma specialist.

There seems to have been a spate of negative social media surrounding the subject of reflex integration as a therapeutic intervention. There are a few misinformed posts circulating. None of them written from an actual experience of the work. Isn't that interesting?
I would like to address some of the common concerns. I apologise for this long post...

* Research papers

One of the main criticisms is apparently a lack of independent research. The drivers behind a lot of research, are people who work with reflex integration day by day. The therapy is not widely understood beyond those circles. To get independent research done, requires a lot of money and also researchers who actually understand the work. You cannot understand, unless you have training. So, a bit of a catch-22 situation.
Another criticism seems to be that the research is restricted to their chosen modality. Given that that is how they know to work with reflex integration, how can we expect anything different? It is also a way of testing and monitoring that their modalities do work and do get results.
However, the body of research is growing. I do have a seven page document with hyperlinks to research. If you would like a copy, please message me, as I am not able to load it here.

* Training in Reflex Integration:

As a therapeutic practise, we are still in early stages of development, relatively speaking. So, it is run by small networks of therapeutic approaches, such as: MNRI, INPP, RMTi, Melillo Method, QRI and many, many more.
I do wish there would be a collaboration of understanding from all modalities and approaches. They all have their strengths and their weaknesses. They are all constantly evolving - striving to be better, striving for more understanding and reflection. Collaboration would be awesome, but as yet, that is not the case.
We are also a very long way from seeing it adopted at university level or degree status - though that would be truly wonderful to see. This would require well trained lecturers who understand the developmental implications of reflexes, not just patterns that are tested in paediatric assessments.

Why do we test for primitive reflexes? Why should all babies respond, if it didn't matter for ongoing development?

Research into the individual function of reflexes have actually been ongoing for over fifty years. And still we are being accused of making things up, of being questionable as a practise. Please can someone tell me why paying attention to the foundations of development is so terrible?

So, unfortunately, if you want to train in this work and understand it more, you do have to go through one of the groups that are more internationally active and recognised. Yes, I would like to see the quality of training more regulated and monitored. It would be great to have one world-wide governing body monitoring and regulating the quality and understanding.

* Claims at curing neurological differences:

No self-respecting properly trained reflex integration therapist/neurodevelopmental therapist would or should make such claims. We are an educational approach - teaching nervous systems how to regulate sensory processing and motion, more efficiently, more effortlessly and strengthening the nervous system in the process. The simple difference, is that we go back to the original building blocks and do the best we can to ensure the nervous system puts them into place. The goal, is always to increase an individuals access to choice. Choice around how they are able to understand their bodies in space, choice around regulating safety and attachment, choice around motion, choice around emotional regulation. As reflexes integrate, the foundation blocks for neurological resource, strengthens. Reducing the level of challenge one lives with, is always the goal. Retained primitive reflexes are simply one piece of the puzzle when trying to understand a person's level of difficulty with life and living.

* It's just monetising movement:

This argument floors me. We are human beings. We are created to be able to execute incredibly complex movement. Please tell me which therapeutic movement programs are not monetised? Occupational Therapy? Physical Therapy? Chiropractic? Osteopathy? Sport? Tai Chi, Martial Arts, Gym workouts.
I could go on.
These have all been around for a lot longer and have had more time to become accepted as therapeutic intervention, when dysfunctional motion is identified. The difference with reflex integration, is that we go back to the original building blocks of motion. We want to make sure the reflex arcs for motion have actually been able to connect in the nervous system. The more they connect and fulfil their role in our nervous system development, the more efficient the connections between different hubs in the brain, become.
Yes, there are some modalities out there who charge an eye-watering amount for their treatment. But, not all of them are like that. It's the same with all movement based interventions, whether they recognise, or understand the role of primitive reflexes or not.
You pay for the cost of training they have undergone, to build their understanding and you pay for their experience. As you would for anything.

* Reflex Integration is:

Reflex Integration is about looking at the whole child/ the whole person. We are looking to connect dots, as to why difficulties exist in the first place. Trying to identify the root cause, is the key and finding a solution. Can we reteach the nervous system to fulfil what it struggled to do, earlier? Can we give the nervous system a second chance?
We do not believe in coping strategies or having to learn to compensate. But we do recognise the nervous system's extraordinary capacity to do this. We see it again and again in the work we do.

Reflex Integration is always functional. Reflex integration should respect the state of a nervous system and work with each individual, with kindness and care. As function improves, this is evidence that neurological connections and synapses are firing better. Sensory processing and motion are a complex dance within the neurology of our brains. This is a key piece of our training, too. Everything is connected.

* What are Primitive Reflexes?

Primitive Reflexes primary role is to teach us how to survive. How to thrive. They teach us how to move. How to control our muscles optimally and our senses in balance. So, whenever they have not been able to fulfil their role, it can lead to our nervous systems having to adapt and compensate. Compensation takes effort.
Retained reflexes simply means that the reflexes have not fulfilled their role yet. As a consequence, the brain apportions energy in different ways. Integration = more effortless function.

Retained reflexes are connected to Sensory Processing Difficulties. They underpin our ability to develop the senses in the first place.
If the nervous system is struggling to process sensory processing, there is a reason. We function by how well we process sensory information from inside us, as well as from outside of us. The efficiency of that input, then determines the efficiency of the motor output. It is how our nervous systems function.
If a primitive reflex has fulfilled its developmental role in our nervous system, then our brain masters voluntary control over the movement pattern and it can always call on it, when the demand is there. We can function in a more balanced, effortless way.

Primitive reflexes have a crucial role to play in our nervous system development and our function. They are not a disease. They are not something we have to get rid of. They are not something to be feared. They simply need a little help to do what they were originally designed to do. They should emerge, develop and integrate or transform into lifelong postural control. Therapists who work with retained reflexes, are trained to understand this developmental journey and identify when an individual may need help with integration. Different modalities approach integration in different ways.

Retained primitive reflexes are far more common, than you would think. It simply depends on how much of an impact they have on your function, and if you would like to invite your nervous systems to develop stronger resources.

Most children and adults who come to us, have already tried many, many other things to help them. For me personally, it was the missing link after seven years of other interventions, for my son. Hence why I am here, today. Many parents and trainees I have worked with over the years, will say exactly the same - but of course that is anecdotal. It's not research.