A Little Bit About Me.
For years, I thought I was "strong"
I didn't realise I was surviving.
I have to hold it all together.
I became the capable one. The one who coped, pushed through. Needing nothing felt safer than being let down. But inside, my nervous system was constantly braced, alert, tight, never fully exhaling. Strength became armour.
If I stay in control, I'll be safe.
I analysed everything, replayed conversations, scanned for threat before it even happened.
It looked like logic, it was hypervigilance. My body didn't know how to switch off.
If I'm struggling it must be me.
When I felt anxious, overwhelmed, reactive, I tuned inward. I thought I was too much, too sensitive, too intense. I didn't know these weren't flaws. They were protective parts, they were adaptations, they were survival.
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Not sure what would work best for you? Book a complimentary 15 minute discovery call. This is a gently, no pressure space for us to connect, explore what's bringing you here, and see whether this work feels aligned for you. You're welcome to ask questions, share as much or as little as feels comfortable, and get a sense of how I work. Sometimes clarity begins with a conversation.
Book NowI'M ANDREA
A Somatic Trauma-Informed Coach, IFS Somatic Parts and Positive Psychology Practitioner, and ICF accredited, but before any qualifications, I'm someone who has embodied this work.
I'm someone deeply curious about why we react the way we do, and what becomes possible when we understand ourselves with compassion rather than criticism.
I believe there is nothing "wrong" with you. I believe your nervous system is intelligent, even when it feels overwhelming. And I believe real change doesn't come from pushing harder, it comes from creating safety within.
My work is steady, relational, and grounded. I care deeply about helping women to move from coping and surviving, into living with more clarity, regulation, and self-leadership.
Healing to me, isn't about becoming someone new. It's about feeling safe enough to be who you already are.
THIS IS MY STORY.
My childhood wasn't emotionally steady, my parents divorced when I was young and love felt conditional and unpredictable. I grew up learning how to adapt, by becoming hyper-independent, strong and learning to read the room before I even entered it. That way of living followed me into adulthood, I functioned well, coped, held everything together, but inside my nervous system was rarely calm. Protector parts were quietly running the show, people pleasing, over-functioning, hyper-independence. I moved between anxious attachment and avoidant patterns without fully understanding why. Anxiety was constant, sometimes I felt completely overwhelmed, other times I felt disconnected and dissociated, and somewhere along the way I lost myself. My self-worth felt fragile, I was a mum a partner, the strong one, but I didn't know who I was underneath it all. I had no clear direction, just responsibility and survival. In my forties betrayal trauma shook everything I thought was secure. It wasn't just heartbreak but a full nervous system collapse. What I had been holding in for years finally caught up with me. My body collapsed in ways my mind could no longer override. That was my turning point, learning how my nervous system reacted and understanding protector parts changed everything. I stopped trying to push through and started building internal safety instead. I know what survival and complete collapse feels like in the body and I know what it takes to come back to yourself.
Am I in survival mode?
A free nervous system check-in.
MY APPROACH
I work with women who look like they're coping, but inside feel either constantly on edge or shutdown. You might live in overdrive, always thinking and bracing or in functional freeze, getting through life, but not feeling it. Both are survival and both make sense. My work helps you understand what your nervous system has been trying to communicate. We slow things down, build safety first, and gently explore the protective patterns that formed for a reason. When your body begins to feel safer, your life begins to feel different. This is trauma-informed, body-led work. Through Somatic awareness and Internal Family Systems coaching, we understand the parts of you that overthink, over-function, or shut-down, not to remove them, but to relate differently. Regulation is cultivated, safety is built, choice returns. Change happens because you are no longer bracing yourself. My goal is to help you move from survival to self-leadership. To feel at home in your body, to respond rather than react. To live with steadiness and clarity. Less coping, more regulation, a return to yourself.
TESTIMONIALS.
Let Others Inspire You.
"After what I'd been through, I'd completely lost my sense of self-worth. I didn't trust my instincts and constantly questioned myself. Andrea helped me see that my anxiety and inner critic weren't flaws but protector behaviours. Through the work, I've rebuilt confidence in grounded way and I now set boundaries. I trust myself more and don't feel as desperate for reassurance"
Emma
"I didn't realise how much I was living in survival mode until I started working with Andrea. I was high-functioning, busy but always anxious and exhausted underneath. I overthought everything and felt stuck in the same relationship patterns. I've learned to recognise when my nervous system is activated instead of spiralling. I'm calmer, more secure and know who I am again. It's a steady change, but its real"
Louise
