Coaching, one-to-one
My one-to-one work draws heavily on the different trainings, teachers and personal experiences that I have learnt from. In doing so, I offer a unique therapeutic space with a predominantly somatic orientation.
As much as I enjoy creating psycho-educational material for Breathe With James and my course, Soma Rising, there is something unique about one-on-one work that can’t be replicated elsewhere.
I specialise in working with people who are experiencing complex physical and/or emotional health issues often linked to nervous system dysregulation and difficulty managing emotions.
My one-to-one work is built on three key principles
-
The first step to emotional (and nervous system) health is not diving into your emotions or trying to ‘release’ them—it’s creating stability and restoring a felt sense of safety—meaning you feel secure, protected and well-resourced.
It can be strange even to discuss safety. You might think, ‘But I have a home, running water, and food to eat; of course, I’m safe.’
But, a feeling of safety is not equivalent to an objective measurement of safety, which may pragmatically be described as the removal of threat.
Feeling safe is more akin to a felt sense of safety—you need to feel it in your body.
-
Once a baseline level of stability is established, we begin expanding your capacity to feel without being overwhelmed.
Emotional resilience isn’t about pushing through or numbing out, but widening your nervous system’s capacity to hold a full spectrum of emotions—grief and joy, rage and tenderness—without shutting down or spinning out.
This capacity gives rise to a fuller, more meaningful life and will allow you to meet challenges with groundedness, navigate complexity with compassion, and remain connected to yourself through it all.
-
Western culture’s tendency to seek immediate alleviation and removal of symptoms sometimes denigrates the wisdom that they can offer.
The teleology of symptoms refers to their meaning and purpose—it’s a Jungian lens.Rather than always trying to get rid of symptoms or looking for the next quick fix, we may explore the question, ‘What is your psyche (soul) asking of you?’
But, there is no map, only you.
All conventional paths lead halfway up the mountain, but you must forge your own to rise to the top. I will walk with you, but not for you—next to you, but not ahead of you. My role is not to show you the path (I don’t know what yours is). Instead, it is to support you in creating your own.
We’ll work top-down & bottom-up
Most therapeutic and personal growth traditions focus on either top-down or bottom-up aspects of the circular flow of information, working either from the brain to the body or from the body to the brain. I incorporate a top-down and bottom-up approach with a predominantly somatic orientation.
Top-Down
Top-down approaches focus on how thoughts influence emotions and behaviours. We will target distorted beliefs and maladaptive behaviours by creating more adaptive self-beliefs. This intervention relies on insight.
Bottom-Down
In bottom-up approaches, your body is the doorway to your inner world—sensation and emotion are the entry points. This is our nervous system lens—we will work with your body rather than against it.
Book a free, no obligations, 20-minute discovery call
Email me to book discovery call
Working with James helped me navigate a challenging transition in my life. I felt ungrounded and lost after travelling for five years and changing countries and projects. James helped me find a sense of safety and calm within myself, become more conscious of my emotional responses and behaviours, discover tools to balance my nervous system and find the way forward for my next steps and projects. I found his approach perfectly adapted to the modern world, addressing both the needs of the soul and the mind, modern science and ancient wisdom.
— Asya, Client
James and I started working together a year ago. I have had many years of chronic illness and needed to navigate new and sustainable ways to see me through unsteady paths ahead. We have achieved this together. I can now relate to my body through a nervous system lens and maintain a much more regulated state. I have my bag of daily tools that are now always with me. Thank you, James!