Somatic Therapy · Neurodivergent-Affirming

Your nervous system isn't broken —
it just never felt safe enough to settle

Somatic therapy for adults who've tried to think their way to regulation — and found it isn't quite enough. Especially for those who are neurodivergent: AuDHD, autistic, ADHD, and more.

If you're neurodivergent, your nervous system has likely been working overtime for most of your life — navigating a world that wasn't built for the way you're wired. Sometimes there's also a specific moment layered on top of that: a sudden event, a medical scare, a situation where you felt trapped or out of control. You may have told yourself it wasn't that big a deal. But your body felt it, and it hasn't quite let go.

Since then, you might find yourself more easily overwhelmed, shutting down in situations that used to feel okay, or reacting in ways that catch you off guard. The emotional floods. The freeze. The sense that your responses don't match what's actually happening around you — and not knowing how to get back to yourself.

I'm Paul Shin, a somatic trauma therapist based in Wexford, Ireland, offering in-person and online therapy to adults across Ireland and the UK. I'm on my own neurodivergent journey, and somatic work is what finally helped me find emotional regulation that actually stuck by learning to work with my body rather than against it.

Therapy with me is paced, body-led, and Neurodiversity & LGBTQ+ affirming 🌈. We go at your speed, follow what your nervous system is doing in the room, and work gently toward settling — without pressure, without forcing, and with you in control throughout.

Paul Shin, somatic trauma therapist in Wexford, Ireland
Somatic trauma therapy in Wexford, PTSD therapy, body psychotherapy, anxiety and depression support.
Sunflower field in golden light

The body remembers
what the mind tries to release.

When your system has been
working overtime your whole life

For neurodivergent people, dysregulation isn't always tied to one event — it's often the accumulation of navigating a world that wasn't built for you. Sometimes there's also a specific moment layered on top. What matters isn't the label. It's whether your body has been able to settle. You don't need to relate to all of these.

This might include

It can show up as

These responses aren't signs of weakness or being "too sensitive" — they're often signs your system has been doing its best in difficult conditions.

“Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.”

Peter A. Levine, PhD, founder of Somatic Experiencing®

What this work
can open up

This work is about giving your nervous system a chance to do what it never got to do — complete, settle, and feel safe again.

  • Reactions that felt instant and uncontrollable start to slow down
  • The flood or freeze begins to have an edge — a place where it can stop
  • Saying yes when you mean no starts to feel like a choice, not a reflex
  • Your own needs and limits become easier to locate — and to stay with
  • Setting a boundary feels less like a threat your body has to brace against
  • Everyday situations feel less charged, less loaded
  • You can stay present in your body without bracing or shutting down
  • Connection and trust begin to feel steadier, less risky
  • You can breathe more fully — not as a technique, but because your system lets you

The aim is not to change who you are. It is to help your nervous system feel safer — so your history stops interrupting your present.

A single pink rose in a glass vase
  • I react less. I can pause now.

    —S, Germany

  • My physical therapist recommended working with Paul to recover from an injury I sustained during a car accident. I didn’t realise how tense I was all the time. After a few sessions things eased. My body felt calmer.

    — M, South Korea

  • Being around people used to drain me. I always felt awkward. Working with Paul helped me see what was actually going on underneath. I’m more relaxed now, not trying so hard all the time.

    — C, Ireland

  • I used to panic when I had to leave home. Things still come up sometimes. But I deal with them better now.

    — L, South Korea

Taking the next step

Finding the right therapist matters, especially when your sense of safety has been affected.

I offer a free 15-minute consultation so you can ask questions and get a sense of whether working together feels right.

Book a free consultation

No pressure. Just a first conversation.

Contact.

If you would like to enquire about therapy or availability, please get in touch.