Heal — John Cummins

Somatic Therapy

Heal

Your body has been
carrying this
long enough.

Q: What is somatic therapy?

Somatic therapy is a body-centred approach to healing that works with the nervous system, not just the mind. While talk therapy focuses on thoughts and narrative, somatic therapy recognises that trauma, stress, and emotional patterns are stored in the body: in physical sensations, posture, breath, and nervous system states. The goal is not to bypass understanding, but to include the body in the work so that what you know can actually shift.

Q: How is somatic therapy different from talk therapy?

Talk therapy works primarily through language and insight. Somatic therapy includes those elements but also attends to what the body is holding: sensations, nervous system states, posture, and implicit memory. Many people find they understand their patterns clearly through talk therapy but still cannot shift them. That gap is often where the body comes in. Somatic work meets the experience where it actually lives.

Q: What happens in a somatic therapy session?

Sessions begin with grounding and creating a sense of safety. From there, the work follows what is present: a feeling, a pattern, a physical sensation, or something that has come up in the week. The approach may draw on Compassionate Inquiry Informed, IFS parts work, somatic body awareness, or the Safe and Sound Protocol, depending on what is most useful. Each session closes with integration, helping ground what shifted in the body so it becomes available in daily life.

Q: Is somatic therapy evidence-based?

Yes. The modalities used in John's practice are all evidence-based. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is listed on SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. The Safe and Sound Protocol is grounded in Polyvagal Theory, which has extensive peer-reviewed research supporting it. Compassionate Inquiry Informed is increasingly supported by trauma-informed care research.

Q: Do somatic therapy sessions take place online?

Yes. All sessions are held online via video call, making them accessible wherever you are in the world. The core work: body awareness, nervous system tracking, parts work, and Compassionate Inquiry Informed: does not require physical presence.

Q: How long does somatic therapy take?

This varies depending on what someone is carrying and what they want to work toward. Some people notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions. Others engage in longer-term work over months or years. Healing is not linear, and the pace is always determined by the individual's nervous system, not a fixed programme.

Q: What is the first step to starting somatic therapy?

The first step is a free 30-minute discovery call. This is a conversation to understand what you are carrying, what you are hoping for, and whether this approach feels right for you. There is no obligation and no pressure.

Trauma-informed somatic therapy that works with the whole of you: not just the part that can find words for it.

Book a free discovery call

Is this you?

You've tried to
understand it.
Your body still knows.

You may have spent years in talk therapy. You may understand your patterns, your childhood, your triggers. And yet something hasn't shifted. The tension is still there. The exhaustion. The way your body braces before a difficult conversation.

That's not a failure of insight. That's the body waiting to be included in the work.

"Trauma compromises our ability to engage with others by replacing patterns of connection with patterns of protection." (Stephen Porges)

01Chronic stress, anxiety or burnout that doesn't lift no matter what you try

02Trauma or PTSD, including experiences you may have minimised or forgotten

03Emotional swings or numbness: feeling everything, or feeling nothing

04Relationship patterns that repeat themselves regardless of the partner

05People-pleasing or self-abandonment: saying yes when every part of you means no

06Chronic pain, fatigue or somatic symptoms without a clear physical cause

07Addictive patterns or self-sabotage you understand but can't seem to stop

08A sense of disconnection from yourself, your body, or the people around you

The approach

Not just talking
about it.

Most therapy asks you to think about your experience. Somatic therapy asks you to be with it: in your body, in real time, with support.

The work draws on three evidence-based frameworks that John has trained in deeply. Each brings something the others cannot do alone. Together, they form an approach that meets you where traditional therapy often stops.

Every session moves at your pace. Nothing is forced. The invitation is to get curious: about what you feel, where you feel it, and what it might be protecting.

Modality 01

Compassionate Inquiry® Informed

Developed by Dr. Gabor Maté. Reveals the unconscious dynamics beneath the surface: the hidden assumptions, implicit memories, and body states that drive behaviour. The goal is not confrontation but compassionate recognition.

Modality 02

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. Works with the different "parts" within you (protectors, exiles, managers), each of which once played a role in keeping you safe. IFS restores connection to your core Self: calm, curious, and capable of leading.

Learn more

Modality 03

Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP)

Developed by Dr. Stephen Porges. A non-invasive acoustic intervention grounded in Polyvagal Theory. SSP helps shift the nervous system from chronic defence toward safety, connection, and the capacity for deeper therapeutic work.

Learn more

Modality 04

Somatic Awareness

The body keeps the record. Somatic work brings gentle attention to how emotions and survival patterns are stored and expressed physically, supporting the nervous system in processing what the mind alone cannot resolve.

How it works

What to expect
in the room.

There is no fixed script. Each session responds to what's present. But there is a shape to the work: a direction it moves in, and a quality of attention that runs through all of it.

Safety first

Before any exploration, the nervous system needs to feel safe enough to engage. Sessions begin with grounding, presence, and whatever pace is right for you that day.

Curious exploration

Through conversation, body awareness, and gentle inquiry, we explore what's present, not to analyse it from a distance, but to be with it and understand what it needs.

Parts work

We meet the parts of you that carry old wounds and the parts that protect them, not to remove them, but to understand them. When a part feels seen, it no longer needs to shout.

Integration

Real change isn't just insight. It's felt. The final part of each session focuses on grounding the work in the body, so what shifted in the room becomes available in your life.

"His calm, compassionate approach created a space where I could finally look at the parts of myself I'd spent years avoiding. I feel lighter, clearer, and more connected to myself than I ever have."

Maria, Therapist and Coach

See more testimonials

Practical details

Ready to take
the first step?

The first session is always a discovery call: a 30-minute conversation to understand what you're carrying and whether this approach feels right for you. There is no obligation and no pressure.

Therapy sessions are held online via video, making them accessible wherever you are.

FormatOnline via video call

Session length60 minutes per session

Discovery callFree: 30 minutes, no obligation

FrequencyWeekly or fortnightly, your pace

LanguageEnglish

LocationAvailable worldwide

You don't have to keep
carrying this alone.

Book sessions Learn about John

Common questions
Questions about somatic therapy.What is somatic therapy?
Somatic therapy is a body-centred approach to healing that works with the nervous system, not just the mind. While talk therapy focuses on thoughts and narrative, somatic therapy recognises that trauma, stress, and emotional patterns are stored in the body: in physical sensations, posture, breath, and nervous system states. The goal is not to bypass understanding, but to include the body in the work so that what you know can actually shift.
How is somatic therapy different from talk therapy?
Talk therapy works primarily through language and insight. Somatic therapy includes those elements but also attends to what the body is holding: sensations, nervous system states, posture, and implicit memory. Many people find they understand their patterns clearly through talk therapy but still cannot shift them. That gap is often where the body comes in. Somatic work meets the experience where it actually lives.
What happens in a session?
Sessions begin with grounding and creating a sense of safety. From there, the work follows what is present: a feeling, a pattern, a physical sensation, or something that has come up in the week. The approach may draw on Compassionate Inquiry Informed, IFS parts work, somatic body awareness, or the Safe and Sound Protocol, depending on what is most useful. Each session closes with integration, helping ground what shifted in the body so it becomes available in daily life.
Is somatic therapy evidence-based?
Yes. The modalities used in John's practice are all evidence-based. Internal Family Systems (IFS) is listed on SAMHSA's National Registry of Evidence-Based Programs and Practices. The Safe and Sound Protocol is grounded in Polyvagal Theory, which has extensive peer-reviewed research supporting it. Compassionate Inquiry Informed is increasingly supported by trauma-informed care research. Somatic approaches draw on neuroscience, attachment theory, and decades of clinical work.
Do sessions take place online?
Yes. All sessions are held online via video call, making them accessible wherever you are in the world. The core work: body awareness, nervous system tracking, parts work, and Compassionate Inquiry Informed: does not require physical presence. Many people find the familiar environment of their own home supportive for deeper work.
How long does somatic therapy take?
This varies depending on what someone is carrying and what they want to work toward. Some people notice meaningful shifts within a few sessions. Others engage in longer-term work over months or years. Healing is not linear, and the pace is always determined by the individual's nervous system, not a fixed programme. A free 30-minute discovery call is the starting point: there is no obligation to commit to anything.
What is the first step?
The first step is a free 30-minute discovery call. This is a conversation to understand what you are carrying, what you are hoping for, and whether this approach feels right for you. There is no obligation and no pressure. If it feels like a fit, you can book sessions from there.