4 red flags to watch for in somatic & nervous system work

Mar 24, 2025

Somatic-based coaching and therapy are everywhere right now... and for good reason.

If you’ve been doing all the right things, working on your money mindset, raising your prices, scaling your business... but something still feels off… your nervous system might be the missing piece.

(Psst… if you’re ready to break free from this cycle, grab instant access to my secret podcast, Mind Body Money: https://www.eloisetomkins.com/secret-podcast)

The connection between the body and mind is undeniable, especially when it comes to breaking past income plateaus, finally feeling safe with more money, and shifting the patterns that keep you overworking and under-earning.

But here’s what most people aren’t talking about.

As a psychologist, I’ve seen countless clients who’ve gone all-in on somatic work.... silent retreats, breath work, nervous system regulation, embodiment practices... only to come back feeling EVEN MORE anxious, overwhelmed, or stuck in the same patterns.

In fact, I once worked with a sound bowl healer who wasn’t trauma-informed. During the session, she pushed me to revisit a childhood memory... without any understanding of how to keep me contained or safe in the process. When I expressed reluctance, she blamed me for being a ‘difficult’ client.

🚨 This is EXACTLY the problem.

Somatic work, when done incorrectly, can actually dysregulate your nervous system further.... leaving you more emotionally flooded, more reactive, and less able to hold the financial success you’re working so hard to create.

And it’s NOT your fault.

Here’s what you need to know before working with a somatic practitioner:

🚨 Going deep too fast can do more harm than good. If your body isn’t ready to process something, pushing it can backfire... especially around money and success, which bring up deep-seated fears, shame, and self-worth patterns.

🚨 Not all practitioners are trauma-informed (even if they've done the training). Just because someone understands the nervous system doesn’t mean they know how to safely guide you through deep emotional work. I’ve worked with clients who were left emotionally raw after sessions, struggling for months to re-stabilise.

🚨 Somatic work isn’t about “fixing” you in one session. If someone promises instant breakthroughs, be cautious. True nervous system shifts happen gradually, at a pace your body can integrate.

🚨 Your body needs safety first, not just activation. Too many practitioners focus on releasing emotions without helping your nervous system feel safe enough to expand. If your system isn’t regulated, you’ll stay stuck in cycles of overworking, undercharging, or avoiding financial decisions.

True nervous system work doesn’t leave you feeling exposed or overwhelmed. It leaves you feeling stronger, more grounded, and more able to hold the financial success you’re calling in.

When done right, nervous system regulation isn’t just about “processing trauma.” It’s about expanding your capacity to hold more... more money, more visibility, more ease,..... without your body going into panic mode.

If you’ve tried somatic work before and it didn’t work the way you expected… it wasn’t you.

It was the way it was done.


💸 You know you’re meant for more, but every time you try to level up financially, something stops you.  It’s not that you’re bad with money, it’s that your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

I get it! That's why I help women just like you rewire their nervous system’s response to wealth, so they can stop living in financial fear, break the feast-or-famine cycle, and finally feel safe earning, keeping, and growing their money.

Because financial confidence isn’t just about knowing what to do... it’s about being able to hold wealth without stress, guilt, or panic. And when your body stops seeing money as a threat? Everything changes.

What next? 

Click here to listen to the Rich Woman Rising podcast

Click here to take the free quiz to see whether your nervous system is secretly keeping you stuck making more money.

Ready to step into your Expansive Self? Let’s regulate yourself to riches!