FAQs

When your nervous system is primed to being in a heightened state it becomes increasingly sensitive overtime and you can trigger into anxiety, depression, panic attacks more and more easily. Difficulty around sleeping (whether too much, too little, broken, or hard to get to sleep) is one of several symptoms you may also experience as a result of not being able to relax; overthinking is another. There are different pathways to your nervous system being in a more reactive, heightened, over sensitive state but, regardless, it can be stabilised. The reason why it gets harder and harder to relax and sleep is because there are actual physical changes that happen in your body. Once that happens it is easy to get trapped in an ongoing cycle of struggling with sleep, anxiety/depression. Your mental, emotional, and behavioural patterns can build up further entrenching the problem. The good news is we can calm it all down and then address what got you there in the first place.

What you are experiencing isn’t just happening in your mind. If you could have ‘talked it out’ (or ‘worked it out’ in your head) you would have by now. When you are out of balance it affects you on all levels – mentally, emotionally, physically, energetically. Talk therapy does not address the fact that we hold negative emotions in our bodies, and we need to release them from our bodies, not just talk about them. To understand how our bodies hold emotion, think of those nervous butterflies in your tummy, the lump in your throat when you’re sad or that warm loving feeling in your chest seeing a little one you love. Sadly, talk therapy can also ‘re-traumatise’ people because they have to re-tell their story, often repeatedly, over years. The re-telling of it doesn’t enable you to fully release and move beyond it. It can entrench it further as ‘who you are’, unable to escape it!

EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. The fourth wave of therapies (of which EFT is the most researched) are body mind techniques that address what’s happening in your body as well as your mind. Most of us haven’t learned healthy ways to address our negative emotions so we tend to push them down and they remain unprocessed in our bodies. Negative emotions build up in our systems overtime causing us to overreact more easily and intensely than we otherwise would. Experiencing strong emotion creates stress chemicals which overwhelm the cognitive (thinking) brain, and we feel out of control. Tapping on acupressure points stabilises the brain and nervous system bringing us out of the fight/flight (anxious state) or freeze/flop (depressive state). We can then think clearly, manage our emotions, gain perspective, and access our own natural wisdom. Tapping enables you to clear the emotional baggage from significant past experiences that is likely having a negative impact on your life today. But you don't have to spend years in therapy doing it. And you can learn simple tools that equip you to clear negative emotions as you experience them, preventing further unhealthy build up in your system. EFT is an efficient self-help and therapeutic modality. It is more gentle, efficient, and long lasting and can even be fun! Body-mind approaches are in alignment with many new sciences: quantum physics, neuroscience, epigenetics, polyvagal theory, heart-brain maths. Here are some useful links if you wish to explore more: https://eftinternational.org/ https://www.evidencebasedeft.com/ https://www.thetappingsolution.com/ https://eftuniverse.com/

Your poor sleep and mood are NOT ‘the problem’. They are symptoms of an overactive, unstable nervous system doing its job but in a dysfunctional way. When our nervous system is out of balance we can experience anxiety and depression more easily, more often. Disturbed sleep patterns can be one of the first signs of imbalance. Together, we are going to stabilise your nervous system so you can: Feel calm Think clearly Manage your emotions Access your own wisdom and resources You will be able to sleep and function better day to day. Once you are in a stable place you will be better equipped to address bigger issues. When your nervous system is stable and resilient you can access your problem solving ability, creativity and memory. You can readily connect with yourself and others and communicate your feelings and needs. You will also gain other significant physiological (body) benefits: Your stress response is re-set Your immune system is switched ON Your brain can function at your age/stage In addition to nervous system benefits research studies show numerous other health benefits with positive changes in brain activity (calms limbic emotional brain); blood pressure; heart rate; stress levels (cortisol); energy levels; DNA (cellular building blocks) and even gene expression.

The main modalities I use which positively impact the nervous system are Reiki (Master level) and EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) in which I am a Certified Practitioner under EFT International. Reiki is believed to date back to Tibetan Buddhist monks and was ‘re-discovered’ in the 1800s. It has stood the test of time as a gentle energy balancing, healing technique which is really gaining momentum both alongside and separate to, the medical approach. EFT aka ‘Tapping’ is a relative newcomer, evolving since the 1970s with a virtual explosion of research from the 1990s onwards firmly establishing it as the most evidence based, research backed modality of the body mind techniques available today. Very early on it was established as highly effective for anxiety, depression, and PTSD. A unique blend of East and West, it includes aspects of exposure therapy, psychological/cognitive therapy, somatic stimulation (body), Chinese meridians, energy psychology and pain relief.

Initially, the sessions will focus on identifying your day-to-day struggles (how this plays out for you), putting measures in place and setting intentions. Reiki may be used to settle your nervous system down, especially initially (completely optional) as well as EFT tapping. I will also equip you with effective self-help tools that you can use outside of sessions to maximise your progress. We will work together in sessions using various EFT tapping techniques to release emotional baggage and address current and/or past issues. With Reiki, you can just relax, lying warm and comfortable on the massage table and even doze off to sleep to the sound of the wind in the trees and birds outside Nikau Cabin. If you are doing online sessions, get cosy where you are: distant Reiki is just as effective, there is research to prove this. With Tapping, I will teach and guide you as we tap together on acupressure points on the upper body. You tap on you, and I tap on me. There is talking involved but not like in talk therapy and the good news is you don’t have to re-tell your story yet again. Tapping approaches things gently working from the outside in at a pace you can handle, releasing as you go. But don’t be fooled, it’s really effective! By the end of the session, you will likely feel relieved, more relaxed and grounded with an increased sense of wellbeing.

I know how hard it gets to remain willing to give anything a try because the potential disappointment of it not helping (again!) is too great. I’ve been there with my version of being completely stuck. I’ve experienced how our life challenges provide us the opportunity to learn, grow and heal ourselves and when you actively seek a way forward it will be shown to you each step of the way. That was and remains my experience. Whether working with me is a part of your journey or not, don’t stop seeking, following your gut, and stepping forward because you will find light at the end of the tunnel.

When you are in a state of overwhelm or imbalance in your system it’s very difficult to know what you need because you are not easily able to access your clear thinking, adult brain functions. If you have tried traditional approaches, pills and potions or even some less mainstream approaches and nothing has worked, or only partially worked, the game isn’t over. You will have learnt things along the way and it’s not time to give up. Take a break, re group and see where you are nudged to go next on your healing journey. No matter what you try, the most important thing is that you find a practitioner who feels right for you. Research shows a great rapport is fundamental to the success of working with a practitioner or therapist of any kind. So don’t be afraid to check them out then go with your gut - it’s the best navigation system you have! My free 20-minute consult is designed to give you the opportunity to check me out and vice versa to ensure we are a good fit before we start. I want you to feel confident in taking this next step with me and I want to feel confident that I can help you to help yourself.

Whilst I haven’t had your unique experience I have definitely experienced years’ worth of struggle with my own personal challenges, including not being able to sleep and working very hard to get to the bottom of that. I tried many things and largely gave up and suffered it for many years. I know what it’s like to feel trapped and alone, desperate to find a way out, but unable to. I’ve learned through my personal experience and now trained so I can help others get beyond it much quicker and easier. If we are a good fit, I am committed and here for you. If not, I will direct you to someone who can help as best I can.

Firstly, don't beat yourself up! Nobody wants to be on medication, especially not long term. However, if you find it's working for you to some extent and providing some needed support/sleep then it's ok. You don't need one more thing to make you feel bad. Use what works whilst you address the issue's and learn the tools so you can get yourself back to sleeping and functioning 'normally' again. You can reduce it down and as your system doesn't need it. For advice regarding all aspects of medication consult an appropriate medical professional.