EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR began as a therapy specifically for the treatment of people with PTSD. It involves shorter exposures to the traumatic memory than other exposure therapies. At the same time, the client attends to bilateral dual attention stimuli such as eye movements, taps or tones. It also includes attention to physical sensations and cognitive reframing. EMDR is based on the premise that our brain has the natural ability to reorganize the response to a distressful life experience from an initial state of dysfunction and disequilibrium to a state of adaptive resolution (The Adaptive Information Processing Model).

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic Experiencing (SE) is a body-based approach to trauma developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It’s grounded in the idea that when something overwhelming happens, the body can hold onto that experience… even when the mind has tried to move on. While animals naturally release this stress and return to balance, humans often get “stuck,” carrying that tension in the nervous system.

SE works by gently helping the body process and release that stored stress. Instead of focusing only on thoughts or talking through experiences, it brings awareness to physical sensations, helping you reconnect with your body in a safe, supported way… creating more relief, regulation, and capacity to handle what’s coming up.

This approach recognizes that our thoughts, emotions, and physical experiences are deeply connected. By working with the body, we can often shift emotional patterns in a way that feels more natural and lasting… not forced or overwhelming.

Through guided awareness, breath, and subtle movement, SE supports greater awareness of non-verbal cues, a deeper understanding of emotional and physical responses, the development of new movement and breathing patterns, and the regulation of emotional energy within the body… helping you build a stronger sense of ease, control, and stability.

Safe and Sound Protocol

The Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP), developed by Dr. Stephen Porges and based on Polyvagal Theory, uses the auditory system as a pathway to support the nervous system. By engaging the vagus nerve, which plays a key role in regulating our physiological state, SSP is designed to reduce stress and auditory sensitivity while supporting social engagement and resilience. As the nervous system becomes more regulated, it can also help enhance the effectiveness of other therapeutic work.

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SSP is a research-based approach that has shown meaningful results in supporting anxiety and trauma-related challenges, stressors that impact social connection, inattention, and auditory sensitivities… helping create a more regulated foundation for overall well-being.

Traumatic Incident Reduction

TIR is a brief, simple, precisely structured approach, it takes place within a person-centered context. Sessions are structured in a client focused manner to address one incident or series of closely related incidents in one session. In the great majority of cases, a TIR session ends with the client feeling complete and satisfied that what has been opened up in that session is complete.