Somatic Trauma Therapy & Nervous System Support in Hertford and Online
You've tried to move forward, but your mind and body still feel stuck in old patterns of anxiety, overwhelm or survival.
Gentle, integrative trauma recovery that works with mind, nervous system and body, helping you feel calmer, safer and more connected to yourself.
Esme Winterflood | Trauma Recovery Facilitator
Perhaps you've hit a wall with talk therapy and still feel stuck. Or maybe you're living with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, burnout or the lasting effects of trauma and know something needs to change.
Chronic stress and trauma can affect the way you experience your body, your emotions, beliefs and everyday life. You may feel chronically anxious, disconnected from your body or not quite at home in yourself, feel constantly on guard or preparing for the worst, or notice that fear is holding you back from things you want to do. You may feel you react to situations rather than choosing how to respond.
Whether you've been diagnosed with PTSD or CPTSD or simply recognise yourself in these patterns, you don't have to keep living this way.
You know something needs to change. You want to feel safer, steadier and more like yourself again.
Let’s explore what’s happening for you and find the right starting point for support.
In person in Hertford UK · Online worldwide
What If Understanding Isn't Enough?
Understanding can be an important part of healing but it doesn't always change the way you feel, react or experience your life.
In our work together, we look at the patterns that keep showing up and how they are experienced in your body, nervous system, emotions and beliefs. This creates space for new experiences and different ways of responding so you can have more freedom in how you experience your life.
I draw from neuroscience-informed and body-based practices, such as Yoga Therapy, Havening®, mindfulness, breathwork, nervous-system education, therapeutic conversation and reframing your experiences. You can learn more about the methods I use here.
The approaches I use are tailored to your needs, preferences and pace. You don’t need to choose the methods yourself. A free initial call helps us explore your situation and the support that fits you.
Much of my 1:1 work can be done online, wherever you are. If you prefer to work in person, sessions are held at The Secret Space in Hertford. My Nervous System Reset 8-week programme is delivered online, and I also offer in-person workshops and yoga classes in Hertfordshire.
“I would highly recommend Esme to anyone feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or stuck and looking for a gentle yet powerful way to regulate their nervous system and regain balance.”
— Basia
I’m Esme, I’m an integrative trauma practitioner and yoga therapist, helping people move beyond the patterns that keep them stuck.
My journey into this work has grown from years of exploring what actually helps us change, alongside my own experiences of therapy, yoga, meditation and personal development.
I’m trained as a Havening® Practitioner, Yoga Therapist and teacher, Trauma Center Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY) Facilitator and Somatic Coach, with ongoing training in neuroscience-informed approaches to healing.
What matters most to me is how the work feels for the person sitting in front of me. I work gently and collaboratively, paying attention to your individual experience and adapting the work rather than forcing you into a particular process.
My aim is to create a space where you feel safe enough to explore, understand yourself more deeply and begin experiencing real change, at a pace that works for you.
“I absolutely loved working with Esme 1:1. She has a profound intelligence, and an incredibly compassionate and skillful way of working.”
— Vicky
What Clients Say
Start Here
Experience the approach for yourself
Free Online Nervous System Reset Live
Join me for a free 30-minute monthly online session where you can experience my approach for yourself.
Each month, we explore a different theme through guided reflection, practical exercises and simple nervous-system education.
You’ll begin to understand your patterns, gain perspective and discover new ways to respond, so you feel less ruled by stress and overwhelm, and more able to choose how you respond in everyday life.
When you sign up, you'll also receive my free Nervous System First Aid Kit — a practical guide with simple techniques to return to whenever life feels overwhelming.
Can’t make the time? No worries. A replay will be sent to you.
Whether you're looking for deeper personalised support or a structured online journey, there's a way to help you move from feeling stuck towards meaningful change.
1:1 Somatic Therapy
Deeper, personalised support
For you if…
You’ve tried to understand what’s happening, but still feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, emotional overwhelm, trauma or disconnection.
Together, we work towards feeling safer in your body and reducing the emotional and physical impact of trauma, so your past has less hold over your present and more of your life feels yours again.
Offered Online or In Person at The Secret Space in Hertford.
Nervous System Reset Programme
8-Week Online Programme
For you if…
You’re living with stress, anxiety or overwhelm and want to understand your own patterns, gain perspective and learn how to respond rather than react.
Over eight weeks with live support, you’ll build awareness, explore practical tools and develop greater choice in how you respond, so you can make meaningful shifts in your life and relationships.
Offered Online.
In-person experiences to help you reconnect with yourself, find deep rest and feel more grounded.
In-person practice, connection and community
Regular yoga and mindfulness classes, TCTSY courses and Nervous System Reset gatherings in a welcoming, intimate space. Come as you are, move at your own pace and connect with yourself and others in a supportive environment.
Seasonal workshops and pop up meditation sessions in a beautiful countryside setting, giving you time to slow down, learn, practise and properly switch off.
Expect nervous system education, embodied practices, deep rest and space to reconnect, with yourself and with others.
Whether you're looking for a regular practice, a supportive community or a deeper reset, you're warmly welcome.
Here are some common questions about this embodied approach to trauma recovery and healing.
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Yes. I work with people experiencing PTSD and CPTSD, using a personalised, trauma-informed approach that may include nervous system education, Havening®, Yoga Therapy, body-based practices, mindfulness, breathwork and therapeutic conversation. We work at a pace that feels manageable for you, without requiring you to relive or retell your trauma.
My work is focused on helping you feel safer in yourself, understand your responses and develop greater choice in how you respond to life. If you're unsure whether this approach is right for you, you can book a free 20-minute call and we can explore it together.
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Somatic trauma therapy may be helpful if you feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, stress or hypervigilance, even after trying to understand your experiences cognitively. This work focuses on supporting the nervous system and body, not just thoughts or emotions, to find safety and regulation again.
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Many people I work with have already tried talking therapy and understand their experiences intellectually, but still feel stuck in survival patterns. Somatic or body based therapy works more directly with the nervous system and body to support greater safety, regulation and lasting change.
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Trauma and chronic stress can shape patterns within the nervous system and body, keeping us stuck in states of anxiety, hypervigilance, overwhelm or shutdown. Body-based therapy works gently with these patterns to support greater regulation, safety and resilience over time.
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We begin gently, at a pace that feels manageable for you. The first session is a space to explore what you’ve been experiencing, understand your nervous system responses and begin building a sense of safety and support within the body.
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No. You are welcome to share anything you feel will be helpful as we work together, but you are never pressured to talk about anything before you feel ready. Somatic work focuses on supporting the nervous system and body in the present moment, rather than repeatedly revisiting or retelling traumatic experiences.
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Body based or somatic trauma therapy recognises that trauma and chronic stress don't just affect our thoughts—they also affect the brain, nervous system and body. While talking therapy focuses on understanding your experiences, somatic approaches work with the physical and emotional patterns those experiences may have left behind, such as anxiety, hypervigilance, shutdown or feeling disconnected from yourself.
Rather than relying on conversation alone, I integrate neuroscience-informed, body-based and subconscious approaches to help reduce the emotional impact of past experiences. The aim isn't to erase memories, but to help your brain and nervous system respond to them differently, so you can feel calmer, more resilient and more like yourself again.
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Havening is a gentle, trauma-informed technique that uses touch, attention and guided imagination to help reduce the emotional intensity associated with stressful or upsetting experiences.
In a session, I guide you through simple self-touch techniques, such as gently stroking the arms or hands, while we work with thoughts, feelings or memories that may be keeping you stuck. The aim is to help your nervous system experience something different, so that difficult experiences can feel less overwhelming and you can develop greater choice in how you respond.
You don't need to relive or retell your trauma for Havening to be used, and it can be particularly helpful when fear, anxiety or a strong emotional response is getting in the way of something you want to do. It can also be used as general nervous system reguolation tool to use throughout the day.
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Every session is tailored to you. We'll begin by talking about what's been happening and what you'd like support with before gently exploring body awareness, breathing, movement, mindfulness or other evidence-informed approaches that help regulate your nervous system.
Some sessions involve more conversation, while others focus more on experiential practices—we'll always work collaboratively and at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you. There is never any pressure to relive traumatic memories or share more than you're comfortable with.
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Yes. Many people who experience trauma, chronic stress or overwhelm feel disconnected from their body or emotionally shut down. This work is designed to move gently and gradually, helping you build safety and connection at a pace that feels manageable.
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Chronic stress often impacts both the nervous system and body, contributing to patterns of tension, exhaustion, pain or overwhelm. Somatic therapy supports the body and nervous system to begin shifting these patterns gently over time.
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No experience is needed. All the sessions are gentle, trauma-informed and focused on nervous system support rather than performance or flexibility. You are encouraged to move at your own pace and listen to your body throughout.
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My work combines nervous system regulation, somatic practices and trauma-informed yoga within a gentle, body-based approach that prioritises safety, pacing and attunement. Many people I work with have already tried cognitive or talk-based approaches but still feel stuck in survival patterns within the body.
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Yes. I offer online 1:1 sessions for clients across the UK and internationally. Online sessions are designed to feel gentle, supportive and grounded, with the same nervous system-focused approach as in-person work.
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If you’re curious about working together, you’re invited to book a free call and we can chat about your goals. I also offer a monthly 30 minute online live session where you get to experience work with me. I offer in person courses if you live near Hertford, and also an 8 week online Nervous System programme if you struggle with feeling out of control of your emotions and reactions. My 1:1 work offers deeper, more tailored approach where we work together over several weeks or months to undo unhelpful patterns, intense emotional reactions and start to reframe your experience and relationship with yourself for the better. You can find ‘Book A Call’ buttons throughout the website.
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Yes. While understanding your story can be helpful, healing doesn't always require you to repeatedly revisit painful memories. My approach focuses on helping your brain, body and nervous system feel safer in the present. Using neuroscience-informed methods such as Havening Techniques®, PhotoStack™, body-based practices and trauma-informed yoga, we work at a pace that feels manageable, building regulation, resilience and choice without overwhelming your nervous system. All can be done comfortably from your own home, online.
Taking inspiration from my own experience, and chatting with my clients and students, I share insights and practices each week about trauma, the nervous system, somatic, yoga practices, and the science behind them.
You Can Contact Me Here
Not sure where to start?
You can also email me here and we can arrange a chat about how this work can help you.
esme@embodiedtraumatherapies.com
(+44) 7415 710 961