Lakeside Wellness
Somatic Therapy in Belconnen, Canberra
A body-focused approach that works with your nervous system.
Somatic Experiencing (SE) is for people dealing with ongoing stress, anxiety, overwhelm, or symptoms they feel are linked to the nervous system. Rather than focusing mainly on thoughts or talking through experiences, SE looks at how your body and nervous system influence how you feel and respond.
Pricing
- Somatic Experiencing60 minutes
- $200
- Naturopathy / SE / NET, initial90 minutes
- $250
- Naturopathy / SE / NET, follow-up60 minutes
- $200
Your nervous system
Your nervous system protects you with built-in responses. Fight or flight mobilises your body quickly, and freeze immobilises it as a way of coping. Some people get stuck cycling between the two without reaching a sense of resolution or safety.
Over time this can affect both your emotional wellbeing and your physical health, and it may show up as:
- Anxiety or ongoing stress
- Feeling overwhelmed or easily triggered
- Fatigue or shutdown
- Feeling stuck or unable to move forward
- Difficulty relaxing or feeling at ease
How sessions work
SE supports your nervous system to return gradually to a regulated state. Nothing is forced or rushed, and sessions follow your body's capacity so that change feels safe and sustainable.
Where a stress response was interrupted, your body may need to complete it. Gentle awareness and guidance help your body recognise that the threat has passed, so your nervous system can register safety in the present moment, release stored survival energy, switch off fight or flight and move towards rest and restoration.
Why a body-based approach matters
Talk-based and cognitive therapies can help, but they may not fully address what happens in the body. Stress and trauma can be held in the nervous system and physiology, and can influence hormones, neurotransmitters and other biological processes. If these patterns are left unaddressed, progress can feel incomplete or short-lived.
Working directly with the body aims for deeper, more integrated change.
What to expect in a session
Sessions are gentle, collaborative and guided by your capacity. You do not have to revisit or relive past experiences. The focus is your body in the present moment and supporting it towards regulation.
- Awareness of physical sensations
- Tracking your nervous system responses
- Building your capacity for safety and regulation
- Supporting the release of held stress patterns
What SE aims to build
- A felt sense of safety in your own body, which develops gradually
- A greater sense of calm and stability
- Better resilience to stress
- Reduced emotional reactivity
- Increased awareness of bodily sensations
- A stronger connection to yourself
Where it comes from
SE is informed by advances in understanding the nervous system and trauma, including the research of Dr Peter Levine and Dr Stephen Porges. It has helped many people process stress and trauma safely, particularly where a purely cognitive approach has not been enough.
It can be booked on its own or combined with naturopathy and NET in one consultation, so physical and nervous system aspects of your health are addressed together.
