The Body Keeps The Score — But It Also Keeps Hope
By Abi Beri Half a sentence If you’ve ever read Bessel van der Kolk’s book, or come across the phrase the body keeps the score in a therapy room or a wellness post, you’ll know it has changed something fundamental about how we think about trauma and the body. The contribution was monumental. It has […]
Somatic Therapy vs Talk Therapy: What’s the Difference, and Which Is Right for You?
A clear, everyday-language guide to two different paths through the same difficulties — with a short audio explainer from Abi Beri. If you’ve been looking for support — for anxiety, stress, the after-effects of something hard, or just a sense of being stuck — you’ve probably come across the word “therapy” a hundred times. What […]
When Healing Doesn’t Look Like Healing: What Your Nervous System Needs You to Know
You’ve done the therapy. The breathwork. The journaling. The inner child work. The meditation apps and the self-help books and the workshops. And you still hurt. If that’s you, I want to say something important: You are not failing at healing. The model is failing you. As a somatic therapist working with clients in Dublin, […]
Why You Feel Anxious (Even When Everything’s ‘Fine’): Understanding Your Emotions & Nervous System
You wake up at 3am with your heart racing. Your chest feels tight. Your mind is spinning with worries about work, relationships, money, health—everything and nothing all at once. But here’s the thing: logically, everything is fine. Nothing catastrophic happened. No major crisis occurred. And yet, your body is screaming danger. You’ve probably tried the […]
Why Talk Therapy Isn’t Enough for Trauma (And What Actually Works)
You’ve been in therapy for months, maybe years. You’ve talked about your trauma extensively. You understand what happened, why it happened, how it affected you. You’ve gained insight, processed memories, worked through cognitive distortions. Your therapist is skilled, compassionate, and committed to your healing. Yet something crucial remains unresolved. Your body still tenses when triggered. […]
The Intelligence of Your Shutdown Response: Why Freezing Isn’t Weakness—It’s Survival
Understanding the Freeze Response as Sophisticated Survival I want to share a story from my practice that I think about often. A client—I’ll call her Sarah—came to me deeply frustrated with herself. She kept saying: “I don’t understand why I freeze up. I know I should speak up for myself. I know I should say […]
Breaking Free from Love Addiction: Understanding Anxious Attachment as a Nervous System Pattern
Why We Get Addicted to Being Loved (And How Somatic Healing Can Help) Have you ever checked your phone obsessively, waiting for someone to text back? Felt like you might actually die if this person leaves you? Stayed awake at night replaying every word they said, analyzing every shift in their energy, trying to decode […]
Why Your Body Says Yes When You Want to Say No: The Somatic Truth About People-Pleasing
Understanding People-Pleasing as a Nervous System Pattern, Not a Character Flaw Your friend asks for a favor. Before your mind even processes the request, your body has already responded: shoulders tensing, breath quickening, jaw clenching—and then your mouth says “yes” while every cell in your body screams “no.” You leave the conversation feeling exhausted, resentful, […]
The Child Who Became Responsible Too Soon: Understanding Parentification Through the Body
When Your Shoulders Remember What Your Mind Tries to Forget Do your shoulders feel like they’re carrying the weight of the world? Does your jaw clench unconsciously when someone asks you for help—even though you’ll inevitably say yes? Do you struggle to take a full, deep breath, as if your body won’t allow you to […]
The Inner Child Who Doesn’t Want to Be Fixed: A Radical Approach to Inner Child Healing
Why Traditional Inner Child Work May Be Keeping You Stuck If you’ve explored inner child healing in Dublin, Kildare, or through online therapy sessions, you may have encountered a familiar narrative: rescue your younger self, comfort them, promise them everything will be okay, and bring them into your present where they’re finally safe. But what […]
