Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness... It is perhaps the most avoided, ignored, belittled, denied, misunderstood and untreated cause of human suffering. - Peter Levine

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The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story,

that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door.

If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door. - Clarissa Pinkola Estés

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Insight herbalism is a somatic, process-orientated practice, rooted in learning directly from plants. In this practice we explore what it means to meet a plant in our truth, and in our vulnerability. Through this work, plants open doorways to our own innate wisdom as new relationships are formed with Nature, and with hidden parts of ourselves, helping to release stuck trauma energy from the body. This deeply healing approach is informed by the inherent rich heritage we each carry within us to be connected with Nature. There is a grief to living in these times of destruction, of soul loss, of being asked to act outside our window of tolerance by wider systemic oppression powers, as well as with our inner trauma. I believe this is felt by all on some level. Nature strives for balance, vitality and harmony, they are really good role models for our nervous systems. Plants can help bring back to life those parts of us that have become lost, supporting renewed vitality and growth. Bodywork and somatic experiencing® are woven into sessions to help embody the process.

 

Trauma and the body

Our biography becomes our biology as we carry many forms of acute and chronic trauma within us, often unconsciously – early childhood developmental trauma, shock trauma, transgenerational trauma and pre & perinatal trauma to name a few. These can have a wide range of debilitating effects on our mental and emotional health, and our ability to cope with the day to day demands of life as our nervous systems remain stuck in feeling unsafe - in flight, fight, freeze and fawn responses.

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Our past trauma robs us of our sense of safety to be ourselves, to connect with our aliveness and to relate to others. It limits our capacity to feel and to think, to trust and assert ourselves, to have healthy boundaries. Trauma impairs our capacity to feel the joy, beauty and wonder of life. PTSD, anxiety, addiction, insomnia, panic attacks, low self-esteem, depression, hypervigilence and dissociation can all be results of holding trauma in the body. Even when there is no real external threat, our wise bodies know that there is something that doesn't feel right and asks us to pay closer attention by sending us stress-related symptoms, desperately trying to heal itself.

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Healing trauma takes patience and practice, and is an act of true bravery. It is a journey of self-discovery to reclaim your sovereignty, your safety and your power. 

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My trauma-informed approach takes the understanding that we all have parts of us that are stuck or frozen, waiting to be lovingly met, witnessed and released. Together we can work gently with the root cause of mental health issues by looking at these messages of unsafety held in the body, our beliefs and our stories.

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Insight herbalism can also help tend the natural human processes of grief, shame and sadness - a place to be welcomed, seen and heard.

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As well as stand alone sessions, I offer a 6 session package Finding Your Way Home, a journey of awakening to the deeply soulful, worthy person you are, empowering you with the inner resources you need to step into that reality.