Listening Touch
For those who are already on a journey of self discovery & healing, maybe through psychotherapy or other depth approaches.
These sessions cross the bridge into safe, non-intrusive touch, integrating practices that support you to listen to your body, nourish your nervous system and experience pleasure, within the safety of a trauma aware therapeutic relationship.
Sessions are different to holistic massage in that they invite a more active engagement from the client, which gives you the opportunity to give true consent, befriend your nervous system, find essential rest and open to life more fully.
The Commitment
Committing to a series of sessions over time allows for a deeper enquiry, a deeper relationship to yourself, including the parts you don’t always find easy to welcome.
When we cultivate a relationship of deeper listening with our body, our cells, our nervous system, we learn the unique language, poetry, images, and felt experiences of safety, danger, threat, intimacy, and play within us.
From there we can learn to listen to the subtle shifts between states and what triggers these movements, and then discover, in ways that are unique to each of us, how to return to safety and connection. It takes time, patience and compassionate attention to detail.
Sessions are held weekly or fortnightly and can be trialled initially for 4 sessions to see if it’s a good fit.
Using caring non intrusive touch and practices to explore your embodied awareness, these sessions help you to see your nervous system as a trusted friend, an ally that walks with you on your unique path, one which you can call on for it’s intelligence and ways of seeing, sensing, and navigating your life, and one which can open you up to what is most meaningful to you, evoking a felt sense of compassion for yourself, others, and the world.
What’s involved?
The Deeper Listening Programme integrates a range of creative interventions, including
Initial intake session of 90 minutes
Private sessions of 60 minutes that encourage embodied awareness, offer consensual touch and explore practices that support you to listen to your body, nourish your nervous system and step into your power
Creation of ‘Deeper Listening Actions’ so that you leave sessions with intuitive, aligned, actionable steps
Respect for your own body’s wisdom and healing potential
Befriend your own nervous system, understand the impact of stress and overwhelm on your body, discover rest, safety, ease, health and joy through consensual touch, connection, acceptance and deeper listening.
Exploration of your ‘yes’ and ‘no’ around touch
Deeper Listening Sessions give you the opportunity to consider what you like and what you don’t, offering space to notice, value, trust and communicate your desires and limits in a safe, consensual, professional relationship.
Supported by safety and connection, you are invited to pause, notice your breath and the sensations in your body before giving your permission to be touched.
When you start to attend to yourself in this way, you are tapping into fundamental patterns that were usually formed during early life experiences. You may feel confusion, self-doubt, sadness, shame, or guilt about feelings in your body. You are not alone, you are not broken. We all have this to some degree.
You get to choose how, when and what touch is appropriate in Deeper Listening Sessions as well as practice consent skills which are beneficial for all your relationships.
Trauma Aware Deeper Listening Sessions
Deeper Listening sessions are for you if you already have some knowledge of your trauma history and how this has impacted you. You will be actively working with a psychotherapist or will have spent considerable time in some form of depth psychology. Maybe you’ve reached a point where you would like to experience touch within the safety of an ongoing therapeutic relationship. Sessions are different to holistic massage in that they invite a more active engagement from you which gives you the opportunity to understand and give consent, befriend your nervous system, find essential rest and recovery and open to life more fully.
Whilst we do not need to speak about the details of trauma in sessions, an awareness of trauma remains in the foreground, bringing insight into your bodily experiences and nervous system and how to notice when this is on the look our for danger or has shut down. For some, conscious touch is a novel experience and takes some practice. Exploration around what might be perceived by you as threatening, reminding of past trauma, or reminiscent of the care received from a parent can be important to build safety. Care is taken to offer transparency, curiosity, compassion, clear communication and connection so that you can enjoy the benefits of deeper listening and therapeutic touch (which can include stress relief, co-regulation, breathing that resources the body, a bodily experience of safety, movement of energy, changes in the perception of pain and increased feelings of pleasure).
In Deeper Listening Sessions, I pay attention to potential triggers and I am equipped to respond to an overwhelmed nervous system (e.g a freeze response or a panic attack) and can offer additional support around breathing, grounding or helping you to find the boundaries in your body. All clients benefit from this approach by trusting that safety, connection, communication and transparency are an integral part.
I will always explore consent and boundaries around receiving touch. There is no sexual or genital touch during any of my sessions, I am able to refer you to a reputable Sexological Body Worker if required.
On the Massage table:
Not all Deeper Listening sessions need to be on the massage table, you may choose to remain seated and fully clothed, there is still scope for consensual, therapeutic touch this way. For those who choose to experience touch on the massage table, I will initially ask you to remain fully clothed while we explore boundaries and consent and in later sessions invite you to “undress to your comfort level”, this could mean completely disrobing or leaving a few pieces of clothing on - in both cases you will be fully draped (i.e the body is securely covered with a sheet, and only when an area is being massaged/touched/held is it uncovered). You can also remain fully clothed on the massage table. There are lots of effective approaches that can be done fully clothed using non intrusive touch, holding, compression and stretching. The most important thing is for you to feel safe and comfortable for the entire session.
There is nothing therapeutically necessary that should cause you to be uncomfortable or in pain. Pressure, temperature, and positioning can be easily adjusted to fit your needs. You can ask to stop any treatment at any time.
*1 Definition of trauma from Matt Licata (2022)
I place great value on creating a transparent, honest and compassionate relationship with clear professional boundaries and choice as I understand this creates safety and connection and I believe this is where healing can happen. Building a shared space of deeper listening with you is key.
If you are just beginning to realise the impact of your childhood trauma, have recently experienced a traumatic event or have ongoing PTSD symptoms I recommend you seek specialist help from a Psychotherapist, maybe someone trained in Somatic Experiencing, Sensory Motor Therapy or Gestalt Therapy in order to develop some internal and external resources before embarking on a Deeper Listening Programme with me.
Deeper Listening Programmes work alongside psychotherapy and I encourage clients to disclose any other therapeutic relationships they may be engaged in and to inform their therapist that they are working with me.
I will signpost potential/existing clients on to reputable colleagues in the trauma specialist field should this be appropriate.
I receive regular supervision to support effective boundaries, decision making and compassionate practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I access a Private Deeper Listening Programme?
I’ve opened up a limited number of Deeper Listening Spaces at Stroud Sky Yoga, near Nailsworth. Please get in touch for more details.
A version of the Deeper Listening Programme is also available online via Zoom.
How long will my Deeper Listening Programme/Sessions take?
Sessions are held weekly or fortnightly and are recommended for 6 sessions initially. Sessions can be trialled for 2 sessions to see if it’s a good fit.
Your initial Deeper Listening Session will take 90 minutes, this allows for us to explore your important information, your hopes and feelings about the work and establish a fluid direction of travel together. There is the option for consensual touch within this first session (up to 50% of the time available).
Subsequent sessions take 60 minutes and include a range of creative interventions, embodiment activities, psycho-education and consensual touch (up to 70% of the time available).
Once you are established in a regular pattern of sessions, please arrive on time, waiting room is limited/I may have clients afterwards and wish to avoid running over and impacting them.
Longer sessions may be available upon request should you require.
Why do I need to commit to a series of sessions?
The Deeper Listening Programme is all about cultivating a deeper relationship with your body, your nervous system and your intuition. It is essential that you feel safe enough in order to begin to notice the subtle messages from your belly, your heart, your lungs, to explore your longings for life and lean in to any feelings that may come up. Building trust in yourself and in relationship takes time, practice and patience.
Holistic Massage is also available if you prefer just a single session.
What do you mean by ‘trauma aware’ and why do I need to have (or have had) psychotherapy to engage in this process?
Being trauma aware means that I bring awareness and sensitivity around trauma to my work. I generally only accept clients for a Deeper Listening programme when they are actively engaged in psychotherapy or if they have considerable depth psychology experience, this is because conscious touch can be very powerful and may bring energetic material, unfelt feelings and ‘forgotten pieces’ to the surface and whilst there is space for integration in Deeper Listening Sessions, clients benefit from the support of a psychotherapist to talk about what came up and incorporate new learning at every level.
Are the Sessions Confidential?
Anything that is shared within a consultation or Deeper Listening session remains strictly confidential. There are some exceptions that I have outlined in a Confidentiality Statement which you will receive on booking.
I am an active member of my local communities so it is possible we may bump into each other outside of sessions. In this event I will always take your lead as to whether you would like to say hello and would never disclose the nature of our relationship to others, you are of course welcome to if you choose.
What credentials do you have for this work?
I have spent the past two decades listening to and learning from my own body, I've spent thousands of hours exploring my felt sense, through movement meditation, pausing in silence, vocal improvisation and body work.
I have attended extensive training in Gestalt Psychotherapy and Trauma Informed Resonant Body Work as well as actively learning about and using practices inspired by Vocal Improvisation, Five Rhythms Dancing and Jungian Archetypes.
I have 20+ years experience working in trauma related fields (including post abuse therapeutic work, child and adolescent development, mental health and social work). Through personal and professional capacities I have gained experience in recognising the signs and symptoms of Complex Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress (PTSD) in clients.
I have a recognised Level 3 Diploma qualification in full body holistic massage from the Cotswold Academy, a professional qualification in Social Work at Masters/Diploma level from Leicester University and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology & Psychology.
Will the sessions be painful?
This is a sensitive yet powerful approach that offers therapeutic relationship, exploration of consent, embodiment practices and touch.
On a physical level the touch can include massage techniques with light to medium pressure along with gentle compressions, joint mobilisation, gentle rocking and stretching which allows the body to naturally unwind and restore balance.
You are encouraged to let me know if you experience any pain or discomfort at any time during your session. Each client will have different sensitivity to pressure and may find that some pressure is also a source of relief. Together we can discover the most beneficial for you.
It is possible for deep feelings to emerge during sessions which can come with ‘emotional pain’. As this happens space is given to pause and be with your body, allow for any energetic movement to take place, for emotions to be expressed and for my responses to be adjusted accordingly. Nothing is wrong.
You may brush against old patterns of contraction, tension and discomfort in your body where trauma is stored in your system. The sessions offer you a space to be with these patterns, to get to know them without trying to ‘fix them’. You are offered choice and clarity wherever possible and encouraged to share your experiences with your psychotherapist or others with specialist trauma knowledge should this be appropriate.
I am committed to supporting your personal agency over your own body and trust your innate wisdom and healing potential within sessions.
Are you insured?
I have comprehensive liability insurance which covers all professional activities with clients.
How do I make a payment?
Payment can be via bank transfer prior to the session (details given on booking) or you can pay in cash when we meet.
What is your response to current circumstances?
The uncertainty in the wake of this global pandemic, the hardships faced by the global majority and the growing climate concern bring fear, loneliness, grief and loss for many, as well as new opportunities to connect and tentative possibilities of hope for all beings, human and otherwise in our world. To offer support to anyone who wishes to integrate body, nervous system, minds and emotions feels like an essential response right now. I offer a limited sliding scale to clients on a low income or experiencing wider inequalities or access to resources. Please indicate this at time of booking so we can work something out that feels fair for both of us.
Connect with Sarah Jane & book your first Deeper Listening session.
Are you ready for Deeper Listening?
Only you know when it’s time to commit to a deeper listening to your belly, your heart, your lungs…
to your deeper longings.
To find out if a Deeper Listening Programme is for you