Frequently Asked Questions | Erika Tourell

Answers to the questions people most often ask before starting — what somatic therapy involves, how NARM®‍ differs from talk therapy, and what to expect in a first session.

  • Somatic therapy works with the body as well as the mind, recognising that trauma and stress are held in the nervous system, not just remembered as thoughts.

    Rather than only talking about what happened, we gently track sensation, breath and body responses to help the system complete and release what it's been holding.

    It's a slower, more embodied way of healing that many people find reaches what talk alone can't.

  • NARM® (NeuroAffective Relational Model) is an approach to working with complex trauma that focuses on what's organised in the present — how early attachment patterns and survival strategies still shape your life now.

    Unlike methods that focus mainly on processing the past, NARM works with connection, agency and the felt sense of self.

    Erika integrates NARM with a range of somatic practices, so the work is both relational and deeply embodied.

  • Individual sessions offer space to explore your own history, patterns and nervous system at your own pace.

    Couples and intimacy coaching works with the relational field between two people — how each person's attachment history shows up in the dynamic, and how reactivity can be understood and met together.

    Both draw on the same belief: that pain and reactivity make sense in context, and heal best within an attuned relational container.

  • NARM® sessions, mentoring and coaching are available online. Online work is fully effective for somatic and relational therapy — the body and the relational field are present wherever we meet.

    Ceremonial Bodywork work is in person and available in London and Totnes, South Devon.

  • There's no fixed timeline — complex trauma develops over years, and healing unfolds at its own pace.

    Many people notice meaningful shifts in how they relate to themselves and others within the first few months, while deeper patterns continue to soften over time.

    The work is paced to your nervous system, never rushed.

  • Yes — many people come to Erika after talk therapy that helped them understand their patterns but didn't shift them. Because this work is embodied and relational, it can reach the places insight alone couldn't, gently working with the nervous system where change actually happens.

    A first conversation is a good way to see whether it feels like the right fit.

  • Get in touch via the contact page to arrange an initial conversation. It's a chance to share what you're looking for and ask any questions, with no obligation to proceed.

  • Please go to the Fees page