Recover, Revive, Thrive.
Reclaim yourself after Chronic Stress, Anxiety, Burnout and Depression.
Brain and Nervous System Approaches for a fuller recovery.
Bring your Body and Mind back into Balance.
Welcome. My name is Nicola and I am a psychotherapist who specialises in helping people find recovery and renewal by helping your nervous system find balance again.
The way we adapt to stress and overwhelm, over time, can change the way we breathe, our posture and muscular tension, the way we think and process information as well as our emotions. It also changes the way your brain and nervous system regulate these processes, so that many of your struggles are now being run by the automatic part of your body and brain, outside of your control.
The people I work with struggle with symptoms like sleep issues, fight/ flight / freeze reactions, depression, anxiety, difficulty relaxing, disconnection from their body, chronic fatigue, muscular tension and pain, movement issues, tension headaches, burnout, fibromyalgia, digestive issues, brain fog, hormonal imbalances, shallow breathing and many more. All of these issues tend to point at the fact that the body/mind/ brain system has become stuck and is no longer adapting and recovering under stress as it should.
The solutions I provide focus on helping you recalibrate your body and brain’s automatic reaction patterns, so that you can re-wire old brain habits in order to release tension, breathe deeply, find calm and respond to life with balance again.
I am very happy to offer the combination of somatic approaches and technologies that have helped countless people in their journey towards mental and physical health and an easier life for the long term.
With the right approaches, the body and mind can self repair and rebalance to surprising degrees.
What I offer
NeurOptimal® Neurofeedback is an advanced, non-invasive neurotechnology. It trains your brain to respond to and recover from stress and emotional triggers in an optimised way. If the stress in your life is ongoing then it can help you manage more effectively and, if the your reactivity is based on past circumstances, then it can help with living in the present and letting the past go.
Optimal brain performance is also integral to improving cognitive and emotional performance at work, in sports, learning and any endeavour where you need high functioning performance. Looking to thrive in these areas? NeurOptimal can help.
Choose from individual sessions from the office in Hove or rental systems for use at home.
Helps with: stress / anxiety resilience and recovery, inner calm, mental clarity, focus & concentration, energy levels, outlook, emotional steadiness, decision making and sleep quality amongst many others.
Somatic Movement
Somatic Movement is a brain and nervous system based approach using gentle, and cleverly designed, movement exercises to help release chronic muscular tension that cause restricted movement and pain. By having a tool to permanently release muscular tension, you can reclaim your right to move freely and efficiently for the long term.
Somatics engages your brain’s motor cortex, so that it can release the old muscle memory ‘programmes’ that hold unnecessary tension that are the root cause of pain. By releasing tension and re-setting muscle length, you will be able to move comfortably again, without restrictions.
Whether you are looking to release stress, muscular pain or keep your sporting or exercise regime efficient then Somatic Movement helps.
It is effective in as little as 20 minutes per day.
Altitude Training/ IHHT
Ever wondered why it feels so good to spend time in the mountains? It’s because the ‘thinner’, mountain air improves and renews how your body functions. Altitude Training, also know by its scientific name, Intermittent Hypoxic/Hyperoxic Training (IHHT), is a safe, non-invasive approach to oxygen therapy which has received many years of rigorous scientific research. It helps your body and cells adapt to simulated high altitude conditions, so that your brain and body boost their performance and oxygenation. Every aspect of our health and functioning requires oxygen and energy. The result for you is greater mental and physical health and stamina to boost your resilience.
Benefits: mitochondrial renewal, increased ATP production (energy) , improved respiratory and cardiovascular performance (increases fitness and stress resilience), improves HRV (heart rate variability), increases blood flow and oxygenation of the body and brain, increased neuroplasticity and adaptability of body and mind, improved parasympathetic functioning, improves sleep, better immune function, greater concentration, hormonal balance and support for anti ageing, amongst many others.
Breathwork and functional breathing are one of the most accessible methods we have at our disposal to influence the body-mind system. How we breathe affects our health and wellbeing. It is a powerful tool for stress and anxiety management, influences our ability to sleep well, have energy while improving focus and performance. The Vagus Nerve, the seat of our Parasympathetic Nervous System, runs throughout the airways and lungs and and is directly influenced by how we breathe.
There is a very clear relationship between breathing, mood, movement and biological efficiency. Breathing is something we all have at our disposal to help us find balance and resilience. Once learnt, it will support you 24/7.
What I work with