Over the years, I’ve immersed myself in the field of health and somatic psychology as well as body psychotherapy through a wide range of workshops, webinars, and consultations. My learning has included numerous workshops in Somatic Experiencing, Breathwork, Biodynamic Analysis, Tension Release Exercises (TRE), Rhythmic Movement Training, and Deb Dana’s Polyvagal Theory. These experiences have given me a solid foundation in nervous system regulation, trauma-informed somatic techniques, and tools such as somatic tracking, pendulation, titration, and resource development.

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In 2024, after years of integrating somatic work into my practice, I made the decision to formally train in Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP). This came after a thoughtful comparison of several body-based modalities. I chose SP because I believe it offers one of the most comprehensive and effective approaches to working with trauma and attachment wounds held in the body. Since then, SP has woven itself seamlessly into my clinical work, bringing a deeper, more embodied dimension to the healing process. I’ve been genuinely moved—and often humbled—by the shifts it has made possible for my clients.

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What is Sensorimotor Psychotherapy?
 

Developed by Pat Ogden in the 1980s, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a body-centred therapeutic approach that integrates somatic awareness with emotional and cognitive processing. Grounded in neuroscience, attachment theory, and trauma research, it is particularly effective for working with trauma, chronic stress, and developmental or attachment-related difficulties.
 

Unlike traditional talk therapy, SP works “bottom-up,” using the body as a primary entry point for change. It recognises that experiences are held not only as thoughts and memories, but also as physical sensations, emotions, and survival responses such as fight, flight, freeze, or collapse. When these responses remain unresolved, they can remain “stuck,” contributing to ongoing patterns such as anxiety, dissociation, chronic tension, or difficulties with emotional regulation and boundaries.
 

SP supports the gentle processing and integration of these patterns through mindful, body-based awareness. A core element of the work is tracking – helping clients notice internal experiences such as breath, posture, muscle tension, and movement impulses. Alongside this, resourcing is used to build a sense of safety and stability, drawing on internal and external supports.
 

With this foundation in place, clients can begin to work with activation – the physiological arousal linked to past experiences – in a way that feels manageable and contained. This may include exploring small movements, impulses, or responses that were previously inhibited, allowing the nervous system to complete what was interrupted at the time.
 

Through this process, clients develop greater capacity for regulation, a stronger sense of agency, and more flexibility in how they respond to themselves and others. Rather than being driven by automatic survival patterns, there is more space for choice, connection, and embodied presence.
 

SP is not just about symptom relief – it’s about reclaiming embodied wholeness, restoring the nervous system’s natural rhythm, and helping clients experience themselves not as broken, but as survivors with an innate capacity for healing. What sets Sensorimotor Psychotherapy apart is its emphasis on the body as a primary vehicle for change – making it highly complementary to other bottom-up approaches such as parts-based therapies, EMDR, Brainspotting, and other processing-focused modalities – allowing these methods to be integrated in a grounded, somatically informed way.