Feeling overwhelmed is not a sign of weakness or over-sensitivity. It’s your body trying to protect you. 

In this episode, I guide you through three easy somatic exercises for overwhelm. Each one helps you regulate your nervous system and feel safe again. You’ll come home to your body and the support beneath you, so you can feel clearer and stronger.

You can use this episode when:
 • You feel overwhelmed or flooded
 • You’re stressed, anxious, or overloaded
 • You’ve been holding everything together for too long
 • You need a moment to feel comforted and connected again

💚 Shelley
 Somatic Psychotherapist, BACP Senior Accredited
https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/stress-anxiety-podcasts/

Your next episode: Coping with Anxiety: 10 Somatic Ways to Calm Overthinking

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Learn why early survival patterns repeat in love, and how to reconnect with your true self through somatic awareness.
In this episode, Shelley Treacher explains how early survival patterns can quietly take over in relationships.
Through the story of a woman who learned to find her voice after years of self-silencing, Shelley explores how somatic therapy helps us reconnect with our bodies, recognise old defences, and rebuild authentic connection. 

You’ll learn: 

• Why conflict triggers old fear responses
• How shrinking to keep the peace starts as protection, not weakness
• What happens when one person changes their energy in a relationship
• How to stay connected to yourself - even when love feels shaky

This is the heart of relationship therapy - finding steadiness inside, while staying open to connection.

Watch the related video: Stop Losing Yourself in Love

Explore more relationship episodes: bristolcounselling.co.uk/relationships

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Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

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Do you often feel anxious or overthink things? In this episode, I share 10 practical ways to cope with anxiety and calm your mind. These tips include ideas from therapy, neuroscience, and everyday life.

You’ll learn how to: 

• Stop anxious thoughts from going in circles
• Calm your body with easy methods
• Be kinder to yourself to reduce the pressure of perfectionism
• Shift your focus from rumination to grounded action

This is a refreshed version of one of my most popular episodes, with new insights and updated guidance. Whether you’re facing racing thoughts at night, constant worry, or the stress of everyday life, these strategies can help you find more calm and a clear head.
 
If you’re looking for real tools to manage anxiety and overthinking, and to understand why you feel the way you do, this episode is for you.

Listen to this episode next: 'The Curse of Overthinking. How do I Stop Being an Overthinker?' 

https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/how-do-i-stop-being-an-overthinker/

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Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
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Do you ever catch yourself thinking, “I’m not good enough,” “I don’t belong,” or “I’m useless”? You’re not alone. These thoughts are part of being human. But they’re also tied to the nervous system, early experiences, and the culture we live in.

In this episode, we talk about:

• Why it’s easy to feel bad about ourselves
• How feelings of shame can come from our past
• Simple ways to challenge your inner critic
• A short somatic practice to help you connect with younger parts of yourself with kindness

This isn’t just about trying to think positively. It’s about helping your body feel safe, cared for, and like you belong, so you can truly believe you are enough.

If you prefer to watch the video version on YouTube, here it is: https://youtu.be/pnHeIeg3n84

If this episode speaks to you, please share it with someone who might need it, or let me know what you think. I’d love to hear from you.

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Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
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If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Grounding is one of the most powerful ways to calm the nervous system and feel safe in your body. In this short grounding exercise, I’ll guide you through a gentle somatic therapy practice to release tension, reduce anxiety, and find a stable sense of yourself. 

This isn’t about doing things perfectly or following strict instructions. Sometimes being told what to do with your body can feel overwhelming. So this grounding practice is invitational, gentle, and paced to help you feel supported. 

In this episode, you’ll explore: 

• How a grounding practice supports anxiety relief and stress relief
• A simple breath and sound technique (“fff” breath and sigh of relief)
• Letting go of stress and feeling the weight of your body when it relaxes
• Carrying a grounded, safe feeling into your day or evening

Watch the video version of this practice here: https://youtu.be/fpL8emK81MA?si=oQg9uAU_hogUscTw

Subscribe to my channel to be notified when it’s published. https://www.youtube.com/@shelleytreachertherapy

 
This episode is part of my Somatic Therapy series. You can also explore more resources on my website: https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/

If you found this practice helpful, please follow the podcast, leave a review, and share it with someone who might benefit.


Listen to this next:
🎧 Reset your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) - a simple way to support calm, digestion, and recovery. https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/reset-your-autonomic-nervous-system/

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Embodied healing for anxiety, emotional eating, and relationships.

In this short episode, you'll learn what somatic therapy is, and be guided through a gentle practice so you can experience it for yourself.

You’ll hear:

• How somatic therapy is different from other therapies
• Why the body is so important in healing
• How safety and regulation in the nervous system support recovery
• A quick exercise to help you connect with your body gently

If you’d like to watch the video version, you’ll find it on my YouTube channel or at bristolcounselling.co.uk

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

I explore the possibilities and limits of AI in therapy, drawing on my own experience from the inside. A grounded, honest look at what AI can, and can’t, offer for emotional healing.

In today's episode:

• I take you behind the scenes of my own conversations with AI to see whether it can truly offer the depth, empathy, and connection we expect from therapy.
• We’ll look at its strengths, where it falls short, and how it affects the nervous system.
• Touching on transference, co-regulation, and the irreplaceable value of human presence.

It’s a grounded, thoughtful exploration for anyone curious about, or feeling threatened by, the intersection between technology and emotional healing.

If You’d Like to Go Deeper

This podcast connects well with my somatic therapy episodes, where we look at embodiment, anxiety, and self-worth through a somatic lens.

Reflecting on Using AI as Emotional Support Worksheet

If you’ve ever turned to AI for emotional support but ended up feeling unseen, misunderstood, or more alone, I’ve made something to help.
 It’s a printable, fillable AI emotional support worksheet that goes with this episode. Inside, you’ll explore your emotional patterns, strengthen your boundaries, and track how AI affects your nervous system — so you can reach for real connection with more grounded self-trust.
You can get it instantly at https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/ai-to-real-connection-guide.

Listen to all of my Relationship Podcasts: https://www.bristolcounselling.co.uk/podcasts/relationships

Watch my video Stop Losing Yourself in Love  to understand how early patterns shape your relationships, and how somatic awareness helps you stay true to yourself.

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Feeling the pressure to be cheerful this Christmas? You’re not alone. In this episode, Shelley takes a heartfelt look at the unspoken challenges of the festive season. 

Shelley offers practical tips on how to navigate the holiday stress, such as saying no without guilt, celebrating small wins, and focusing on genuine connections. 

Shelley’s anecdotes about her uninvited feline visitor, Henry, add a touch of humour and warmth to the discussion. While sharing a poignant story about finding peace in small moments, Shelley encourages you to embrace imperfection and be kind to yourself.

This episode is a gentle reminder that you don’t have to fake cheerfulness to meet others' expectations. Instead, it's about finding your own light amidst the chaos. So, if you're feeling overwhelmed this Christmas, this episode might just be the comforting companion you need.

🎧 Tune in now and let’s make this Christmas a little more real, together.

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Depression can affect your life, but it doesn't have to define it. With understanding, and the right strategies, it is possible to find joy and fulfilment again.

In today's episode:

• The top 3 causes of depression
• Can being rejected make you depressed?
• What happens in the body and brain in depression
• How to pull yourself out of depression

Citations
Some ideas here were inspired by a Nicabm training on working with shame. You can buy your full training programme here.
From Gen Alpha to boomers, we asked 6 therapists what each generation is talking about in therapy

Here's another podcast for you: How do you Heal SHAME?

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts

Shelley helps you to understand the causes of overthinking and how to relax your mind. This podcast explores signs of overthinking and offers strategies to deal with it.

In this podcast:

• Becoming aware of overthinking
• Mental, physical and emotional symptoms of overthinking. 
• Breaking the belief that overthinking is productive.
• 3 ways that you can challenge overthinking; taking a practical approach, a physiological approach, or an experiential approach.
• 2 exercises that shift your nervous system. 
• Underlying causes of overthinking.
• The role of the left and the right brain in overthinking.

Here’s another podcast for you: 10 Ways to Overcome Anxiety

Citations
2013 study published in the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.2

Michl LC, McLaughlin KA, Shepherd K, Nolen-Hoeksema S. Rumination as a mechanism linking stressful life events to symptoms of depression and anxiety: longitudinal evidence in early adolescents and adults. J Abnorm Psychol. 2013;122(2):339-352. doi:10.1037/a0031994

Support the show

Want to see if we're a good fit for working together?
Let's book a complimentary telephone call to talk.

SCHEDULE A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION – with no obligation.

If this podcast helped you, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts