a Trauma-sensitive embodied approach for lasting recovery
Yoga and Somatic Healing for Trauma
You’ve tried to feel better. HAVE YOU TRIED BETTER FEELING?
You’ve seen therapists, taken medications, maybe even gone on retreats or started working out or running endlessly, or going to yoga classes religiously, tried all the hacks and stacks, only to feel even more exhausted, anxious, depressed, numb, disconnected or burned out, nothing you do ever seeming to be enough. Perhaps it’s affecting your work and relationships.
Most of what’s offered to people struggling with mental ill health focuses on the mind, or on managing symptoms or on seeking short term fixes or ‘hacks.’ Such interventions are focusing on “what’s ‘wrong’ with you.”
When the focus shifts to asking: “what happened to you” instead, and exploring how your body adapted to help you survive certain experiences over time, you can start to address underlying causes.
When extreme or persistent trauma or chronic stress overwhelm your nervous system, over time it may become recalibrated to a sustained, heightened ‘survival mode’, or hyper-senistised, such that it, or rather you, are persistently on edge, fearful and easily triggered.
That may have served you very well in the past, when you had to protect yourself, but now - long after the original events have passed - it is likely sabotaging your capacity to live a full and free life.
Your system may become so weighed down by what medics call ‘allostatic load,’ living in a body filled with distressing somatic symptoms and struggling to find
rest, that there may be a kind of collapse. It may (or may already have) become difficult to find the energy or motivation for life.
Unfortunately you can’t just talk or think your way out of this, but you can It’s something we ‘experience. yourself out of it. You can retrain your body to feel safe and alive in the present.
This is where Trauma Center, Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) - a body-led therapeutic method of which I am a certified facilitator - comes in. Because it is in our body - not our mind - that recovery truly begins. If you’re ready to:
To feel safer, more grounded and more empowered in your body, not trapped in or at war with it
Be able to calm yourself when things get difficult with portable tools that work, without needing a doctor, pill or therapist to “fix” you
Build a compassionate relationship with yourself, and develop the capacity for more authentic, nurturing and trusting relationships with others
Break free from destructive compulsions — scrolling, drinking, overeating, overworking — and feel more present in your daily life.
— this work is for you. I give some more information about TCTSY below.
TRAUMA CENTER, TRAUMA SENSITIVE YOGA (TCTSY)
TCTSY is now a recognised as an effective somatic therapy for complex trauma and PTSD, with a strong evidence base, having been offered to, and developed with, war veterans, sexual assault survivors, at-risk youth and survivors of childhood abuse and neglect, among others.
The practice involves being offered a series of physical shapes or movements to explore, which create opportunities to notice bodily sensations and feelings in the present moment, for example muscles moving, breath, warmth, stretch, tingling.
The focus is not on trying to copy something the facilitator is doing, but on the internal experience of the participant – what the forms feel like instead of what they look like - and then choosing whether to stay with what is being experienced, or, for example if there is pain or discomfort, or something else feels better, doing a different variation of it, or not doing it at all. Without needing to ask or explain.
With this shift in orientation, from the external to the internal, the power resides within the individual, not the TCTSY facilitator.
By focusing on the felt sense of the body to inform choice-making during practice, TCTSY provides opportunities for participants to restore the connection between mind and body, and to cultivate a sense of agency, which is often compromised as a result of surviving trauma.
Below I outline the steps involved in starting TCTSY sessions with me.
“All yoga teachings share a core belief: That connecting and relating, whether to ourselves or to others, is central to human nature. When the relating is consistently indifferent or threatening, our survival systems dominate and the stage is set for us to shut down, withdraw and become sick. When one is consistently related to with compassion, our systems are balanced and support the development of our highest capacities.”
— Alexandra Cat, Teaching Faculty, Center for Trauma & Embodiment, TCTSY facilitator & NHS researcher.
TCTSY LIVE IN-PERSON OR ONLINE THERAPEUTIC SESSIONS
1) We start with a conversation
We begin with a conversation about what’s going on for you, what you’re struggling with, and what you want to achieve, and I will tell you more about TCTSY and what a session is like practically.
This initial call is free and you are under no obligation to work with me.
The call takes place online via Zoom. You don’t need to download the Zoom app
2) NTAKE QUESTIONNAIRE
I’ll send you my intake questionnaire, the answers to which help me understand how best to work with and support you.
The more information I have the better, however, you are also free not to answer a question/s. Once I receive it back from you, I contact you to schedule a first session.
You’re welcome to plan just one session, though I recommend 3 to begin with and then reviewing.
3) WE do A FIRST SESSION
The sessions can be from 30 mins to an hour long and may be in person, if we live in the same area, or online via Zoom.
I might ask for our first session to an hour if I have some questions about your intake form that I’d like to go through with you.
You can then decide if you want to book further sessions with me, if you have not already done so.
4) We work together at your pace
You can book further sessions with me as you go, according to your needs, or you can book a block of sessions. I will do my best to fit these in with your schedule.
MY PRICING
Initial ‘hello’ call (Zoom)
£0
If you wanted to move forward with me by the end of this call, I’d email you my intake form to read and fill in.
30 mins (in-person or Zoom)
£40- £60 per session
Depending whether you are in employment, or in receipt of social support, unable to work or on reduced income.
60 mins (in-person or Zoom)
£80- £120 per session
Depending whether you are in employment, or in receipt of social support, unable to work or on reduced income.
**If you are a charity organisation or company seeking to organise group classes for service users or employees, feel free to get in touch to discuss tailored pricing.
“I’ve had an eating disorder for a long time and The stresses of my job mean I also find it hard to be present, often negative thinking, planning or judging. my goal was to settle down, to rest and to be kinder to myself. What really helped me is that Charlotte always gave me options and was flexible in responding to how I was feeling. It helped me to listen to my body and what I needed, and really helped me to be open to this kind of work.”
— Wiebe, Headhunter, Germany
Is This Right for Me?
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This isn’t about stretching or tricky poses — it’s about helping your nervous system feel safe again. The practices are gentle, accessible, and tailored to you.
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Most yoga classes focus on fitness or performance, which can actually make stress worse. This work is designed specifically for your mental and emotional recovery — no pressure, no comparison, no pretzel shapes.
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No. This approach works even if you don’t want to revisit your experiences. You’re welcome to share if you want, but it’s not required.
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That’s fine — this can complement what you’re already doing, or offer an alternative if you’re looking for a different approach.
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We go at your pace. Many people find the structure and support of this work actually helps them feel more capable and less overwhelmed.
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Not at all. This is about what’s happening inside — not how your body looks or moves. Everything can be adapted for you.