Thank you for being here.
My name is Elly, and I am the founder of Unfurl Somatic Therapy.
I am a certified Integrative Core Energetics Somatic Psychotherapist, Embodied Movement and Breathwork Facilitator, and Coach.
First and foremost though, I am human, just like you.
For as long as I can remember, I have been obsessed with understanding human behaviour and psychology - why we do the things we do, why we seem to recreate the same situations over and over again, and what needs to happen in order for us to create long-lasting change and healing in our lives and communities.
To begin with, this obsession was driven by my own pain. A long history of complex trauma and chronic illness led me down the path of exploring any (and almost every) therapeutic, personal development, and healing modality I could find. If you can name it, I’ve probably tried it!
And whilst I absolutely found some reprieve along the way, nothing felt like it was able to touch the core of what I was experiencing - until I stumbled my way into the world of somatics.
The deeper I dove into different somatic modalities, the more I understood why a lifetime of talk therapy had never touched the core of my suffering. Talk therapy had allowed me to stay disconnected from my body and its experiences - focusing on building an intellectual understanding of myself and my struggles rather than supporting my capacity to have a felt experience of them.
Building my capacity to be more present in my body - and in turn more present in my life - changed everything for me, and what was once a longing to find relief from my own pain transformed into a desire to support others to find relief from their own.
In addition to my lived experience and extensive professional training, my work is also informed by my professional experiences as a Lawyer for Victim-Survivors, Family & Domestic Violence Caseworker, NDIS Psychosocial Recovery Coach, and Lived Experience Advocate in the areas of intimate partner violence and sexual violence. Alongside my private therapy practice, I currently still work as a Lawyer in Perth, providing independent socio-legal assistance to victims of sexual violence.
In all of these roles I have worked closely with survivors of individual, generational, and systemic trauma, and have deepened my passion for trauma-informed and trauma-responsive care being available to everyone in an accessible way. I continue to advocate for and work for those with a lived experience of trauma to receive the collective care, support, and justice that they - and we all - deserve.
Trainings & Qualifications:
Integrative Core Energetics Somatic Psychotherapy - Institute of Body Psychotherapy (3 years)
Breathwork Facilitation - SOMA Breath
Embodied Movement Temple Keepers Facilitation - Mana Mei
Polyvagal Theory - National Institute of the Clinical Application of Behavioural Medicine (NICABM)
Reiki Level 1 & 2 - Nourished Energy
Beautiful You Life Coaching - Beautiful You Coaching Academy (ICF-accredited)
Juris Doctor Masters of Law - The University of Melbourne
Bachelor of Arts (Psychology) - The University of Melbourne
Domestic Violence & Child Welfare Foundational Training - Safe & Together Institute
“Recognise & Respond” Family & Domestic Violence - WA Department of Communities