Greg James

As a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner®, psychotherapist, and trainer, I strongly believe in the connection between the body and the mind. Our bodies react in ways that we don't always understand and this can be both frustrating and frightening. Some ways in which this might present itself are acute anxiety, panic attacks, unexplained physical symptoms such as backache, headaches, and inflammation, feeling stuck or immobilised, anger issues and feeling fearful or under attack even though your mind knows you are safe.  

• "Greg is the best therapist I've ever been to. Observant, insightful and knows exactly where to take you."
  Client feedback - trauma survivor 

Talking therapies allow people to speak about their difficult life experiences, get them out of their heads and process them with the guidance of a skilled therapist. It is an enormously effective way of helping people to experience positive change and move on with their lives. What we forget, however, is that the body experiences these things too. In fact, the body experiences them first in the form of sensations, and then the mind perceives the experience, often through whichever filter is available or is deemed safest at the time. While we attend to the confusion and pain in our minds, the body is not often attended to even though it needs to process the experiences as much, if not more, than the mind does. Omitting the body in therapy often results in lingering physical and emotional symptoms and a sense that, while some things have changed, others have remained the same or gotten worse.

What is Somatic Experiencing?

Working with the body (Somatic Experiencing) simply means that, while talking, I might draw your attention to how you are feeling physically and invite you to be aware of and track these physical sensations during your sessions. These might be tightness in the chest, shaking, a burst of energy or a hollow feeling in the stomach. We allow those 'gut feelings' to have as much say in your explorations as your words do. By gently bringing your attention to those feelings while also attending to your thoughts and understanding of a situation, your nervous system renegotiates, and reintegrates, the experience. Somatic Experiencing (SE) is the life's work of Dr. Peter Levine and takes advantage of the body's natural ability to self-heal. Relying on an intimate knowledge of the nervous system and physiology of trauma, SE is taught around the world over an intensive three-year period and is used by doctors, neurologists, psychologists, psychotherapists, yoga instructors, teachers and more, with an impressive body of robust, academic and clinical evidence in treating PTSD and trauma-related illnesses. 

• "These sessions have made a massive impact on my life and I will be forever grateful"
  Client feedback - trauma survivor 
  
  

I have experience working with clients, both men and women, on issues including anxiety, childhood trauma, single traumatic events, car accidents, domestic violence, emotional and sexual abuse, rape, bullying, autoimmune diseases, boarding school survivors, suicidal ideation, family/relationship conflict, anger, boundary work and acute shame.

• "Thank you, unendingly, for guiding me along with such skill and compassion"
  Client feedback 

Why I work

Maya Angelou once said: "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you." It takes enormous strength to share your story with another human being and it is a rare privilege, as a psychotherapist, to bear witness to it. I hope that in sharing your wounds and journeying towards healing, you will find the peace and understanding you so richly deserve.

• "I feel like I leave every session lighter like I've put something down that I don't need to be carrying." 
  Client feedback - Childhood sexual abuse survivor
  

Next steps

Get in touch for a short no-obligation consult which may help you to decide if I'm the right person for you. You will find further information on my website about psychotherapy and somatic experiencing.

• "There's a peace along with the self-confidence and belief that's continuing to grow session by session." 
  Client feedback - Trauma survivor
  

I look forward to hearing from you.

• "I came to you with a foggy mind, tired and overwhelmed, totally unaware of my own body. The changes I have noticed in myself are enormous. They stand as a reminder of the journey we have been on and the gratitude I have for you."
  Client feedback - trauma survivor

• Somatic Experiencing® (SE) - A gentle trauma treatment based on the body's natural capacity to restore and resolve symptoms of trauma by getting to the root of it. SE is incredibly versatile and can be used as a tool in everyday life. When applied to trauma it has been shown to significantly reduce or entirely eradicate symptoms of trauma by getting to the root of the issue by being aware of how and why the body is responding in the way that it is, and what to do to help it. It is integrated seamlessly into my talking therapy.

While SE is not limited to working in the following areas, these are examples of common presenting issues that I see:

Car accidents, medical trauma, near drowning, violent/sexual or other physical assault, physical or emotional abuse, childhood trauma (prolonged or single event), bullying, secondary trauma (from being close to someone who has experienced trauma), falls, neglect, grief, dissociation, unexplained medical conditions, experience of war & prolonged stressful workplaces such as paramedics, firefighters and police, surgical procedures.

SE can also be used effectively in a short term way to prepare for surgical procedures including dental work.

Symptoms of trauma or PTSD may include acute anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks, intrusive thoughts about the incident(s), avoidance of things that remind you of the incident, hypervigilance (always being on edge and feeling ready for something), a sense that the world is not safe, chronic numbing of emotions or a feeling of collapse and shutdown.

• Military & Blue Light Services (resolution of trauma and/or resilience training to ensure wellbeing in future stressful situations)
• Boarding School Survivors
• Social workers/Foster parents etc experiencing secondary trauma symptoms

Free 20-30 minute Initial Consultation (carried out in person or via Google Meet)