“I have been receiving Somatic Experiencing Therapy from Anita for the past few years. This experience is like no other I have received before. Anita has assisted me on my journey of body and self awareness. I come away from each session feeling a little more free and positive. Anita is a beautiful soul and is kind and supportive. I cannot thank Anita enough for all she has done for me.”

Donna Windle

“Dear Anita,

You will forever have a place in my heart.  Your attuned presence and reassuring touch have provided me with a sense of safety as I sat and observed the effects of my trauma with your guidance.  There are many inner changes that I notice now that I feel “on the other side”.

For one, I trust in my capacity to handle challenges.  My nervous system has been tested recently and I was able to face the situation by myself and seek your support later to learn more about myself and balance my nervous system.  In the past, I would have fallen apart, had to withdraw myself from the challenge and seek your support urgently.  For me that alone improves my self-confidence.

The second important change has been my ability to discern when a boundary is being crossed as it happens.  In the past I would find myself in emotional upheaval and need your support to slow down the events and notice the bodily sensations.  As I have grown in my ability to observe these bodily “warning signals”, I am now able to notice them as they unfold and take supportive action there and then with calm and assertiveness.  I am most grateful for this new ability.

The last thing I will mention is linked to the previous one yet slightly more specific.  Having grown up not having my emotional needs considered, let alone met, I could not identify when others controlled a situation in a way that didn’t meet my needs.  Integrated in each SE session, you always asked me before guiding the next step.  You would say for example, “would it be helpful if …” or “where is my presence most supportive for you today?”.  At first, I felt surprised with these questions and really taken aback at how to answer them.  As time progressed, I now perceive subtly when a situation doesn’t meet my need and I can steer the exchange to a win-win.

There have been no SE session that were the same, each time, I felt I learnt a new skill or I learnt to apply an existing skill to a new aspect of me.  The journey has been enlightening and calming.  I not only recommend SE to anyone I meet that shares of trauma but also on internet chat groups.  It is my dream to regain enough health to be able to learn and become an SE practitioner myself.  So many people suffering from PTSD could benefit from these techniques.

Yours forever

(Name withheld at client’s request)

“Words cannot truly explain how talented Anita Whelan is as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner – amongst the many other strings she has to her bow. I have been seeing Anita for close to 3 years now after going through a significant trauma that left me emotionally and physically unbalanced. Anita along with a small handful of other professionals was able to get me back on track and understand some of the triggers and emotions I was experiencing, and how best to handle them when they occur. Anita has done zero hands on treatment with me and I am astounded at the results we have been able to achieve.
I am naturally quite an anxious person, the way I feel after a session is completely calm, I sleep better, I am able to make better decisions and remain a lot more calm emotionally when obstacles creep up, and when they do, I feel I have strategies in my toolkit to best handle then.
I’d highly recommend Anita to every body. Her work is powerful and life-changing.”

Lucy Watts, Studio 2158