Why I Created the Soma Massage Method™
From Personal Healing to Professional Practice
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If you are considering The Soma Massage Method™, it is natural to wonder who is guiding you and what has shaped this work. This is not just a method built on theory. It is grounded in lived experience, years of practice, and a deep commitment to helping others find regulation, safety, and authenticity.
A Personal Journey Through Dysregulation
My early life was marked by chronic and acute childhood trauma. As I moved into my twenties, I found myself navigating life from a place of deep dysregulation. I experienced ongoing overwhelm, anxiety, and internal chaos, often swinging between heightened stress and periods of shutdown and depression. Like many people, I developed coping strategies to manage how I felt. These included drinking, drug use, and working in high-pressure environments where over-giving became the norm. At the time, these strategies felt necessary. I did not yet have the awareness or tools to do things differently.
The Turning Point: Beginning the Healing Journey
Towards the end of my twenties, I began my own healing journey. I entered therapy and committed to understanding myself on a deeper level. Over the past twenty years, I have explored multiple therapeutic approaches, gaining insight into nervous system regulation, neuroscience, and the patterns that keep us stuck. Through this work, I moved from surviving to living with intention. I learnt how to regulate my nervous system, recognise unhelpful coping strategies, and replace them with healthier ways of being.
From Personal Healing to Professional Practice
Alongside my personal journey, I have spent over twenty-five years working as a bodyworker, supporting thousands of clients. Many came to me not only with physical symptoms but with deeper patterns rooted in coping strategies and unresolved experiences. I began to notice something important. Often, it was not just past trauma causing distress, but the very ways people had learnt to cope with it. These strategies, while once protective, were now creating further challenges in their lives.
This realisation led me to go deeper in my work with clients and ultimately to develop what is now known as The Soma Massage Method™.
What Makes The Soma Massage Method™ Different
The Soma Massage Method™ is built on six core principles:
- Presence
- Connection
- Co-regulation
- Resilience building
- A client-centred approach
- A student-centred learning environment
This work is not just about technique. It is about how we show up, how we relate, and how we create safety for others. When working with clients, the approach is deeply client-centred. When teaching students, the focus shifts to supporting each individual’s learning experience. Small group sizes ensure that every student receives the attention and guidance they need.
Living the Work
One of the most important aspects of this method is congruence. I practise what I teach. That does not mean I never experience stress or dysregulation. I do. But I now have the tools and awareness to respond differently. I live with intention, presence, and a conscious approach to life. This way of living creates a sense of safety that clients can feel. It allows them to enter a therapeutic space where they can begin to regulate, connect, and build resilience within themselves.
An Invitation to You
The Soma Massage Method™ is more than a professional training. It is an invitation to live and work in a way that is aligned, conscious, and supportive of both you and your clients. When you are regulated, present, and connected, you become a safe and grounded practitioner. From that place, you are able to support others more effectively and authentically.
If you are ready to deepen your work, expand your understanding, and embody a more conscious way of being,
The Soma Massage Method™ is here to support you on that journey.
