Somatic Healing for the Highly Sensitive
Do you feel things more deeply than others? Are you easily moved by nature, art and music, but just as easily overwhelmed by a busy environment or the emotions of those around you?
You might be a highly sensitive or neurodivergent. Your sensitivity isn't a flaw, it's a trait of a nervous system that is wired to process the world with extraordinary depth and nuance. But living in a world not built for this level of awareness can lead to chronic stress, anxiety, and a feeling of being untethered. Especially when we move through stages of our life when hormones start to influence things, such as puberty, pregnancy, post-natal, perimenopause, and menopause.
Somatic practices offer a gentle, profound path, supporting you to rediscover your true Self. It’s not about "toughening up," but about learning to work with your sensitive nature to find your true essence, the Self, and inner peace.
A deeply nurturing somatic practice for women’s healing
Does This Sound Like You?
Feeling seen is the first step toward healing. Perhaps you recognise yourself in some of these experiences:
Easily overwhelmed by sensory input like bright lights, strong smells, or loud noises
Absorb the moods and emotions of others, sometimes to the point of exhaustion
A rich, complex inner life and a deep appreciation for beauty
Often told you’re "too sensitive" or "overthinking things"
Highly imaginative, always coming up with elaborate stories, or wanting to write a book
A desire regular quiet time and solitude to recharge your batteries
An ongoing struggle with anxiety, burnout, or a persistent feeling of being on edge
Strong intuitive sense but you may have learned to doubt its wisdom
You may be diagnosed as, or self-identify as neurodivergent
You may have grown up feeling different somehow, but you don’t know why or how
You may struggle to define what you’re feeling and have muted or loud interoceptive cues
If you nodded along, you are in the right place. There is a way to honour your sensitivity without paying the price of overwhelm.
How Somatic Healing Can Help
Somatic healing is a body-centred approach. The word ‘somatic’ comes from the Greek soma, meaning "the living body."
Instead of just talking about feelings, I help you gently listen to the wisdom your body already holds. Your nervous system carries the story of your life so far - its joys, its sorrows, and its stresses. For the highly sensitive and neurodivergent woman, this system is particularly responsive. But you may have learned to mask it or hide it away, camouflage yourself to fit in or avoid the scrutiny of others. Especially if you’ve been repeatedly told you are too much, too loud, too quiet, just too much of anything.
Our work together is founded on safety and respect for your pace and inner knowing.
Through gentle awareness practices that include breathwork, sound, somatic movement, and mindful attention to physical sensations, I will help your nervous system to:
Discharge Stored Stress: Safely release the accumulated tension and relational trauma that contribute to anxiety and that "on-edge" feeling.
Establish Grounding: Learn simple, powerful techniques to anchor yourself in the present moment, even when the world feels chaotic.
Build Energetic Boundaries: Develop an embodied sense of your personal space, allowing you to engage with others without becoming emotionally flooded.
Increase Capacity: Gently expand your nervous system's ability to handle life's challenges and joys, reducing the frequency of overwhelm and burnout.
Reconnect with Your Intuition: Re-learn to trust the subtle signals of your body, turning your sensitivity from a source of stress into a source of profound wisdom.
What to Expect in a Session
Your comfort and safety are my first priority. Sessions are a confidential, compassionate space where you are invited to be exactly as you are. Sessions are 50 minutes long and follow a gentle format each time to bring a sense of safety and predictability. At your first session we begin with interoceptive assessment to find out where your body is in relation to internal sensation and your emotional landscape. Then I provide you with grounding and resourcing tools to ensure you are comfortable and embodied. You’ll be given home study that includes journalling the thoughts, emotions, and beliefs that accompany the sensations you experience in your body. In subsequent sessions, we’ll explore more somatic techniques to bring balance to the mind-body.
We won't force anything. A session might involve gentle guided mindfulness, noticing sensations, exploring subtle movements, Yoga Nidra meditation, or simply learning to breathe in a way that signals safety to your entire being. We focus more on the body and movement rather than talking. I may use sound bath instruments and drums, and humming or chanting if that is something you feel drawn to.
Your are in control at all times and you set the pace. We will move slowly, and I will encourage you to tune into the cues your body is sending you.
My role is to be a supportive guide, helping you navigate your inner world and rediscover the calm Self that already exists within you.
A Note From Me, Claire
As a somatic practitioner based here in St Ives, I am passionate about creating a space where sensitivity is understood not as a weakness, but as a remarkable strength.
I combine professional training in Trauma Informed and Interoceptive Centred Yoga, Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems and Somatic Healing with a deep, lived understanding of the highly sensitive and neurodivergent experience. I am myself neurodivergent as is my own, now adult daughter.
My mission is to help you transform your relationship with your sensitivity, so you can live a fuller, more authentic and joyful life.
Ready to Start?
If you are tired of feeling overwhelmed and are ready to embrace your sensitivity as a strength, I invite you to take the next step.
Let's explore how we can work together in support of finding freedom. I offer a free, no-obligation 30-minute consultation call to answer your questions and see if we're a good fit.
Session Length
One to one somatic healing sessions are 50 minutes long and cost £80 for a one off session or £70 for block bookings.
What to Wear and Have to Hand
There will be some movement involved in this type of session, although we will also be seated for some of it. I supply all equipment but you are welcome to bring your own eye pillow, blanket and pillow if you like to use as props through meditation or sound healing if you choose to. I suggest wearing clothes you can move easily in and are comfortable for being seated or moving in.
"The human body is not an instrument to be used, but a realm of one's being to be experienced, explored, enriched and, thereby, educated."
Thomas Hanna, founder of Clinical Somatic Education
Meet Your Somatic Healer
Claire Buttrum, Somatic Healer
I’m a certified Somatic Healer accredited with IYAT, a qualified yoga teacher and Pilates instructor, and ex-professional dancer and choreographer.
I qualified in Anusara yoga under Bridget Woods-Kramer in 2001, got certified to teach Pilates in 2018, and certified as a Somatic Healer accredited with IYAT in 2025.
I am trained in interoception awareness, holistic therapies, and work in a trauma-centred, neuroceptive informed way. I’ve studied ancient chanting with Krishna Das, and enjoy exploring the divine feminine and forest healing.
My ethos is to listen to the body creating safety through a gentle and supportive approach. I don’t believe in pushing through pain or discomfort. My role is to support your nervous system to find balance and flexibility.
I facilitate your connection to Self and your physical and energetic bodies.