About
Somatic
Coaching
WHat is SOMATIC WORK?
Our minds and bodies know much more than we consciously realise.
Often, we are only aware of a small part of what our unconscious mind and nervous system are holding.
Once I learned that much of the information processed by the brain comes from the body through our senses, I found myself asking an important question:
“If that is the case, why do we focus only on talking cognitively about our challenges?”
After all, simply saying “calm down, everything is ok” does not usually help when our nervous system feels overwhelmed.
That’s why I love somatic work!
Somatic work focuses on the connection between the nervous system, the body, and our internal experiences. Together, we create space to explore physical sensations, emotions, perceptions, and patterns whilst learning new ways to communicate with the nervous system in a language that it understands — through movement, awareness, and regulation.
By doing so, we can begin to make sense of those reactions that can often take over: fight or flight, freeze, shutdown, dissociation, anxiety, procrastination, emotional overwhelm, and difficulties with executive functioning.
Rather than viewing these experiences through a pathologising lens, somatic work helps us understand them with more compassion, curiosity, and nervous system awareness.
What would it look like?
1
Phase 1:
Creating Safety, Nervous System Awareness and Resourcing
This first phase is centred around creating safety, awareness, and capacity within your nervous system.
We will spend some time learning how your nervous system works and making sense of what your nervous system does and when.
Once we understand how everything works, we will spend time getting familiar with the different nervous system states and your specific body cues. We will gently begin mapping your nervous system week after week.
To map your nervous system and deepen your connection with it, we will pay attention to four main areas:
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Thoughts
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Behaviours
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Body sensations
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Feelings
We can start from any of these, depending on each client’s current nervous system capacity. We will slowly expand your capacity (Window of Tolerance or Capacity) and in a way that will make your nervous system be safe enough to do so. And trust me when I say that we will know when to stop!
At this stage, we will also work on finding safe activities that will help you regulate and feel safe.
Although I will offer some somatic exercises to help regulate your nervous system, we will also work creatively together to build your personalised 'Regulation Toolbox' with all the things that regulate and recharge you and your nervous system. This is the space to ground and learn how to prevent meltdowns or burnouts or at least learn how to recover quicker if we couldn’t stop them from happening!
Once we have got the hang of this and I hear you say:
‘I had difficult moments this week, but I was better able to navigate them rather than feeling completely consumed by them and to regulate myself when need it’
we will know we can gently move towards Phase 2 — if and when you feel ready.
2
Phase 2:
Somatic Processing and Rewiring
Once your nervous system feels safe and ready to explore, we may start to focus on processing past experiences whilst rewiring your nervous system and brain.
In this phase, we will connect with your body and brain with curiosity and compassion to better understand some of the things that may feel stuck or difficult right now.
This phase is totally unplanned, meaning that we will let your body tell us what we need to work on!
We might go back into past things, but rather than focusing only on talking about these experiences cognitively, we will also pay attention to how they are held within the body.
Tools that I might offer in this phase:
- Focusing: to gently learn to listen to the 'Felt Sense' in your body at your own pace
- Somatic EMDR Approaches (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing): using bilateral stimulation to strengthen feelings of safety.
- Somatic Parts Work: to establish a connection with those parts of you that are keeping you stuck.
- Polyvagal Approach: to build nervous system resilience.
Here, we may begin processing some of the past experiences, emotions, or limiting beliefs that may be preventing you from moving forward.
Throughout this phase, you remain in control. You always have choice, autonomy, and permission to pause whenever needed.
Healing is not linear and requires bravery as turning inwards can be both challenging and revealing.
Please don't get discouraged because challenges are also signs that something meaningful is beginning to shift!
3
Phase 3 :
Reconnection, Reintegration and Empowered Living
This phase is about reconnection with self, reintegration, self-trust, and empowered living at your own nervous system’s pace.
In this phase, we begin integrating everything we have explored and learned into your everyday life.
This is the stage where we gently bring together your understanding of your nervous system, your needs, and your sense of self — so you can begin showing up more authentically and intentionally in your life.
You may notice:
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more awareness of your needs and patterns,
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increased ability to pause,
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more choice in how you respond,
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greater self-trust,
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clearer decision-making,
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healthier boundaries with yourself and other,
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ability to pace yourself to avoid burnout,
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unmasking,
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welcoming challenges with more capacity,
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and more space for calm, joy, and connection.
Awareness, Choice, and Permission become the guiding principles of this phase!
Frequent ASKED questions
DO I NEED A FORMAL ADHD OR AUTISM DIAGNOSIS TO WORK WITH YOU?
Absolutely not. You can be self-diagnosed, formally diagnosed or neurotypical!
HOW MANY SESSIONS SHOULD I NEED?
The number of sessions needed is very personal as everybody has their story and their timings. I would say that in general this is not a quick journey. Your nervous system learnt how to protect you a long time ago, so this journey needs time. Somatic work is not about fixing and it's not quick. We have to respect your nervous system's timing and foster safety in a way that respect you and your story.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I HAVE A SESSION?
As change does not happen overnight, I strongly recommend that my clients commit to 1 session every week for the first 4-6 weeks. Depending on each case, we will assess if to continue with one session a week or if move to fortnightly and then to once a month or until you are ready to finish coaching. I will recommend to commit to a minimum of 6 months.
CAN SOMATIC WORK HELP WITH AUTISTIC BURNOUT OR ADHD OVERWHELM?
The short answer is yes! Neurodivergent burnout and overwhelm are adaptive survival responses. We will learn together why and when they happen and what you need to make sure your nervous system feels safer and more regulated.
Please remember that these responses are very useful at times. Instead of never being overwhelmed and in burnout again, our goal is to reduce these responses by fostering safety and to learn to recover quicker when they happen.
I AM ALREADY SEEING A THERAPIST/PSYCHIATRIST, CAN I STILL WORK WITH YOU?
Absolutely! In fact, many of my clients find that having a support team is the most effective way to support their growth.
While a psychiatrist or clinical therapist focuses on medical diagnosis, medication management, or treating acute clinical conditions, my role as a Neurodivergent Somatic Coach is different.
I help you decode your unique neurodivergent nervous system, build resilience in your body, and heal the limiting beliefs that keep you stuck. Because I work at your Nervous System's pace, my priority is your safety. By focusing on regulation and integration rather than medical intervention, we create a space dedicated entirely to your empowerment and embodied growth.
As someone with a PDA profile, I value autonomy above all else. This distinction ensures that our coaching relationship remains a partnership of equals, focused on your self-discovery rather than a clinical 'treatment' plan!
WHAT IF I CANNOT FEEL MY BODY OR RECOGNISE MY EMOTIONS?
If you cannot feel body sensations or recognise emotions we will start from a place that is familiar for you! Usually, we start paying attention to our thoughts as they are easier to access.
WHAT IF I CANNOT VISUALISE THINGS OR IMAGINING THINGS?
If you cannot visualise things or imagine things we will use another channel that might be easier for you to access. It could be words, metaphors or any other channel available to you.
WHAT IF I FEEL OVERWHELMED OR SHUT DOWN DURING A SESSION?
Don't worry, I am trained to both recognise signs of overwhelmed and shut down and to hold space for those adaptive responses. We will welcome these with love and curiosity and bring in some regulating/resourcing exercises to bring you back into safety.
WILL YOU BE INTRODUCING SOMATIC EXERCISES IN OUR SESSIONS?
Yes, I will be introducing somatic exercises in our sessions! But again, please remember that these are just an invitation to try new things and see what works for you. You always have the choice!
ARE SESSIONS ONLINE OR IN PERSON?
At the moment, sessions are offered online only.
ARE YOU OFFERING SESSIONS IN ENGLISH ONLY?
I offer sessions in English and Italian!
DO YOU ACCEPT ACCESS TO WORK CLIENTS?
Yes, I do accept Access to Work client.