ONLINE SOMATIC EXPERIENCING THERAPY | VIJAY RANA
A Body-Based Approach to Trauma Healing
If you're feeling anxious, overwhelmed, emotionally stuck, or just not quite yourself, you're not alone.
I offer online Somatic Experiencing therapy to facilitate nervous system healing and recovery from trauma.
Sessions are held online and move at your own pace.
Book a Free 20-Minute Intro Call
Get a feel for how I work and ask any questions, no pressure.
Exploring Somatic Experiencing with Will Young
In this podcast, singer Will Young interviews me about the Somatic Experiencing work we’ve done together.
We explore what Somatic Experiencing is, how it works, and why it can be such a powerful way to process trauma through the body. Will shares reflections on how connecting with his body helped transform his trauma.
Contents:
-
[00:35] What is 'Somatic' Therapy?
-
[02:40] How it Works - a Demo of Going from Freeze to Flight
-
[06:35] My Personal Journey
-
[09:00] Mind vs Body & how Avoidance prevents healing
-
[10:27] Fear of Working with the Body
-
[11:36] Willingness - the Primary Driver for Transformation
-
[12:15] Summary of Techniques & Process
-
[13:49] Humour as a 'Resource' to Support Healing
£60 for a 1-hour session · vijayrana3@gmail.com · 07941 389175
About Me
I’m a London-born Somatic Experiencing trauma specialist, BACP-trained counsellor, and lecturer with over twenty years’ experience in the field of therapy.
I work with people who feel stuck in patterns of stress, emotional numbness, or chronic overwhelm. My approach is client-led and body-aware, helping you build a more authentic sense of connection, capacity, and safety within yourself.
Personal Journey
In my twenties, I was disconnected from my feelings and struggled with depression, relationship blocks, and unresolved grief. Essentially, I was emotionally stuck.
After trying many self-help methods focused on changing thoughts (with no success) I discovered somatic approaches that helped me understand how emotions become trapped in the body.
Through this body-centred work, I was able to process deep grief and abandonment, and finally clear my emotional stuckness. Now, more embodied and connected to myself, I can fully feel and express my emotions and enjoy nourishing relationships.
Professional Approach
I work primarily as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, and also as a counsellor and supervisor.
My approach is body-centred and Focusing-oriented, drawing on Psychodynamic, Person-Centred, Humanistic, Transpersonal, and Family Constellation methods.
This integrative framework allows me to adapt the work to the unique therapeutic needs of each person.
I’ve trained extensively across a range of modalities and also offer supervision for other therapists and practitioners.
Qualifications & Experience
-
Lecturer, BACP Counselling Course, East Sussex College (2019)
-
Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, SEP (2011)
-
BACP Accredited Counsellor & Psychotherapist (2010)
-
Focusing Teacher, BFA (2006)
-
SHEN Bodyworker, CST (2005)
£60 for a 1-hour session · vijayrana3@gmail.com · 07941 389175
What Is Somatic Experiencing & How Does It Work?
Somatic Experiencing® (SE) is a powerful body-based trauma therapy developed by Dr. Peter Levine. It focuses on nervous system regulation and trauma resolution by helping individuals track physical sensations and release stored survival energy.
This somatic approach supports the healing of:
-
Developmental and relational trauma
-
Emotional shutdown and dissociation
-
Chronic anxiety, panic, and burnout
-
Hyperarousal and nervous system dysregulation
By working directly with the body rather than just thoughts or narratives, Somatic Experiencing helps restore safety, connection, and resilience.
How Somatic Experiencing Works
Somatic Experiencing uses gentle, focused body awareness to help clients notice internal sensations, emotions, and impulses. As they stay with and gradually increase their capacity to tolerate these inner experiences, the nervous system begins to settle, allowing the natural release of unresolved trauma held in the body.
In my work, two main types of release often occur:
-
Emotional discharge (e.g. tears, anger, relief)
-
Survival energy release, such as the completion of Fight, Flight, or Freeze responses
Here are two brief examples of what this can look like in practice:
Emotional Release Example
A client notices tightness in the chest after sensing into their body. As they stay with the sensation, they begin to feel an expansion in the chest and throat. Their eyes tear up, and grief starts to move through and release. Only after this shift does the memory connected to the emotion fully emerge.
This is known as bottom-up processing: healing that begins in the body, not the story.
Survival Energy Release Example
While speaking about a childhood trauma involving their abusive parent, a client notices twitching in their legs. They become aware of an impulse to run. With guidance, they allow small leg movements to increase, eventually imagining themselves escaping the house. This somatic expression completes a flight response that was frozen at the time of the original trauma. Afterwards, the client reports feeling calmer, more grounded, and less overwhelmed by fear.
This is the body releasing stored survival energy and restoring nervous system balance.
The aim of Somatic Experiencing therapy is to facilitate the discharge and completion of stuck trauma energy, helping the body return to safety and regulation.
£60 for a 1-hour session · vijayrana3@gmail.com · 07941 389175
What I Help With
I specialise in working with trauma and emotional challenges that leave people feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. My expertise spans the issues below, with particular depth in relational and developmental trauma.
Symptoms or challenges:
-
Chronic stress or emotional fatigue
-
Shutdown, freeze, or numbness
-
Hypervigilance, anxiety, or burnout
-
Feeling “not in your body”
-
Grief, loss, or deep emotional pain
-
Shame and self-worth struggles
Relational & developmental trauma:
-
Narcissistic or emotional abuse
-
Insecure attachment and abandonment wounds
-
Toxic family dynamics
-
Sexual abuse and boundary violations
-
Sex/love addiction patterns
-
PTSD and developmental trauma
Identity & community-specific issues:
-
Racism-related trauma
-
LGBTQ+ concerns and embodiment
-
Non-conventional or open relationships
-
Support for therapists
£60 for a 1-hour session · vijayrana3@gmail.com · 07941 389175
Book A Session
Book a Session or a 20-Minute Free Intro Call
You're welcome to book a free 20-minute introductory call to get a feel for how I work and ask any questions, no pressure. All sessions are held online via secure video call (Zoom or WhatsApp).
Or if you're ready, you can book a full session below.
Somatic Experiencing Therapy
Body-based trauma therapy for regulation, healing, and reconnection after overwhelm or trauma.
Online · 60 minutes · £60
Counselling
Integrative counselling drawing on multiple disciplines to help with anxiety, major life transitions, low self-esteem, loss, grief, and relationship difficulties.
Online · 50 minutes · £60
Supervision
Support for therapists, especially those working with trauma or body-based approaches.
Online · 50 minutes · £60
To book a session or a free 20-Minute intro call:
07941 389175
Sessions are available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, between 9:15am and 6:00pm (last start).