A polyvagal-informed approach to releasing survival patterns and rebuilding safety from the inside out

To truly transform our lives, we must first unearth the core beliefs that reside in our subconscious mind, shaping our thoughts, emotions, and daily actions. As Carl Jung once wisely said:

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate.”

You're Not Broken — You're Just Wired for Protection

So many of the things you might be struggling with — anxiety, overwhelm, shutdown, looping thoughts, chronic symptoms — aren’t signs that something is wrong with you.

They’re signs that your nervous system is doing what it was designed to do: protect you.

For some, these survival patterns began in childhood through clear trauma or instability. For others, it was more subtle — growing up without enough emotional safety, co-regulation, or the freedom to be fully themselves.

This work isn’t about pulling apart your past or blaming your upbringing.
It’s about understanding how your system was shaped, and gently helping it find a new way forward.

Because when you work with your nervous system — through tools like EFT, somatic tracking, and co-regulation — healing becomes not only possible, but sustainable.

Understanding the Nervous System

Your nervous system is your body’s internal safety system. It decides — often far below the level of thought — how safe or unsafe you feel in any moment.

It’s the reason you might feel anxious even when things seem “fine,” shut down in the middle of connection, or overreact to something small and not know why.

It’s not a mindset. It’s biology. And it’s not your fault.

What is Neuroception?

Your body is constantly scanning your environment and your internal state to answer one question:

“Am I safe, or am I in danger?”

This automatic scanning is called neuroception — a term coined by Dr. Stephen Porges (creator of Polyvagal Theory). It’s what allows your nervous system to detect safety or threat, even without your conscious awareness.

But if you’ve lived through trauma, chronic stress, or emotionally unsafe environments, your neuroception can become distorted. It might start to perceive neutral things — eye contact, stillness, being seen — as unsafe.

And that distortion can keep you stuck in survival mode, even when nothing dangerous is happening.

How Trauma Shapes Our Patterns

When your nervous system doesn’t complete a stress response — whether due to a traumatic event, ongoing overwhelm, or developmental stress — it adapts.

You may find yourself stuck in:

• Fight – anger, control, quick to defend

• Flight – anxiety, restlessness, over-preparing

• Freeze – numbness, disconnection, fatigue

• Fawn – people-pleasing, overgiving, difficulty saying no

These aren’t personality traits. They’re adaptive survival strategies.

They helped you survive — but now, they may be keeping you from truly living.

EFT & Somatics: A Pathway to Safety

EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) is one of the tools I use to help bring the nervous system out of survival — and into connection, calm, and safety.

When we tap, we engage both body and mind. The gentle rhythm calms the stress response, while focusing on sensation or the brain reprocesses past experiences through a new lens: one that says,“I’m okay now.”

Why EFT Works So Well in Nervous System Healing:

EFT, combined with somatic tools, supports:

• Bottom-up regulation — changing how the body responds before we try to change thoughts

• Calming the amygdala — the part of the brain responsible for fear and threat

• Accessing stored emotion safely, without re-traumatising

• Completing stress cycles stuck in the body

• Shifting neuroception — so your body can begin to see more moments as safe

This isn’t about erasing the past.
It’s about offering your body a new experience — one of rhythm, presence, and connection — over and over, until it becomes the new normal.

My Approach: EFT Within a Somatic & Polyvagal Framework

EFT is not a standalone technique in my work.
It’s a powerful regulation and rewiring tool woven into a wider trauma-informed, body-based approach.

In both my 1:1 sessions and 12-week Nervous System Reset Program, we work with:

• EFT tapping for regulation, release, and rhythm

• Somatic resourcing to rebuild felt safety

• Polyvagal mapping so you can track your own nervous system states

• Guided visualisation and co-regulation to support integration

• Trauma-sensitive pacing — no pushing, no force, just gentle change at your body’s pace

This Work Is For You If:

• You feel like you’re stuck in patterns you can’t “think” your way out of

• You’ve done therapy or mindset work, but still feel dysregulated

• You often feel anxious, flat, disconnected, or emotionally reactive

• You long for a way to feel calm, present, and at home in your body again

Client Words

“What an incredible experience this has been. Sarah has supported me through the most traumatic time in my life. She has helped me to not only regulate my nervous system but to understand it and provided me with the tools to be able to navigate periods of anxiety and stress and to bring calm.” - Vicky

“I wanted to say that working with Sarah was life-changing for me! The 3-month program was incredibly enlightening and helpful!!! The tools are tremendous, and Sarah’s gentle approach and compassion are so helpful!” - Liane

“Sarah’s Nervous System Reset Program has been life changing. After years of suffering with anxiety, overwhelm and disconnection, I now have the tools to help return my body to a place of safety. Sarah is extremely knowledgeable and experienced. She explains and demonstrates really clearly the techniques we can use to assist us to feel safe in our bodies.” - Caroline

Ready to Begin?

Whether you’ve known for years that trauma shaped your nervous system — or you’re just starting to realise your symptoms have a deeper root — you’re in the right place.

You can experience this work through:
🌿 1:1 nervous system–based sessions
🌿 The 12-week Nervous System Reset Program