Peeling The Onion: Clinical Somatics & Bach Flowers

01/01/2026

All the best for 2026... whatever it may bring 💕

I wish you good health & a sense of genuine safety in your life - and to build on those foundations if you're able to do so.

(And let's see if my videos get any less blurry as the new year goes on, huh? 😆)

21/12/2025

😮 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗦𝗢𝗙𝗧𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦 𝗜𝗦 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗦𝗧𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗚𝗧𝗛 ❤️

"𝘚𝘪𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘭𝘭. 𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘶𝘱 𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵. 𝘚𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘺."
"𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘴𝘦 𝘫𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘪𝘵."
"𝘚𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨! 𝘎𝘦𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬."

𝗠𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 – at school, at home, in a fitness class, or even from a well-meaning friend. 𝗠𝗮𝘆𝗯𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳?

As a Certified Clinical Somatic Educator and Somatic Experiencing® Practitioner, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵.

But 𝗜 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, including from clients – whether they come from memories or are part of their current self-talk 😔

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘀𝗼 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲, 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲.
Wrapped up in ideas about health, beauty, and how we “should” behave and hold ourselves.

And 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗺𝗳𝘂𝗹.

There’s 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 of those words, for a start – and the pain caused by trying to live up to 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 around how we should look or move or eat.

𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲’𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲.

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗻, 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗰𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆: 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲 – the area around your belly, lower back, and waist.

That centre? 𝗜𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚. It needs to be free and responsive.

When it’s not, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, 𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 – 𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹.

And no, that’s not an exaggeration.

Find out more via my free resources, online courses, & my blog. Or reach out in a message - and start releasing stress, tension, trauma and pain. From your centre ❤️

08/12/2025

If you're a therapist, sign up for your free guide to the 3 Somatic Keys to Release Chronic Stress & Pain here: https://somaticsamantha.com/lp3skeys-th

If you're most interested in learning about Somatics for yourself (whoever you are, and whatever you 'do')? Click here for your free guide: https://somaticsamantha.com/lp3skeys

23/11/2025

Hello! Mostly I'm on LinkedIn and my email list (and blog) - but I try to post in here sometimes too :)

In January I'm starting up my work with SE Practitioners and other somatic therapists in a small-group programme: I've run this previously in cohort groups, and it's always been great... but it's been hard to find start dates that work for everyone (and sometimes for me, too!) - so I'm making this shift to enable people to start any month, and still get all the content, including live sessions 🥰

What do you learn? Well...
𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚n SEP, a 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 #𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭 who integrates work with the 'body', together we explore what really is and can do for you & your clients, 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 #𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐝, 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈 𝐭𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞 AND 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒐𝒘𝒏 𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒆𝒊𝒏𝒈.

This does NOT mean changing your entire model & approach. Nor is it simply a set of tools or skills you can ‘add on’ to your current practice.

It’s 𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 in your client work, 𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 to facilitate change at a genuinely full-person level. (This is something that ‘just’ somatic sensing & tracking won’t do, even though self-sensing is a crucial step.)

So: 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐂𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬 (𝐞𝐬𝐩 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐥𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐚 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐨𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫)?

🌟𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔:

• 𝐓𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚 (esp during long days of client sessions & admin, and esp if you experience chronic pain).

• 𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 ‘𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲’ 𝐢𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜, by incorporating even tiny movements that actively work with the nervous system via the neuromuscular system, & 𝑑𝑖𝑟𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑑𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑛𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑡𝑢𝑐𝑘 𝑠𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠 & 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑚𝑎.

• 𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐲𝐜𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 ‘𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬’ – 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 – 𝐛𝐲 𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐞𝐝 & 𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬 that may have come from beneficial sensing, tracking & insight, but which don’t last when neuromuscular patterns are left unresolved...

Learn more at somaticsamantha.com

08/10/2025

I don't post on here much (perhaps I should?! But I'm on LinkedIn, sometimes IG, and my website is great! ;) somaticsamantha.com ) BUT someome liked a comment of mine from 2018, where I was 'reviewing' Essential Somatics, and I wanted to share my 2018 words here.

What I wrote then is still true today - Clinical Somatic Education radically improved my life (I've not had chronic pain since resolving it in 2016 or thereabouts, thanks to Essential Somatics) and I have spent the last decade helping others through Somatics :)

"Barely 18 months after I first discovered Essential Somatics, it was completely life-changing for not just me but my 85yo mother (after her debilitating trip to hospital last year)... After 10+ years of hip, shoulder and neck pain, and longer being told I had hip dysplasia & other 'structural' issues (and despite 25 years' practising gentle yoga), I'd tried and committed to a few approaches to try to address my hip & neck pain, & also the increasing lack of proprioception in my entire right arm & hand, and 'clawing' of my hand, too... Some of these helped (e.g. Bowen, Rolfing, and an excellent, thoughtful chiropractor, over time), but they only ever provided temporary and partial relief: it's only Essential Somatic Movement that *eradicated* my hip pain, leg length discrepancy & related so-called 'structural' issues, started to bring back feeling in my right arm and side, and - crucially - entirely banished my neck pain. It also makes me move more easily, and breathe more fully. It has done SO MUCH in a comparatively short time, yet is no 'miracle cure': it's an *educative* process, & requires commitment - even though it's comparatively easy to commit to something with such amazing results (which can work with as little as 5 mins per day)! I am now - a huge change for me (an erstwhile academic, lawyer, writer & editor!) - training as a Clinical Somatic Educator with Martha and her fantastic teaching team, to bring this incredible work and awareness to others. I started with her online videos, then read her book, got a download, and then attended a life-changing Fundamentals Immersion course - any and all of which I'd thoroughly recommend for anyone in pain, or wishing to improve their relationship with how they move through this world!"

18/08/2025

🌸 A Supple Centre:
Why Polyvagal Theory Supports what Clinical Somatics Always Knew 🌸

One of the key insights of Stephen Porges’ Polyvagal Theory is crucially important for anyone stuck in pain, anxiety, or discomfort:

💥The messages your body sends to your brain (especially from your gut) matter more to your emotional state, and your levels of stress and tension, than the thoughts sent from your brain to your body.

Why? Only 15–20% of messages about your environment, and how safe it is, are controlled by your brain, while 80–85% come from your gut and all the sensors in your body that inform your gut about your environment.

🔥 Why does this matter so very much, from the perspective of Clinical Somatics?

Well, it explains a lot!

It's why you can know you're safe (and tell yourself you're safe, repeatedly), but your nervous system keeps you stuck in survival mode – anxious and on edge, even long after any real threat has passed.

🔥 This supports a fundamental insight of Clincial Somatics – that muscular patterns of contraction don't just cause pain; they actively signal danger to your brain.

In particular, as Thomas Hanna (who developed Clinical Somatic Education) emphasised: ⚡when the muscles in your centre (your ‘core’) are tight and braced, your brain interprets this as threat. ⚡

⚡Your nervous system does not know the difference between your muscles being clenched tight into a stress pattern out of habit, and them clenching tight into a stress pattern because a sabre-toothed tiger just walked out in front of you!

😮 All it knows is that those clenched muscles mean you’re under threat.

This is why humans can't simply ‘let go’ of anxiety, trauma, fear, or chronic pain through willpower alone, nor through talk therapy or somatic sensing alone.

🥰That's why my work focuses on creating a soft, flexible, supple somatic centre.

👉Read full blog post at somaticsamantha.com - here: https://somaticsamantha.com/somaticsamantha-blogs/2025/8/16/a-supple-centre-why-polyvagal-theory-supports-what-clinical-somatics-always-knew

01/08/2025

You’ve taken the right trainings. Your somatic work as a therapist is probably on point. Your clients are ‘doing the work’.
𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 ‘𝘀𝘆𝗺𝗽𝘁𝗼𝗺𝘀’ (𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗵𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻)?..
You’re doing the somatic sensing and bodily awareness work well. Your clients are responsive and engaged.

Other trainings, your supervisor, your colleagues… They might advise you to lean into what you’re already doing, to find a therapeutic model that complements it more fully, or perhaps to make radical changes.

✋ That’s not what you need.

𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀: however many more strategies you learn to get your clients sensing more deeply, becoming more aware of their bodies, and feeling their activation release through their frickin’ fingertips..? However many therapeutic approaches you test out alongside your somatic skills, to ‘complement’ them?

👉 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘱 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘴 ‘𝘵𝘩𝘦’ 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘬𝘦𝘺𝘴.

They ARE crucial, and they do work.

But 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗱𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗱𝗱𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗱𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 – in your client’s muscles – 𝘆𝗼𝘂’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲, 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲.

Full-body patterns of muscle tightness are created by the brain – by 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺. And that system? 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙨𝙮𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙢.

𝗧𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽, 𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁’𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱-𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀! 𝗘𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗼’𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘂𝗺𝗮.

🌸 Deal with the 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘦 person - integrate Clinical Somatics into your work.

Better empower your clients to get, and 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘺, unstuck.

Get in touch or see my website for more info.

hashtag hashtag hashtag hashtag

24/06/2025

'𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐲’ 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 ‘𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠’ 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 – out of an over-stressed system & the chronic pain that often comes from stuck stress & trauma.

𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘 – 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉!

This widespread move to something called ‘somatic’ therapy?
It’s to be welcomed, and sensing & tracking work is crucial for most people on their journey away from stored trauma & chronic pain.

𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑜𝑠𝑡 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒? 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐡𝐮𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐲, 𝐅𝐔𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. That piece is movement.

Not just movement in general – but 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜, 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬-𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞-𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱 𝐨𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐬𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐱. Only by including the moving parts of your stress-response system can you achieve deep, lasting results.

Why? Because 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 – as a sensing, 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 being for whom 𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐬𝐨, 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 them.

𝐖𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞?

Work with a therapist who deeply understands & works with your motor as well as sensory patterns of stuck stress.

𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝐚 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧.

Get in touch, because 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒊𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒛𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒖𝒔.

It's also my calling. To help other practitioners create a truly somatic practice and create lasting change for clients facing stuck stress, stored trauma, and chronic pain.

*𝐼’𝑚 𝑎 𝐶𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝐶𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐 𝐸𝑑𝑢𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑜𝑟 & 𝑆𝐸𝑃. I 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘𝑔𝑟𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑖𝑛 𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔, & 𝑚𝑦 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝑜𝑐𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒, & 𝑝ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑜𝑠𝑜𝑝ℎ𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑐𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑛𝑒𝑢𝑟𝑜𝑚𝑢𝑠𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑤𝑜𝑟𝑘 𝑜𝑓 𝐶𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑆𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠’ 𝑝𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜 𝑙𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑓𝑢𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑒, 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛 – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓.

𝑉𝑖𝑠𝑖𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑠𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑛𝑡ℎ𝑎.𝑐𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑟 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ.

22/04/2025

This image is taken from a workshop I run.
But it's also what I DO.

In my client practice (Clinical Somatics & SE), I listen to the whole, embodied person - and work with that whole.

In my professional life, I give psychotherapists, counsellors & fellow SEPs the tools and the space to work out their own understanding of Somatics, so they can integrate the insights of Hanna's very specific Clinical Somatics work into their client work.

For far greater capacity to listen and respond to their clients as embodied wholes. (Especially clients with MUS or chronic pain - but not *only* those clients.)

Hanna's Somatics doesn't just 'acknowledge' the 'body', nor does it simply offer tools to work with embodied stress. It brings a whole philosophical understanding of the individual as a soma, a living process, and so the movement work is never 'just' movement work - it's always working with the whole soma, the neuromuscular and nervous systems combined...

Clinical Somatics is not "the" single answer therapists are looking for to better and more fully engage with their clients as embodied beings. It offers a LOT, though. And a lot that is practically useful, and that more directly starts the unfolding of being that is too often stifled by stress upon stress, pressure upon pressure, and trauma after trauma, as those show up (and get stuck) in humans...

Clinical Somatics helps therapists access the individual's layers, because it provides very specific ways to start to peel back those layers - through movement, and with an embodied understanding of the stress reflex patterns and what those can reveal about our traumas, our selves, and what we need to heal.

Ask me more!

05/04/2025

To be honest, I never anticipated being interviewed by MysticMag!

But they have some pretty cool and interesting articles and interviews, so I happily said yes... You can find it here: https://www.mysticmag.com/psychic-reading/interview-samantha-holland/

This interview focuses on the general themes of neuromuscular communication and resolving stuck stress with Clinical Somatics 🥰

19/03/2025

🔥 This live online workshop explores what Somatics is, & what it might mean to you as a counsellor, psychotherapist or other listening helper, and to your understanding of yourself, and your clients, as embodied beings.

As well as some practical skills designed to help you feel more at ease in your own body (e.g. when sat for long hours with clients), you’ll get an outline of what Clinical Somatic Education is, and its key insights and practical uses. The workshop stresses the importance of not seeing Somatics as an ‘add-on’ involving ‘the body’, but as an important way of understanding the whole person as embodied.

Exploring the significance of physiological stress responses in humans, and the importance of self-sensing to create change, you’ll learn how sensing and movement combine in Somatics to move individuals away from stress, pain, and trauma, and towards greater suppleness, freedom, and ease.

We’ll consider the relationship of Somatic Education concepts to experiences (& labels) such as ‘anxiety’, ‘depression’, ‘stress’, ‘chronic pain’ and ‘MUS’ (medically unexplained symptoms).

Somatics can shed light on why chronic tightness, tension, and pain (including e.g. ongoing back pain, tight shoulders, hip pain and more), MUS, and other ‘conditions’ or ‘syndromes’ confound not only medical and healthcare professionals but also many mental health professionals and therapists. It also helps explain why so many of us still feel ‘stuck’—in emotions, in discomfort, in pain, in trauma—even when we’ve talked through issues, and even when we’ve made significant ‘breakthroughs’ in counselling or psychotherapy.

In practical terms, you’ll:
* be invited to experience specific stress response patterns in your own body (or ‘soma’);
* learn the technique Hanna Somatics uses to ease out of tightness and pain, into more ease;
* consider how this can improve your own comfort in your practice and in your life...

& more!
See somaticsamantha.com for info! ❤️



DETAILS HERE: https://peelingtheonion.samcart.com/products/somatics-embodied-person-workshop

16/03/2025

🤔 So WHY do I teach Clinical Somatic Education (when I used to be a lecturer, then a barrister, then an overseas volunteer and psychotherapist-in-training)?!

🌸 Because it is the one & only thing that got rid of *years* of chronic pain (which I coped with while working full-time, not realising just how "not normal" it was!) - not to mention a whole host of stuck stress... All in a matter of months. Yes, really. It was completely life-changing.

I see the same thing time and again with my clients (and with those of my colleagues in Clinical Somatics): people who've "tried everything" and lived with anything from ongoing discomfort and pain (put down to "age" or an old injury), to chronic pain conditions that nothing really helps - and they finally discover Clinical Somatic Education, and things actually change.

Me? I got rid of my "birth defect" leg-length discrepancy/hip dysplasia in a matter of weeks, which convinced me to train as a Certified Clinical Somatic Educator. Months into the training I resolved my decade-long chronic neck and shoulder pain. And still 10 years later I reap the rewards of this work.

Plus, it makes sense. (It explains *why* I was suffering, and what my neuromuscular and nervous system could do to change that - very specifically: like nothing I'd tried before, it was based very clearly in neuroscience, in a deep understaning of the specific patterns of stress human bodies experience, and in a philosophy that made sense.)

My clients? Some overcome movement restrictions that they've been told for decades are impossible to resolve (often termed "idiopathic"....); others resolve pain and restrictions caused by old injuries that haven't responded to anything else; others say "I feel three-dimensional for the first time in my life"; "This is the first thing that's given me hope"; "I can't believe I'm not in pain every day now!" - resolving back pain, full-body pain, and, also, mountains of stress and tension arising from (or giving rise to) horrible emotional and physical states of trauma.

This work really works.
Whether you "just" have some discomfort or pain that won't shift, or you suffer from "chronic pain" nothing seems to help, do give Clinical Somatics a try: I have free resources on my website ( http://somaticsamantha.com ) so start there if you're curious and want to make real, lasting, full-person change 🥰

Essential Somatic Movement classes & Bach remedy BFRP. Clinical somatics for injury, muscle pain & tension, back neck shoulder hip whole-body pain. Improve athletic muscle control, efficiency, proprioception. Combat symptoms of ageing. Improve breathing & posture. Combat stress, tension,