Somatic Therapy in melbourne & Sunshine coast
Finding a new therapist is confronting because you are supposed to open up and share your deepest darkest fears and vulnerabilities with a complete stranger. This is one of the key reasons why most people don't reach out to get the help they need. The beauty of somatic therapy is that in opposition to "talk" therapies that often make your re-live your worst experiences, somatic (or body-based) therapies skip this step and go straight to the body.
As a somatic therapist I don't need to know all the details or the story of your life to help you. My job is to read and connect to your body and nervous system where the true story resides, and by "talking body", which means acting and feeling rather than speaking, you can give your body lasting release and facilitate rapid change. In some instances just a few somatic therapy sessions can get the same benefits of years of talk therapy because trauma, pain and stress live in the body.
If you struggle with below and are done talking and need lasting change, let's connect and get started with your journey towards connection, embodiment, empowerment and healing.
Anxiety, Depression, PTSD, OCD, Bipolar, Grief, Anger
Anxiety and low mood have become the new normal due to isolation and stress, technology, nutrient deficiencies, toxicity and a broken lifestyle that doesn't support self care. Further dealing with strong emotions and loss is not something we are taught but left to crash against when faced with them.
Childhood trauma, Shame, Relationships, Finding your purpose
Our childhood attachment and experiences shapes our bodies and our perspective of the world. Dysfunctional parenting is the norm and not the exception. Therefore bringing safety back into the body is key for healing and transformation and finding your purpose.
Medical injury, Accidents, Chronic pain & disease
Medical producers can cause trauma and change the way you feel, think and act often leaving you feeling disconnected, disempowered and not like yourself. These unfortunately are poorly acknowledged and addressed in our medical or therapeutical practices leaving millions of people struggling and disempowered.
Burnout & Chronic stress
In a fast paced and demanding world stress, constant pushing and suppressing your needs and emotions is expected if you are to fit in. This is the reason behind 90% of medically diagnosed conditions and something that must be addressed individually and collectively once we can role model and demand different than what taught.
My Somatic Therapy Process
As dealing with personal issues, and especially trauma, can very raw, sensitive and charged with difficulty, I aim to create personalised recommendations following your initial assessment which will establish your current physical and mental health baseline and tolerance for change. Your first session seeks to understand your current mental, physical and social situation to inform health and therapeutic needs.
I generally recommend resourcing and balancing the body first as inflammation, nutrient deficiencies and hormonal imbalances can throw off you ability to think, act and regulate your moods. This means that regulating your nervous system and hormones, balancing your biochemistry, reducing inflammation and/or pain by addressing your eating, sleeping, movement and interaction patterns will likely be part of our sessions.
Working with your whole self will increase your energy and speed up your healing. It also makes a big difference to how you process trauma as you need a lot of energy. Feeling strong, confident and able to regulate your body before we commence this process will help you move through difficulties with ease.
Therapy approaches I use include a blend of
Brainspotting, Polyvagal Theory, Sensorimotor Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, ACT, CBT, Compassionate Inquiry, Sound Therapy blended with my unique B-ME lifestyle approach.
Why Conventional Therapy Treatments Fail
What medicine and psychology still don't acknowledge and address is that when your body is depleted and imbalanced your mind can't function properly and you can easily become emotionally unstable. There is a cause why you feel the way you do and quite often it has nothing to do with the mind, but instead, the gut, your lifestyle and day-to-day habits. Did you know that 95% of your serotonin is produced in your gut, along with other important neurotransmitters?
Toxicity, digestive problems, hormonal imbalances, nutrient deficiencies and inflammation. These are the main underlying causes for poor mental health and most often are caused by a combination of:
- Stress and sleep problems
- Poor diet, dehydration, excess caffeine and alcohol
- Over-breathing
- Being sedentary
- Chemical, toxic, bacterial and viral exposure
As a dietitian and psychotherapist I combine the principles of nutrition, psychology, neurolinguistics programming, genetics and bio-energy to heal your body and mind to get you back to yourself and keep you there.
What my Somatic Therapy clients feel
Working with Anca has been an enlightening and exulting experience. She has a very positive and personable personality and is a highly educated, informative and gifted practitioner. She has helped me to deepen my understanding of who I am as well as release some pretty heavy grief that i was carrying. She gets 5 stars from me and comes highly recommended for people who would like to go to the next level with personal healing and soul evolution.
Ellen
It’s been about a couple of months seeing Anca very nice lady. I went to see Anca for anxiety depression, OCD and my sleeping.
She changed my diet and in the 2 months I’m feeling really good and am off my anti depressant tablets, sleeping has improved enormously and energy levels are fantastic.
Ben
Anca is one of the most knowledgeable and passionate people I have ever met. She is genuinely enthusiastic in helping people with health and well being. She's made such a difference to my lifestyle and mindfulness through knowledge, encouragement and accommodating my needs. A real A-Grader that I highly recommend! 365 days off coffee and never felt better!
George
Benefits of a B-ME lifestyle somatic based approach
The B-ME lifestyle formula addresses the whole you which means that all your needs will be considered during our sessions. You will receive education and advice, not only on how to manage your thoughts and emotions, but also how to eat for your needs, sleep, move, breathe and detox so that health can be experienced in every cell of your body. This way you will learn how to create a lasting self care based lifestyle that keeps you happy, healthy and thriving for the rest of your life.
B-ME is deep work as you will learn how to reconnect and build a safe, trusting and supporting relationship to your body such that you can regain your power, confidence and authenticity. You will undertake various safe somatic practices, as you reconnect to your body and this will start serving as a safe platform to reconnect to others and the world around you.
Live your best life
Feeling energised, well nourished, connected to your body, others and your environment are the prerequisites for a life well lived.
Create a self care focused lifestyle
Create a balanced lifestyle, nutrition and self care routines that keeps you healthy, happy and thriving.
Become confident & empowered
Learn how your body, mind, and emotions work to achieve freedom and optimal health and well-being.
Never struggle again
Connected to SELF, you'll intuitively navigate life and health, effortlessly being able to know what to chose and when such that your needs and creative pursuits are addressed.
Natural anxiety & depression treatment
Learning how to regulate and look after your body, mind, emotions, energy and environment using natural strategies is something we all should have been taught since kindergarten. Unfortunately most of us have to learn how to self care and connect to our bodies and other human beings in our adulthood when we start challenging the status quo and decide we are done with pain. But better late than never...
Basics of self care that can help alleviate anxiety and balance your mood include:
- Eating a healthy diet, mindfully and with respect and not skipping meals
- Drinking the right fluids in the right amounts
- Breathing properly, grounding, moving & exercising
- Spending time in nature & with the people that provide support, love & connection
- Resting, sleeping & creating time to meditate
- Avoiding toxic exposures & environments (includes people)
- Recognising what the body needs and how to regulate it in real time
- Prioritising "being" over "doing" & saying NO to stress, pressures and all things that are not in alignment with what your body needs, and your health and wellbeing.
