My Story

specialist in the nervous system

When I started somatic therapy, I was very uncomfortable in my own skin. Whenever I paid attention to what was happening in my body, I noticed violent trembling, shaking, sweating and heat. It felt like I was living in a war zone and my body was the enemy. I was highly sensitive to sounds and smells, in physical pain most of the time, I felt suffocated in crowds and was afraid of strangers touching me and hurting me.

I had no explanation for what I felt. But one day I chose a book on trauma at random from my university bookshelf and started shaking. I trembled each time I picked up the book and for three months afterwards.

I spent a decade searching for answers, and eventually realised that intergenerational trauma, neuro-sensitivity from being neurodivergent, and a narcissistic family system had caught up with me. There was so much ‘noise’ in my nervous system that the only way my body could protect me was by forcing me to stop completely. I developed adrenal fatigue and autistic burnout. I lost the ability to walk and even dress myself. I couldn’t be around people and needed to control my exposure to environmental toxins as much as possible. My life became very small.

When I hit bottom, I was homeless, jobless, penniless, estranged from my family, and relying on Government payments. The only possession of value I owned was my car and one night it was illegally towed, which brought me to my knees.

I knew intuitively that working with my body was the answer to feeling safe and finding peace within, but the spiritual teachers and therapists I consulted told me to “sit with” my intense bodily experiences and "ride out the waves". For me, riding out the waves meant shaking for hours with no resolution or completion.

One therapist recommended beating on a foam cube, but I couldn’t feel anything because I was disconnected from my emotions to stay safe. Eventually, when I discovered the nervous system piece, I learned that cathartic practices were blowing the fuse of my sensitive nervous system and keeping me stuck in a loop.

After I stopped doing intense practices and started working with tiny pieces of activation - a little frustrating, because it was much less than I could actually manage - and then integrating the work before continuing, my relationship with my body changed. I was able to hear my body when it let me know that I was moving outside my window of capacity, and I learned to trust it more and more.

Developing a relationship of trust wasn't something I THOUGHT about doing - it just happened. One day I realised that my body had always been honest with me, even when it was dropping bombs on me, and I felt so grateful for that.

Then, miraculously, my body became my SAFE HAVEN - the thing I knew I could rely upon over anything else.

After that, it was easier to love my body and trust myself - to respect, value, nurture, and cherish my whole being.

 
 
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“Working with Raquel is magical. She is a space-holder extraordinaire. Her years of study and her extensive qualifications catapult her into a league of her own.”

— Kerry Solomon

 
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About Raquel

 

A Calling

Raquel remembers healing people from 12 years of age. Later, she came to know her mission was to help people feel safe, make meaning from their past, awaken their consciousness, and heal their pain through cherishing their body.

Spiritual Foundations

Recognised as a healer and chosen by village shamans in Guatemala and Bali to be initiated as a Medicine Woman, Raquel also received a spontaneous shaktipat initiation from the Dalai Lama while in his presence in India. She has written about her awakening experience here.

Raquel passionately believes in normalising and accepting people’s experiences through the lens of nervous system science and the power of self-compassion and non-judgement.

Raquel mentors holistic practitioners and energy healers to safely release trauma and expand their nervous systems so they can become a powerful healing presence and fulfil their soul’s mission.

Body Wisdom

Raquel has been working with the wisdom of the body for more than three decades. She practices an array of modalities including Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Brainspotting, Attachment-focused Psychotherapy, Psychodynamic Psychotherapy, Hakomi Mindfulness Psychotherapy, Reichian Characterology, Bowen Family Systems, Psychodrama, Family Constellations and Trauma Touchwork.

Blend of Science and Magic

A clairsentient intuitive, healer, educator, author, embodiment coach and somatic psychotherapist, Raquel’s life and professional experiences have brought many opportunities to master the blend of science and magic and share these gifts with her students and clients.

She has been attuned to several energy healing modalities, has studied and practised shamanism and mysticism, and is qualified in different styles of bodywork. She holds postgraduate qualifications in Mental Health and Psychotherapy, and a BA in Social Psychology and Comparative Religions.