Ruth Veda Clarke

I offer you a confidential, safe space to explore the struggles, triggers, pain, behaviours, and unspoken words that keep you feeling stuck. Together, we’ll work to uncover the underlying reasons behind your reactions, helping you understand how your childhood has shaped you. This empowers you to make conscious choices, find your most authentic self, and embrace the rollercoaster of life with its challenging lows and exhilarating highs.

My approach is deeply rooted in my own lived experience. I have navigated my own painful path through chronic pain (living with osteoarthritis in my hips), people-pleasing, co-dependency, and sexual and physical abuse. I understand the weight of addiction to alcohol, cocaine, and emotional eating, as well as the lonely struggle of undiagnosed dyslexia. I have also walked the path of a step-mother to an autistic, neurodivergent boy, and witnessed my father deteriorate from Motor Neurone Disease.

I know what it feels like to state, "What is wrong with me!" or "Will I ever be good enough! Step-by-step, I am reclaiming my worth and my self-expression. I bring this deeply human, zero-judgment understanding straight to you.

Somatic & Psychotherapeutic:

- Certified Compassionate Inquiry Practitioner & Intern Training (Facilitated by Dr. Gabor Maté)

- Graduate Training in Compassionate Inquiry

- Empowerment Coach & Glass Walking Facilitator

- Certified Breath Coach (YogaBody)

- NOCN Intuitive Recovery

Bodywork & Physical Therapy:

- ITEC Level 3: Anatomy, Physiology & Pathology

- Diplomas: Deep Tissue, Swedish Full Body, On-Site, and Seated Acupressure Massage

- Baby Massage Instructor

- Reiki II Practitioner

My clinical work draws on a varied professional history. I pack the urgency of an NHS frontline Paramedic’s experience, the intuitive touch of a Massage Therapist, and varied roles as a Cancer Co-ordinator, Nanny, and Event Organiser. This gives me a unique, comprehensive view of human health, crisis, and care.

I specialise in helping you sit with, understand, and transform the "heavy" emotions and patterns that stem from a dysregulated nervous system:

- Addiction & Recovery: Moving beyond "why the addiction" to "why the pain."

- Co-dependency & Boundaries: Supporting you in learning to say "no" and prioritising your needs.

- Trauma & Sexual Trauma: Safely metabolising the "implicit memory" stored in the body to reclaim your safety.

- Burnout, Anxiety, & Low Self-Esteem: Moving from survival mode and inner criticism into a regulated, self-compassionate flow.

- Physical & Chronic Pain: Addressing the emotional constriction, childhood adaptations, and grief that manifest as physical tension or chronic discomfort.

- Anger & Grief: Learning to allow these powerful emotions rather than being consumed or silenced by them.

- Relationship Struggles & Triggers: Understanding the recurring upsets and "body bracing" that happen when our past shows up in our present connections.

- Anger & Grief: Learning to allow with these powerful emotions rather than being consumed or silenced by them.

- Physical Pain: Addressing the emotional constriction and childhood adaptations that can manifest as physical tension or chronic discomfort.

Healing isn't just about feeling better; it's about getting better at feeling. The foundation of my practice is Compassionate Inquiry (developed by Dr. Gabor Maté), a somatic psychotherapeutic approach that helps you uncover unconscious beliefs and move from old, reactive coping mechanisms into conscious awareness.

Talk therapy alone often cannot reach the "stuck" feelings held in our physical body. Because of my background on the frontline emergency services and bodywork, I support you in integrating the mind-body connection, integrating:

- Polyvagal Theory: To gently map and regulate your nervous system.

- Somatic Therapy & Movement: To process and discharge emotions physically.

- Mindfulness & Visualisation: Cultivating the inner space to become the active creator of your reality.

- Playfulness & Expression: Bringing a playful, lighter energy to the container so your body feels safe enough to face deep fears.

Ways to Connect:

Beyond one-to-one therapeutic sessions, I offer structured spaces for restoration:

- "Me Time" Sessions: Dedicated to personal nourishment and resetting.

- "Move & Groove" Community Sessions: A playful space to shake off stress, utilise conscious breath, and stretch.

- Threshold Events: Focused experiential spaces, including glass walking and boundary work.

- Saying No Workshops: Community to explore the clever childhood survival strategy people pleasing, being the good boy/girl.