About me
Lesley Twitchen
Somatic Trauma Psychotherapy & Hypnotherapy | Woburn Sands
You don’t have to do this alone.
If you’re living with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, ADHD traits, or the lasting effects of trauma, you may feel exhausted from holding everything together. You might find yourself overthinking, people-pleasing, or feeling disconnected from who you really are. Perhaps you feel lonely even when you’re not alone, or unsure how to make sense of what you’re feeling inside.
Whatever has brought you here, you don’t have to face it by yourself.
I offer a calm, compassionate, and supportive space where you can slow down, feel safe, and begin to reconnect with yourself. My work is grounded in an understanding of how trauma and stress live in the body, and how healing happens when we feel genuinely seen, heard, and supported.
How I Work
My approach is relational, trauma-informed, and body-based. I work at your pace, listening not only to your words but also to what your nervous system is communicating beneath the surface.
I integrate a range of therapeutic approaches, including:
• Somatic therapy to support nervous system regulation
• Trauma-informed psychotherapy to explore how past experiences shape present patterns
• Guided relaxation and focused attention techniques, inspired by hypnotherapy, to support deeper emotional awareness and calm
• Person-centred therapy to offer warmth, safety, and acceptance
• Creative and body-based approaches when words are difficult to find
• Safe and Sound Protocol and Flow Neuroscience to support emotional regulation
This work is gentle, collaborative, and always led by what feels safe for you.
I work integratively, bringing together somatic psychotherapy, hypnotherapy, and nervous system informed practice.
Clients come to me for many reasons. Some are starting therapy for the first time and feel unsure, exposed, or overwhelmed. Others are returning to therapy after previous experiences and may feel cautious, or simply tired of trying again. All of these responses are understandable.
My role is not to fix you or push for change. It is to create enough safety for your system to begin revealing itself honestly.
Together, we work with
• bodily sensations and emotional responses as they arise in the present moment
• patterns of protection, resistance, and coping
• nervous system states that shape how you feel and relate
• beliefs that live beneath conscious awareness
This approach recognises that lasting change happens when the body is included, not overridden.
Who I Work With
I support couples adults and teenagers who are experiencing:
• Anxiety, panic, and chronic stress
• ADHD and neurodivergent traits
• Trauma, including childhood abuse, neglect, or sexual violence
• Emotional overwhelm and burnout
• Low self-esteem and people-pleasing patterns
• Relationship and attachment difficulties
• Grief, loss, and major life transitions
Many of the people I work with have spent years coping alone. Therapy can become a place to rest, make sense of your experiences, and begin to heal.
About Me
I’m Lesley Twitchen, a fully qualified somatic-informed psychotherapist, counsellor, and hypnotherapy practitioner with over 30 years’ experience in healthcare. My background includes extensive work within the NHS, including trauma and neuroscience settings at St Bartholomew’s Hospital, The Royal London, and The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
I bring warmth, compassion, and real-world understanding to my work, helping clients feel safe enough to explore what they’ve been carrying.
Location and Sessions
I offer therapy from a private, welcoming studio on Woburn Sands High Street, as well as online sessions.
Whether you’re seeking short-term support or deeper therapeutic work, we will move at a pace that feels right for you.
Take the First Step
You don’t need to have everything figured out.
If something here resonates, you’re very welcome to get in touch.
Training, qualifications & experience
- Advanced Training (L5 BACP) in Somatic informed Trauma.
- (BACP) Diploma Integrative Counselling with a Person Centred approach.
- Dr. Stephen Porges’ Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP).Practitioner.
- Yoga Teacher, Level 3 specialising in body awareness and meditation.
- Play Therapy certificate. Roehamptom University.
- Trainee hypnotherapist Diploma Andrew Parrs Academy
- Poly Vagal Theory
- Somatic Therapy
- Timelines and Trauma Workshop (BCTS)
- Existential Therapies - Mick Cooper
- Clinical Applications of Polyvagal Theory (PESI)
- Attachment theories - (CT)
- A Matter of Life & Death - Irvin Yalom
- Healing Trauma With Janina Fisher
- Working with Suicide
- Couple Therapy
Member organisations
BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred). Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA). Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision. Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training. All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.
Accredited register membership
The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).
This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.
Areas of counselling I deal with
Other areas of counselling I deal with
Intensive Somatic Therapy and Neuroscience Informed Support
Alongside weekly therapy, I offer intensive somatic therapy sessions for clients who are seeking a more focused and immersive way of working. This approach is particularly suited to people who feel stuck in long standing patterns, are working with a specific issue, or want to engage in deeper therapeutic work within a shorter time frame. It can also be helpful for those who have already tried therapy and sense that a different pace or depth is needed.
Intensive somatic therapy allows time for the nervous system to settle, for emotional and bodily patterns to be explored in depth, and for meaningful integration to take place without the interruption that shorter sessions can bring. Working somatically supports change at the level of the body and nervous system, where many emotional responses, beliefs, and protective strategies are held. This can help clients gain clarity, improve emotional regulation, process trauma, and create movement where progress has previously felt slow or blocked.
Intensive work is offered as a package of three 2 hour sessions, at a cost of £550. This structure supports continuity and depth, while allowing space between sessions for reflection and integration. It is designed for clients who value a concentrated, solution focused approach and are motivated to engage actively in the process.
In addition to therapy, I also offer neuroscience informed support using Flow technology for clients who are looking for an alternative or complement to antidepressant medication. Flow is a non invasive neurostimulation system designed to support mood regulation and nervous system balance. I work alongside clients using Flow in a therapeutic context, helping them understand and integrate the neuroscience with emotional and psychological support. This option may be helpful for those experiencing low mood, chronic stress, or depressive symptoms, and who wish to explore a non medication based approach with professional guidance.
My work is grounded in somatic psychotherapy and contemporary neuroscience, recognising that people have different needs, capacities, and time constraints. Whether working intensively, weekly, or with neuroscience informed support, I aim to meet clients where they are and support change in a way that is ethical, embodied, and sustainable.
Therapies offered
Photos & videos
Fees
£90.00 - £160.00
Concessions offered for
Additional information
Ongoing Therapeutic Work 50mins £90 – A Consistent, Relational Approach
This approach is designed for those who benefit from regular, ongoing therapeutic support. It offers a steady, relational space where deeper healing can unfold over time, allowing patterns, emotions, and experiences to be explored at a pace that feels safe and contained.
Weekly therapy supports the gradual building of trust, safety, and self-awareness. For many people, especially those with histories of trauma, emotional neglect, or long-term stress, this consistent rhythm is what allows real and lasting change to take place.
Why Ongoing Therapy Can Be Helpful
Regular sessions provide continuity and stability, helping the nervous system settle through repeated experiences of safety and connection. Over time, this allows for:
• Greater emotional regulation and resilience
• Deeper understanding of patterns and relational dynamics
• Increased capacity to tolerate and process difficult feelings
• Healing of long-standing attachment and relational wounds
• A stronger, more compassionate relationship with yourself
This work supports not just symptom relief, but meaningful internal change that can be integrated into daily life and relationships.
What to Expect
Sessions take place weekly and offer a consistent, supportive space to explore your inner world at a pace that feels manageable. The work may involve reflection, emotional processing, somatic awareness, and relational exploration, always guided by your needs and readiness.
This approach is particularly helpful if you are seeking depth, continuity, and a therapeutic relationship that develops over time.
Focused Intensive Somatic Therapeutic Work 90-100 mins £160 – A Bespoke Approach
Alongside weekly therapy, I offer intensive somatic therapy sessions for clients who are seeking a more focused and immersive way of working. This approach is particularly suited to people who feel stuck in long standing patterns, are working with a specific issue, or want to engage in deeper therapeutic work within a shorter time frame. It can also be helpful for those who have already tried therapy and sense that a different pace or depth is needed.
Intensive somatic therapy allows time for the nervous system to settle, for emotional and bodily patterns to be explored in depth, and for meaningful integration to take place without the interruption that shorter sessions can bring. Working somatically supports change at the level of the body and nervous system, where many emotional responses, beliefs, and protective strategies are held. This can help clients gain clarity, improve emotional regulation, process trauma, and create movement where progress has previously felt slow or blocked.
I offer extended 90 minute intensive sessions designed to support this deeper level of therapeutic work. These sessions create the space needed for regression work, somatic processing, and focused therapeutic exploration, allowing us to move beyond surface understanding and into meaningful, embodied change.
Couples Therapy £120 per 50-minute session – Rebuilding Connection and Understanding
Couples therapy offers a supportive space to slow things down, understand patterns, and rebuild connection when communication feels strained or distance has grown between you.
This work supports couples who may be struggling with conflict, emotional disconnection, trust issues, or the impact of past experiences on their relationship. Together, we create space to explore what’s happening beneath the surface and to develop healthier ways of relating to one another.
My approach is trauma-informed and relational, supporting both partners to feel heard, understood, and emotionally safe. Sessions focus on strengthening communication, increasing emotional awareness, and creating greater safety and connection within the relationship.
What couples can expect:
• A calm, supportive environment where both voices are heard
• Help understanding repeating patterns and triggers
• Support to rebuild trust, closeness, and emotional safety
• Guidance in communicating needs and boundaries more clearly
Investment
£120 per 50-minute session
Couples sessions are offered as ongoing work or short-term support, depending on your needs and goals.
Couples often come to therapy feeling disconnected, stuck, or unsure how to reach each other again.
You may love one another deeply, yet find yourselves caught in patterns of misunderstanding, conflict, or distance that feel hard to shift alone. Couples therapy offers a calm, supportive space to slow things down, understand what’s happening beneath the surface, and begin rebuilding connection, trust, and emotional safety together.
When I work
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Further information
I hold a current, enhanced DBS (formally CRB) certificate and insurance.
My therapy space is a private, self-contained studio, on the high street Woburn Sands in Milton Keynes offering complete independence and discretion. Thoughtfully designed to be quiet, safe, and free from distractions, it provides a calm and inviting atmosphere that encourages reflection and ease. The warm, intentional decor promotes a sense of worthiness and self-acceptance, a place where you can settle in, take a breath, and focus on yourself without pressure or expectation.
Somatic Informed Psychotherapist and Hypnotherapist
I work with adults and teens, offering a somatic and hypnotherapeutic approach that supports nervous system regulation, embodiment, and lasting change. My work is trauma informed and integrates contemporary neuroscience, body based psychotherapy, and hypnotherapy.
I am a registered member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and practise in accordance with its ethical framework.
You can find out more about my work at
https://trueselfpsychotherapy.co.uk/
