I provide online meetings via video calls (usually using Zoom) which offers a flexible and accessible way of doing trauma therapy when meeting ‘in the therapy room’ together is not possible for practical reasons of distance or timing.
The main issue with making online Somatic Experiencing therapy effective is to ensure that there is an adequate sense of connection and rapport between us. Of course this may take one or two sessions to build, but once the rapport is there, the therapy tends to have a flowing and spontaneous quality similar to working ‘in the room’ together. It can be very helpful if you build in time to prepare for sessions as well as to wind down afterwards. This is a way of marking the transition in and out of your session which for ‘in person’ sessions would be the time taken for traveling, parking etc. See below for some detailed suggestions about preparing for online sessions.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) online can still be very effective because, although it is a body focused approach, touch is not an essential component. As your SE therapist, my role is to guide your awareness and attention to aspects of your bodily experience (sensations, feelings, impulses) so as to enable the release of traumatic stress from your nervous system and to promote greater resilience. Additionally we will discuss and explore your emotions and thoughts and integrate this in to the therapeutic work. All of this can be done very effectively via online working.
Releasing of traumatic stress and grounding in present reality
The following practical suggestions can help the online work to be most effective:
Please contact me for more information about Somatic Experiencing therapy online to address the effects of trauma and to arrange a free 20 minute introductory consultation.
