Somatic Movement Therapy
What is Somatic Movement Therapy?
Penny facilitate's therapy sessions in somatic movement practice; a body-based approach which helps people to connect with their physical sensations and emotions, and to learn how to manage them more effectively and creatively.
Do you live with pain, feel isolated, experience a loss of enthusiasm or confidence to connect with others?
This may have come about through a deterioration in mental and physical health, through changes in your body, grief, stress or illness.
These experiences can benefit by learning to slow down and attune to your body's sensations, feeling and movements.
Attending to our bodies can free up the mind, bring about possbilities for change; importantly it can instill a sense of safety and connection to ourself and with others.
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With sensitivity and care we learn how breath, movement and feelings express and live in us. We notice habitual patterns and behaviours which developed as coping or survival methods, but may no longer be healthy or serve us.
For these reasons, engaging in body-based movement can help us to:
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learn to notice, feel and attune to our bodies
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learn to put (bodily) experience into words and vice versa
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reconnect with our bodily instincts, innate wisdom and intuition
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be more active and receptive to meeting and connecting with others
Penny’s work is informed by dance, integrative bodywork and movement therapy, and traumatic stress studies, and can be helpful for anyone struggling with anxiety, depression, chronic pain or stress, as well as for those seeking greater self-awareness or a deeper connection with their body.
A session will involve:
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activities which support sensory perception, movement and rest (self-sensing, self-moving)
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ways to work with image and metaphor
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experiential awareness towards anatomy and physiology
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touch and bodywork
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information about how the body is effected by stress, and regulatory support of the autonomic nervous system
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potential for the presence of emotion, memory and dream
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invite personal reflection​
Witnessing Self and Other
The revelation that I am a soma – a self-sensing, self-responsible living being – was a staggering epiphany, and instigated my own healing in the years that followed. The tender, attentive and authentic witnessing I received from my teachers, and the many practitioners I encountered in practice, helped to shape this reality for me.
Through my studies and engagement with many students and clients, I bring knowledge and experience of containment, grounded presence and dialogic skills to all my work.
Within our therapy sessions your internal witness with be strengthened through my external witnessing and guidance, and in your session we will:
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identify what you are arriving with – you energy levels, feeling/affect states, or creative intention
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sensitively develop your capacity for receptivity through rest and relaxation
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extend your curiosity to notice what's happening in-the-moment on somatic levels (sensations, movements (or lack of), thoughts, images) and to modulate in-the-moment, linking emotions and imagination to physiology
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reflect through speaking, artwork and moving, connecting to your life stories and more intuitive and instinctual ways of being
Gradually, over the sessions you may extend your capacity to notice what's happening in your body in more challenging moments, increase your curiosity to reflect, harness in-the-moment modulation, and to use this as you engage in your present life.
Touch:
Why I use it and important touch protocols
My practice can involve touch and we will discuss the reasons why and if you wish your sessions to include this.
Touch is a primary learning tool which is offered through hands-on practice or can occur as part of moving. It aims to support clients for the following reasons:
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to receive sensory perceptual information
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to support more awareness towards unexpressed or less-felt areas of the body
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to produce greater ease of movement
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heighten perceptual motor skills
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co-actively and co-creatively move together
We always approach working fully clothed and you can request no touch at any time
To discuss your requirements, please contact Penny.
Individual Therapy Sessions
Duration: 70 Minutes
Price: £65