Jennifer Pickens – Somatic Trauma Therapist

 

Hello, my name is Jennifer Pickens.  I am a native of the United States but based in Edinburgh and I am trained in Counselling and body work modalities such as Somatic Trauma Therapy, Holistic Massage Therapy, and Myofascial Release.

To help you find what out what type of therapeutic modality resonates most with you, I would like to tell you something about how I work.

I work from a relational perspective, believing that safety and trust are of utmost importance within the therapeutic relationship. I work from a relational approach similar to Gestalt Therapy, incorporating aspects of a Person-Centred approach as well as Internal Family Systems.

My main way of working uses a “bottom up” approach to therapy, working from a body perspective called Somatic Trauma Therapy.  Somatic Trauma Therapy is a way of working with physical and emotional distress which may manifest in symptoms such as sleep disturbances, grief, emotional outbursts, inability to relax, high anxiety, low energy, numbness, poor digestion, feelings of panic, depression, rage, or being on high alert. In session, you learn how to observe and track physical sensations in your body that are often accompanied by strong emotions.  With the help of tools such as simple exercises you learn to observe, tolerate and reduce these physical sensations.  By doing so, you will begin to feel safer and more confident.

I also use Myofascial Release to help support the body become “unstuck.”   Fascia is a web of connective tissue (a good example would be to visualize cling film) that runs throughout the body. When the body becomes stressed or has been through traumatic events, the fascia tightens and may cause pain or rigidity.  Your emotional health and physical wellbeing may be affected. By incorporating this into the therapy process, you are able to feel more connected and in turn begin to feel happier and stronger.

This therapy is empowering and supports you to build a new relationship with yourself and your body as well as developing skills to support yourself.

 

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