When tricks no longer work
You may have spent years searching for ways to quiet your mind, ease your body, or just feel better. Perhaps through mindfulness, pushed yourself to think differently, or tried to simply “let go.” Yet, the restlessness inside never really leaves you alone. Do you ever feel exhausted by the struggle, or even frustrated with yourself for not being able to change the way you feel?
I know this place intimately—I’ve been there, again and again, for what felt like far too long.
There is this point of readiness to turn toward yourself with attention that goes beyond strategy. Where you are done with coping and just managing feelings. Through a deep and very honest exploration, we let the temporary strategies momentarily go and meet what is viscerally present in your body at this moment.
The path of the energetically sensitive ones is not to become more aware, but to become comfortable with how aware they already are.
I help people who are experiencing...
- Stress & tension in the body
- Heavy self-critique
- A sense that there is something wrong with them
- Pleasing others while hiding who they really are
- Anxiety and restlessness that can’t seem to be soothed
- Cycles of depression, hopelessness, or isolation
- Control strategies that don’t seem to work, like; distracting yourself, avoiding your feelings, avoiding others or places, addictions. Using meditation, breathing – and relaxation exercises to ‘manage’ the discomfort.
Common coping strategies
Yes, this is a coping strategy too. It is an innocent last resort of the psyche to ‘make things okay’ by demanding more of yourself.
Suppression
This includes holding back your feelings, voice, power, and preferences in favor of a more ‘acceptable’ version of yourself.
Seeing yourself beyond the mind’s lens
When you view yourself purely through the lens of the mind, your sense of self inevitably becomes limited. The mind operates through labels and fixed ideas, reducing you to a concept rather than capturing the depth of who you truly are. If you relate to yourself as a ‘thing’ to be improved—no matter how successful, flawed, or extraordinary that version may be—it creates an exhausting cycle of self-worth that must constantly be earned and maintained.
True freedom begins when you allow yourself to drop beneath the stories the mind tells about you. Only then does the endless pursuit of comparison, self-doubt, and self-improvement come to rest.
There is nothing wrong with you
Nearly every client that I’ve worked with struggled with an underlying sense that there is something wrong or lacking about them that they need to compensate for. This is a very common illusion held in place by a body and mind that is overwhelmed and under-nurtured. With the deepening of inner clarity, you are meeting yourself through the layers where stories of self-deficiency fall away like waking up out of a bad dream.
You can't doubt yourself, you can only doubt the idea you have of yourself.
Sometimes you find temporary relief through ...
- Breathing exercises
- Meditation exercises
- Rituals and routines
- Mental tricks
- Substances and foods
- Pleasures or distractions
And there is nothing wrong with these … unless we use these practices against ourselves. We then use even the most beautiful strategies to temporarily ‘fix’ our state instead as ways to meet those parts that truly need attention.
... and yet the relief doesn't last...
When you find yourself caught in cycles of well-intended exercises and self-care routines, yet you don’t feel a growing sense of… sense of …
- Connectedness
- Freedom
- Rest
- Empowerment
- Appreciation of yourself and others
- Vitality
… it may be a gentle signal that another approach is needed. One that doesn’t ask you to keep striving to be better but instead invites you to come as you are—allowing the armor you’ve carried for so long to loosen. If you feel exhausted from trying to feel better, if healing has started to feel like just another task, perhaps it is time to let your body lead the way.
Healing begins when you stop trying to get it right
- In my experience healing is an innate capacity we tap into and not something we can reach through effort or control.
When we go through difficult experiences without the essential support of being heard, seen, expressed, and acknowledged, we often develop survival strategies rooted in control. In this effort to protect ourselves, we may lose touch with our natural emotional, energetic, and bodily flow—sometimes even believing that we are broken or fundamentally getting it wrong.
Through the somatic modalities I offer, you are gently guided to process deeper themes without the pressure to control or “get it right.” With in-depth inquiries and exercises, your body can reconnect with the care, compassion and freedom that have always been a part of you.
What does a session look like?
A session usually goes like this:
- Orientation: We begin by exploring your current situation, how you feel, and what is unfolding in your life.
- Depth Work: In a 45 minute deep dive, we work through underlying layers, using one or two modalities tailored to your needs.
- Integration: We conclude with a moment for integration—whether through mindful silence or reflection. There’s space for questions, and I may offer insights or exercises to support you beyond the session
Work with me
- I offer packages of 4 sessions. This way I can support you through the middle stage of the process (which occurs around session 3) which is usually a deepening and for some slightly more challenging.
- Sessions occur every 1-2 weeks
- The first session takes 90 minutes and includes a free 30 min intake. The intake is also free in the sense that there are no strings attached. After the intake, you can still freely decide to continue the session or take more time to think about it.
- The other sessions take 60-75 mins
- You may also book a free 15-minute clarity session to help you decide which path for healing would serve you most. I gladly refer you to other practitioners and healers if that’s what your situation calls for. I’ll never convince you to work with me and will always support your highest path.
- Book your first session (including free intake) here (75-90 min)
- Book your follow-up sessions here (60-75 min)
Some client results
- “With Barbara I always feel like I’m being in a safe and open space. That allows for some very deep processes, that wouldn’t be possible without it. When something is scary to go into I like working with Barbara, because the process feels held in that space.”– Anders Lovaas
- “I feel like the first session already benefited me greatly!” – Jenna
- ” I contacted Barbara because I had tried many treatments and nothing worked. I really liked the way she approached my problem because she did not try to solve it physically but looked for the underlying cause. I learned a lot and gained awareness about my thoughts and behavior. I no longer suffer from pain, which is such a huge relief. ” – Sally J.
- “Really powerful work!” – Michael K.
- “I found it very pleasant and it has already helped a lot with the discomforts I had. I’m extremely grateful.” – Macy van E.
- “My persistent headache dissolved. More importantly; she put me in touch with my deeper feelings. This was only possible because I felt so comfortable and, above all, safe with her.” – Marie van V.
- “After years of recurring back pain and considering surgery I was very surprised that the pain left by exploring my inner world with Barbara.” – K. J.
Tension is who you think you should be.
Relaxation is who you are.
– Chinese Proverb