With Sarah's guidance, I am learning to develop a heightened awareness of my bodily responses that enables me to explore emotions, sensations, and behaviours in profound ways.” - Nikoleta
Find ease, flow, Compassion and connection
In today’s metric-driven, marketing-intensive, hustle culture, it’s easy to feel entirely overwhelmed. Constantly having to promote ourselves can mean a loss of joy and connection to the reason you do what you do; connection to why you make art or started a business or pursued your career.
You may feel like you’re missing out or not doing enough.
Comparison is the thief of joy, but avoiding comparison these days can feel impossible. It’s easy to feel both pulled in many different directions and stuck in one place.
After 20 years as a professional musician and photographer, I was incredibly aware of these pressures and felt lost as to my direction in life. I went on the hunt for ways of showing up as a creative in my own life, for myself. Ways that inspired me, instead of drained me.
You do not need to have a creative practise to work with me, you just need a longing to feel ease and to access more self awareness and nervous system regulation.
Through somatic therapy I will help you get in touch with who you are, what you really want and how you want to achieve that.
Somatic coaching or therapy means weaving in tools to help you get more in touch with yourself on a deeper level than just staying in the cognitive.
Through listening to your body you will enhance your connection to who you are and what it is you want to do, creating a clearer path towards action, meaning and freedom.
Find out more about Somatic therapy HERE.
My coaching is about finding an effective, alternative approach to healing and understanding yourself.
An approach as individual as you are, that has your wellbeing and nervous system at the heart of it.
Some people have spent years on the journey of self discovery, some people are just beginning. I meet you where you’re at.
“I did work with a couple of coaches before this actually but with you I got the sense there would be more depth and I could be more open about the things that have held me back” Allan
There is much research to show that the most important part of doing any one to one supportive work, whether that’s with a coach, therapist, nurse or psychologist, is the trust and connection you develop with that practitioner. Our instincts can often tell us quite quickly during a connection call if the person is a good fit for us.
ABOUT ME
I’ve always been interested in self development, psychology and mindfulness. I discovered Somatic Experiencing (developed by Peter Levine) whilst working part time in mental health for the NHS as a peer coach, and searching for something that could help clients with severe trauma. Learning the simple but quite unfamiliar technique of experiencing the 'felt sense', had a powerful effect on how I regulated my nervous system, how I made decisions intuitively and with confidence and how I create.
Training with the Somatic School consolidated those ideas. I now feel centred, confident and compassionate towards myself, work and relationships and would love to help you feel the same.
As a music artist of 20 years I have first hand experience of a whole range of experiences within the industry from being a self-releasing artist booking my own small shows, to being signed to labels, publishers and international booking agencies.
I've sold out big headline shows in London as Paper Aeroplanes, sung to 4000 people in Cape Town at an EDM event as ‘Sarah Howells’, and had Radio 1 play as Bryde. I’ve toured the UK, Europe and Indonesia to name but a few and achieved various other goals along the way, sometimes with and sometimes without a team of industry people. In 2020 I also took my passion for photography from a hobby to a part time freelance business.
My creative career has been a journey full of highs, exciting opportunities and wonderful achievements, and like most people’s it’s also been full of challenges, rejection and disappointment that would test anyone’s mindset.
Being a professional creative can be a wild ride.
If you crave an alternative to hustle culture and would like a champion who wants you to feel good, book a call today and let's get to it.
Music Industry Mentoring
With my experience and knowledge of the music industry I also offer specific mentoring and advice on self releasing, registering your work, booking tours and optimising your campaign and songwriting for anyone fairly new to it.
We will consider how you want to feel, how to ensure this process enhances your life but if you need help with the practical elements this may be right for you.
coaching EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS
NHS Peer Coaching
I have two years experience working for the NHS as a mental health peer coach for Barnet and Camden & Islington NHS Trust. As a peer coach I was using my lived experience of mental health challenges to help support others and whilst in this role also trained as a Personal Medicine Coach. I gained valuable experience of working with a variety of people experiencing challenges such as ADHD, Autism Spectrum, PTSD and Depression. During this time I did 52 hours of CBT training with supervision.
The Somatic School
Following this, in 2022, knowing from my own research that I wanted to work somatically, I trained with the ICF-accredited Somatic School and began coaching private clients on zoom and from my home in North London.
I have recently completed Level 3 Counselling Studies with CPTA and will be going on to do a Diploma in Counselling in 2025.
I work privately on zoom and hold in-person workshops in Somatics and Mindfulness via Ealing Carers Partnership.
TESTIMONIALS
Sarah kept a professional approach while putting me at ease to discuss all aspects of being an artist nowadays. Additionally, the somatic approach practised enhanced my consciousness of my goals as an artist and how to achieve them! I am ever so grateful for this experience and to have had the opportunity to meet Bryde. Her work is amazing and furthermore, her tranquillity throughout the process is comforting and helpful to developing the goal you aim to achieve. - Laís Elena - Singer songwriter & ICMP student
Working with Sarah helped me a lot over the last few months. She offered perspective, insight, and empathy. All in a way that was always supportive, and never felt intrusive. So it became easier for me to see where I was, and to map out a path forwards.
Rohan Candappa, performer, playwright and author of 'The Little Book Of Stress' and 'Picklehead'.
“Since working with Sarah I have gone from being a serial procrastinator of many years to someone who is now confident to start recording my own music. Not only a very good listener, Sarah has a very calm and attentive approach during our sessions and she and I continue to work together to help me reach my goals of being a recording artist and live performer. We are a really good fit for coaching and I’m absolutely delighted to be working with her.” Allan Morgan
“Sarah's somatic coaching skills are exceptional, and has provided a transformative experience for me that integrates both my body and mind. With Sarah's guidance, I am learning to develop a heightened awareness of my bodily responses that enables me to explore emotions, sensations, and behaviors in profound ways. This has helped me to gain more clarity about my next steps in my healing journey and has led to lasting personal growth and self discovery.” - Nikoleta
“I started my sessions with Sarah whilst in the process of starting a new job. She gave me useful techniques for organising my thoughts, which helped me to approach things in a more grounded, mindful way. She was always very kind, open and encouraging - I really enjoyed the process.” - Rosie