Frequently Asked Questions

Traditional talk therapy works primarily through conversation and conscious insight. Client and therapist sitting face to face, talking. CST goes further by creating specific internal conditions — a gentle altered state — where your nervous system can recalibrate and your subconscious wisdom can emerge naturally. This allows two things: firstly, it makes therapy a relaxing experience; and secondly, people often experience insights and revelations that they would not have known to bring.

Think of it as similar to that peaceful state just before sleep, or deep meditation — you’re completely aware and present, but relaxed enough that your usual mental chatter quiets down and you can assume a higher perspective. We use mindfulness, gentle guidance, and therapeutic sound to help you access this naturally aware and receptive state. You’re always in control and always conscious. This state simply allows deeper material to surface that might remain hidden during regular conversation. And it lends plasticity to processing what emerges. It’s not mysterious or mystical — it’s working with how your nervous system naturally functions when it feels safe.

Most clients notice shifts within the first few sessions — often describing feeling “lighter” or “more spacious” in themselves. However, meaningful transformation unfolds over time. I typically recommend a minimum of 8 sessions to get a sense of how it works with the deeper patterns. How long a client stays depends on their circumstances and how far they would like to go. The pace is always determined by what serves your needs, not a predetermined timeline.

We usually begin with you lying down and getting comfortable, followed by a brief grounding practice and check-in: what’s present for you, what’s been surfacing since our last session, any insights or challenges. We may recap on the previous session. Together we identify “seeds” that might want to germinate during today’s work. From there, the session unfolds organically — sometimes we’ll explore what emerges through dialogue, sometimes I’ll facilitate your own process. Therapeutic sound is usually woven throughout. Sessions close gently, many clients leaving sessions describing feeling lighter, clear and deeply grounded, even when we’ve touched difficult material.

Absolutely. CST isn’t about forcing your mind to be quiet or “doing it right.” The gentle altered state we create isn’t dependent on your meditation skills — it emerges from specific conditions we create together: safety, sound, somatic awareness, and skilled guidance. Your nervous system knows how to access these states; my role is to create the environment where it can. Many clients who’ve struggled with traditional meditation find CST remarkably accessible because we’re not fighting against your active mind — we’re working with your whole system in a way that naturally allows settling. A side-benefit of this work is that you gain tools that you can apply outside of sessions.

CST is particularly well-suited for trauma because it prioritises nervous system regulation before any processing begins. Traditional trauma work can sometimes reactivate distress by approaching material while you’re still in a triggered state. CST takes a different approach: we first create the internal environment – safety, regulation, connection to Self — where trauma can be touched without retraumatising. The altered state allows you to access and process difficult memories while remaining resourced and grounded. That said, this is sensitive work requiring the right conditions and timing. The line of enquiry isn’t led by the therapist, but by your instinct. In our initial consultation, we’ll determine if CST feels appropriate for your specific circumstances.

When we try to “fix” symptoms — anxiety, depression, relationship struggles — we’re often trying to eliminate messengers without understanding their message. These symptoms point to something deeper: unprocessed experiences, unconscious beliefs, fragmented parts of ourselves. Integration means reading these messages and bringing these hidden aspects into conscious awareness and wholeness. When we address the root causes, symptoms naturally shift — not because we’ve fought them, but because we’ve resolved what was creating them. It’s the difference between managing a life you’re struggling with versus transforming the foundations of your experience.

Imagine trying to have a meaningful conversation while running from danger – impossible, right? Yet this is what we often attempt in therapy when our nervous system is in fight-or-flight mode. In that way, we can be locked up, or avoid, or even re-traumatise. CST recognises that transformation requires the right internal environment. We use specific techniques —mindfulness, somatic awareness, sound, breath — to help your nervous system shift from reactive to receptive. In this state, your body can literally process and integrate experiences differently. You’re not just thinking about change; your neurology is rewiring. This isn’t abstract theory — clients report feeling these shifts in their body, their sleep, their stress responses, and the patterns that show up in their lives.

Absolutely. Many of our deepest patterns live in how we relate to others — how we connect, withdraw, defend, or abandon ourselves. CST can illuminate these relational patterns with particular clarity because in the altered state, you can often perceive dynamics you couldn’t see before. You might discover the childhood origins of your difficulty setting boundaries, or understand why you keep choosing unavailable partners. What’s powerful is that these aren’t just intellectual insights — they’re felt-sense revelations that we can process and integrate. This creates natural shifts in how you show up in relationships.

This is one of the most common experiences clients bring to CST. Previous therapy may have given you valuable insights and coping strategies, but you still feel the same. Reactive patterns, the same core struggles – something deeper hasn’t shifted. CST is designed specifically for this: accessing and transforming the subconscious material and nervous system patterns that talk therapy often can’t reach. Many clients describe previous therapy as learning about their patterns, while CST helps them actually change those patterns at their source. Both have value; CST is particularly powerful for moving beyond insight into embodied transformation.

Not at all. CST is grounded in neuroscience, psychology, and how the human nervous system functions. The “altered state” we work with is a natural, neurological phenomenon – similar to what happens during deep meditation or just before sleep. Its features are observable, for example with EEG or fMRI. While the work can certainly open doors to spiritual experiences if that’s meaningful to you, CST doesn’t require any particular beliefs. What it does require is openness to the process, and to the possibility of experiencing yourself differently than you have before – to let your subconscious reveal what it needs to, to trust your own inner wisdom. Science and mystery aren’t in conflict here; they’re complementary paths to the same destination: your wholeness.

Short of trying it, the best way to know is to book a free 15-minute discovery call. We can explore what you’re seeking, whether CST feels appropriate for your circumstances, and whether there’s a natural fit between my approach and your needs. Many people who come to me have tried conventional therapy with mixed results, and sense their patterns run deeper than conscious awareness and talking can access. It’s particularly suited to those who don’t just want to manage symptoms but are ready for genuine transformation – even when that means touching difficult material. One feature of CST is that it is highly responsive to your needs. So it is likely to be a good fit for most.

The changes clients report often surprise them in their depth and breadth. Many notice anxiety or depression lifting — not through effort, but through genuine resolution of underlying causes. Relationship patterns shift as old wounds heal and new understandings become possible. Physical symptoms — chronic pain, sleep issues, stress-related conditions — frequently improve as the nervous system recalibrates. Perhaps most significantly, clients describe a fundamental shift in their relationship with themselves: from self-criticism to self-compassion, from fragmentation to wholeness, from reacting to life to responding with greater choice and presence. These aren’t separate changes — they flow from the same source: deeper integration.

CST continues working after our sessions end. Your nervous system and psyche continue processing and integrating, often in surprising ways. I’ll usually offer suggestions — a particular awareness to notice, a practice to explore, a question to sit with — but these aren’t “homework” in the traditional sense. They’re invitations to deepen what’s emerging. Many clients find themselves spontaneously noticing patterns they couldn’t see before, or responding differently in situations that used to trigger them. Integration happens both through our sessions and through your lived experience. The most important “work” between sessions is simply continuing to live your life with a calling-back to the session space and gentle awareness of what’s shifting.

That nervousness is completely natural — it shows healthy discernment. CST does ask something of you: trust in the process, willingness to open to what’s been avoided, and courage to meet yourself more fully. These aren’t small asks. What I can offer is this: CST is fundamentally gentle. We only ever go at the pace your system is ready for. The altered state we work with is deeply safe — you’re always conscious, always aware, always in control. And you’re not alone in this; I’m holding the space, guiding the process, ensuring safety throughout. Many clients tell me that their fears prior to their first session were alleviated within a short time in that first session. The initial nervousness transforms into something else: relief at finally being met where you actually are, and the revelation of the possibility of something new.