Lydie Glendinning is an accredited and regulated Psychotherapist specialising in the treatment of Psychological trauma. She works remotely online under her business of ‘Solace With Lydie’ as well as offering in person sessions in at EquiSolace: Equine Assisted Psychotherapy in East Sussex, UK. She operates under the professional board of NCIP and adheres to NICE, UKPTS and APA trauma treatment guidelines and protocols. She works with a wide scope of individuals, providing a safe space for all. She is currently supporting those who seem to be falling through the gaps in the NHS support system; particularly those who identify as LGBTQ+, victims of systemic racism and sexism, young people facing the mental health crisis and individuals experiencing menopause. She provides a combination of evidence based cognitive and somatic therapies for embodied, powerful sessions; utilising integrative, evidence based techniques for clinical mental health trauma treatment. Following the trauma treatment protocol, she supports clients through regulation, stabilisation and containment of trauma related symptoms. Then through trauma focused CBT, aswell as embodied and somatic techniques, she helps individuals to safely unpick any stuck beliefs and explore any past stuck traumas. 

She also provides Life Coaching where people are supported through transformative development and growth, with the aim to shift stuck beliefs and narratives, which often are hindering us becoming the most authentic version of ourselves. Working directly on self esteem, confidence, boundaries with others and the ability to regulate our nervous systems seep into all aspects of our lives, creating a ripple effect of self development through your personal life, relationships with others and your relationship with the greater world. 

Her in-person Equine Assisted Psychotherapy and Learning, which is where horses help people to create embodied, long lasting change. This powerful, experiential approach provides a different spin to therapy sessions, providing a powerful Integrative element, bridging the gap which most talk therapies fall short in - the gap between knowing the new belief systems from trauma treatment in a cognitive way and the felt sense of this. It is a safe space for clients to explore the new parts of selves. 

Are you experiencing anxiety, depression, tearfulness or numbness? 

Perhaps lots of bodily aches, pains and fatigue? 

Do you have some unexplained physical symptoms or often are taken ill?  

Does everything feel overwhelming or particularly underwhelming? 

Have you stopped doing your normal hobbies? Not enjoying things you used to? 

Do you feel like you are working especially hard to maintain your life, relationships with others, aswell as work and leisure activities? 

Whatever it is that isn’t feeling right, it might be that Lydie is the right therapist to support you. Contact her today to have a free initial consultation to discuss your needs. Whether you have a trauma related mental health diagnosis, you are struggling in any way, or you are after life coaching development work; Lydie always adapts her sessions to suit the client needs. With so much to offer, and a wide scope of experience she can support you through your journey. 

Why this therapy is better and more benefitical - by combining cognitive with somatic, mind with body - often called the top down, bottom up approach. 

A combined approach of top-down (talk cognitive therapy) and bottom-up therapies (somatic therapies) is more effective than relying solely on talk therapies. This integrative method provides a deeper level of intervention, addressing aspects that talk therapies alone may not fully reach.

Bottom-up therapies can often address issues that traditional talk therapies might miss, particularly those involving physical manifestations of trauma. While talk therapies primarily focus on mental processes, bottom-up approaches target physical responses and autonomic nervous system disruptions, which can be crucial for addressing deep-seated traumas that are stored in the body. These methods help address core issues that may not be resolved through cognitive strategies alone.

Supporting Emotional Regulation

For individuals dealing with significant stress, anxiety, or trauma, bottom-up techniques can be particularly effective in aiding emotional regulation. Top-down therapies rely on the ability of clients to use rational thought to manage their emotions and behaviors. It is incredibly hard and not very effective to use a top down approach when the client is unable to use rational thought to support themselves. They would have already have done this by themselves. The rational thoughts are too powerful, too deep. Instead, bottom up therapies directly work on the nervous system to help cultivate a sense of safety and calm, which balances the nervous system. Continously working on the nervous system to remain saftey mode, rather than flight/fight/freeze/flop mode, it enables the effectiveness of cognitive, top-down approaches to actually work. 

Enhancing the Body-Mind Connection

Bottom-up therapy underscores the interconnectedness of the mind and body. This way of viewing illnesses, disease and mental health is slowly becoming part of mainstream culture. Rather than viewing the mind and body as separate entities, this approach recognizes that they function together, with the body being at the core of interest, rather than the mind. Trauma and mental health challenges can disrupt this connection, leading to a coping mechanism that distances the individual from their pain. By addressing what stuck traumas the body is holding, through somatic experiancing and other therapy approaches, bottom-up therapies can foster integration and healing between the brain and body, leading to more profound and enduring outcomes. Some major names in the work of current research on mental health implications are Bessel Van Der Kulk, Gabor Mate and Peter Levine. All of their marieral is well worth a look into for further information.

Accessible for Various Client Populations

Bottom-up therapies are often more accessible for individuals who may struggle to articulate their thoughts and feelings, such as those with language difficulties or sensory processing differences. This approach can be particularly beneficial for clients with heightened sensory sensitivities or autism, who may find it challenging to communicate their experiences through traditional means.