Somatic coaching · Online · UK and worldwide
Somatic coaching for anxiety
Do you feel on edge, overthink everything, or struggle to switch off, even when nothing is actually wrong? Anxiety isn’t only in your head. It lives in your body too.
I offer one-to-one somatic coaching online, and in person in Shropshire, to help you understand your anxiety, calm your nervous system and feel steadier day to day.
What would it feel like to be at home in your body again?
Book a free discovery call“Ruth has given me a safe space to work through so many things, she does not judge and completely understands what life can throw at you”
What is anxiety?
Anxiety is your body’s alarm system. It’s designed to protect you by getting you ready to deal with danger. But after long periods of stress, difficult experiences or years of holding everything together, that alarm can stay switched on, so you feel unsafe even when you are safe.
Signs of anxiety
You might recognise some of these.
- Racing thoughts, or going over and over the same worries.
- A tight chest, churning stomach or shallow breathing.
- Feeling on edge, jumpy or unable to relax.
- Struggling to get to sleep, or waking in the night with a busy mind.
- Avoiding situations or people because they make you anxious.
- Needing to stay in control, or planning for every possible outcome.
- Feeling exhausted from always being “on”.
- Knowing your worry doesn’t quite make sense, but feeling it anyway.
“Anxiety isn’t a sign that something is wrong with you. It’s your body trying to keep you safe.”
Ruth
Where does anxiety come from?
There’s rarely one single cause. Ongoing stress, burnout, difficult relationships, past experiences and trauma can all teach your nervous system to stay on high alert.
Patterns like people-pleasing and low self-worth often go hand in hand with anxiety too. If you learned early on that you had to keep everyone happy to feel safe, your body may still be scanning for danger long after the danger has gone.
That’s why understanding your anxiety doesn’t always make it go away. You can know exactly why you feel this way and still feel it. I write more about this in Why am I still stuck when I know why?
How does somatic coaching help with anxiety?
Somatic coaching works with your body as well as your mind. Together, we explore what your anxiety is trying to protect you from, and how it shows up physically, so you can start to notice the early signs before it builds.
You’ll learn simple, practical tools to calm your nervous system, such as breathing, grounding and orienting, that you can use in everyday moments. Where it’s helpful, I also bring in Brainspotting, Internal Family Systems-informed parts work and hypnotherapy.
The aim isn’t to never feel anxious again. It’s to help you feel safer in your body, come back to calm more easily, and trust that you can cope.
Is this right for me?
This may feel right if
- You feel anxious much of the time and want to understand why
- You’ve talked about it before, but your body still feels on edge
- You’d like practical, body-based tools to use day to day
- Your anxiety is tangled up with people-pleasing, self-doubt or past experiences
Other support may be better first if
- You’re in crisis or don’t feel safe right now. Please use the urgent help details at the top of this page
- Anxiety or panic is stopping you from getting through the day, or you’ve been feeling low for a while. Please speak to your GP first
- You’re looking for assessment, diagnosis or treatment for a mental health condition
Not sure? The free 30-minute discovery call is there to talk it through, and if a different kind of support would suit you better, I’ll tell you honestly.
Book a free discovery callFree guide
Get Out of Your Head
Seven body-based ways to calm anxiety, including the one I use every day.
Get the free guide
How it works
- 1
Book a free discovery call
We talk about what’s going on for you. There’s no pressure to book.
- 2
One-to-one online sessions
By video, 60 minutes each, usually weekly and flexible to you. Options and pricing
- 3
Review together
Towards the end, we look back and decide whether further sessions would help.
“I couldn’t recommend Ruth enough, she really put me at ease and helped me.”
About Ruth Edwards
I know how it feels to live with anxiety and doubt yourself. I struggled with anxiety and low self-esteem for a long time and was always looking for approval from other people. Understanding how much my body was holding is what finally helped things change, and it’s why I do this work.
I’m a somatic trauma-informed coach and Brainspotting practitioner, based in Shropshire, UK, working with clients online worldwide.
somatic trauma-informed coach · Brainspotting practitioner · BSc (Hons) Psychology · CPD-accredited Narcissistic Abuse Specialist certification
Read my storyAnxiety: common questions
Can somatic coaching help with anxiety?
Somatic coaching can help you understand your anxiety, notice how it shows up in your body, and learn practical ways to calm your nervous system. Many people find it helps when talking alone hasn’t made a difference. Coaching isn’t a treatment for any medical or mental health condition, and it can sit alongside other support from your GP or a therapist.
What’s the difference between stress and anxiety?
Stress is usually a response to something specific that’s happening, like a deadline or a difficult conversation, and it tends to ease once that passes. Anxiety can carry on even when there’s no clear cause, or when the stressful thing has gone. Both are felt in the body, and both can be eased by helping your nervous system feel safe.
Is this the same as therapy?
No. I’m a somatic trauma-informed coach and Brainspotting practitioner, not a therapist or medical professional. Coaching focuses on understanding your patterns and building tools to move forward. If you’re taking medication for anxiety, please keep working with your doctor and don’t change anything without speaking to them first.
Do sessions take place online?
Yes. One-to-one sessions are by video call, so you can join from anywhere in the UK or the world. I’m based in the UK and offer a limited number of evening and weekend appointments, which helps if you’re in a different time zone. All you need is a quiet, private space. I also offer in-person Healing Days in Shropshire.
How many sessions will I need?
There’s no fixed number that suits everyone. Most people start with six 60-minute online sessions, usually weekly and flexible to you. Towards the end we review together where you are and whether further sessions would help. You’re always in charge of what happens next.
Is there a free resource I can start with?
Yes. My free guide, “Get Out of Your Head”, shares seven body-based ways to calm anxiety. You’ll find it on the Resources page, alongside the Sunday Somatic Reset, a free email each Sunday.
