Ailie Jonston Sterry

My Qualifications

• Bodynamic Foundation Training 2023

• Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) 2021

• MA Applied Psychology 2004

• Diploma in Psychosynthesis 2004

• Certificate in Coaching 2002

• Certificate in Counselling 1997

My Health Story

Despite a seemingly healthy lifestyle, decades of stress and insomnia on top of attachment (adoption) trauma and childhood developmental trauma created health problems which became significant in my 50s, particularly cancer and then chronic pain. Cancer was a real wake-up call to explore health and wellness wider and deeper than conventional approaches and chronic insomnia and chronic pain encouraged me to find different life strategies rather than my habitual 'keep going and push through' approach.

Conventional medicine is outstanding for acute and emergency situations but treating a person as a machine with component parts to be sorted in isolation doesn’t work with chronic health conditions: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, dementia, pain, insomnia, gut problems, autoimmune diseases, allergies - the list goes on, with conditions and those affected continuing to increase significantly. Thankfully, neurobiological research has increased knowledge and understanding about health: identifying the powerful interconnections between brain chemistry, thoughts, emotions, behaviours, hormones, lifestyle choices, the environment and stress which play out in our biology and express through our bodies.

My journey to greater health, vitality and contentment has been long and winding - and ongoing - but on the way my research into chronic conditions proved fascinating, reaching into the underlying root causes of disease which are usually stress, trauma and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). As a Psychologist and former Health Coach, my focus is now on Somatic Experiencing (SE) which helps regulate the nervous system and make change possible through its deep and gentle processes. It’s a privilege to accompany clients on their unique journeys of discovery, change and growing resilience: exploring what it means to be human.