About Us

Anne Cheshire, BA(Hons), BSc (Hons), SEP, MNIMH

Anne Cheshire is director of the Trauma Recovery Clinic in Edinburgh, Scotland, specialising in addressing trauma, traumatic stress, post traumatic stress syndrome, other complex stress-related syndromes and immune system dysfunctions such as fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome and all mind-body responses to emotional stress and physical trauma.

Anne graduated from Sussex University in 1979 with an honours degree in Philosophy in the School of European Studies. Within a year she was training to teach Lotte Berk Method exercise, the challenging Pilates and dance-based exercise method with Lotte Berk herself at her London studios. Since then Anne has run Lotte Berk and Pilates studios in Brighton and Lewes, and later in Barcombe, East Sussex. She now teaches Barre classes in Edinburgh.  Anne was a teacher of Modern Foreign Languages and Philosophy for 9 years, and during her time in the Education was responsible for Initial Teacher Training (teaching others to become teachers).

She continued her practice and education in bodywork during her career in education and in 1999 left teaching to open a private bodywork practice, the Myofascial Release Clinic Ltd, in Barcombe, East Sussex. Specific training and her own research into body and mind approaches to pain conditions and trauma have led Anne to form the Trauma Recovery Clinic, specialising in trauma recovery, complex soft tissue pain and immune system conditions.

From 2005 to 2010 she designed and taught courses in Myofascial Release in conjunction with Rachel Fairweather, director of Jing Institute of Advanced Massage, passing on her experience to talented bodyworkers, massage therapists, osteopaths and physiotherapists. She also taught clinical anatomy.

Her interest in medicine led Anne to gain a first class degree in Herbal Medicine, and she is a member of the National Institute of Medical Herbalists, for whom she was also a director.

Anne now works one to one with clients via Zoom, and runs online coaching programmes for those suffering from general anxiety, high alert, or lack of self-confidence, which are accessed in the clients’ own time and can be found at The Calm, Confident Brain.

Trauma Healing – Somatic Experiencing

Anne is a practioner of Somatic Experiencing, having completed training with Peter Levine’s senior faculty. This method of addressing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, complex PTSD and other physiological and autonomic nervous system overwhelm, focuses on the way the body responds in trauma or overwhelm of any nature, and helps the individual to regain peaceful self-regulation.

Anne has completed further training in trauma recovery in the following areas: “Pre- and peri-natal trauma” with Dr. Dr. Raja Selvam (that’s two PhDs!), Germany 2010, “Developmental Stages” with Raja Selvam, London 2009 and “Shame and Guilt – The Healing of Early and Complex Trauma” with Dr. Larry Heller London 2011.

Trauma Healing – Brainspotting

In February 2012 Anne attended a four day course on ‘Brainspotting’ taught by David Grand PhD, its developer. Brainspotting (BSP) is a new psychotherapy approach that uses eye positions that correlate with autonomic nervous system states that are held after overwhelm or trauma is experienced. After they are located, these eye positions, or Brainspots, may through maintaining eye fixation and the use of Somatic Experiencing, lead to a healing and resolution of issues that are held deeply in the non-verbal, non-cognitive areas of the neurophysiology.

General (foundational) bodywork training

Anne’s general bodywork training has been with the following institutes and trainers:

Lotte Berk Studios UK – Pilates based movement and exercise method

Wilbury School UK – Swedish Massage diploma, Sports Massage diploma

Touch Pro UK – Amma Therapy onsite massage using Eastern techniques and acupressure points

Jing Advanced Massage Institute – Holistic Medical Massage (including neuromuscular techniques, positional release, soft tissue release, Oriental massage, craniosacral techniques, muscle energy techniques, proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation, stretching techniques and myofascial release), pregnancy massage and onsite massage – for whom she was also a tutor

Body Control Pilates – Pilates training

Pilates Training Solutions – OCR Pilates Matwork qualificatons

Specialised bodywork training

Anne’s ongoing Craniosacral, Myofascial Release and Visceral Manipulation training has been with several internationally acclaimed top trainers and institutes, reflecting her belief that there is no ‘one true way’ of practising physical bodywork and that each and every master of the field has his or her own wisdom and experience to offer:

Peter Levine, US and London – Trauma Healing and Somatic Experiencing

Jean-Pierre Barral, Europe, US and London – Visceral Osteopathy for the Abdomen and the Thorax; Osteopathic Approach to Trauma

Prof. Eyal Lederman, London – Harmonic Technique, Neuro-muscular Re-abilitation

Upledger Institute, UK – Craniosacral Therapy and Somato-Emotional Release

John Barnes, US – Myofascial Release

Psychotherapeutic understanding

Anne has completed further continued professional developmental training in Somato Emotional Release with Upledger UK and Human Givens in a model of brief therapy from psychiatry, psychotherapy and counseling.

Psycho-neuro-immunology

Further research has taken Anne into the field of psycho-neuro-immunology, and her training and qualifications here are with Performance Enhancement (INLPTA) in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming), Hypnosis and Accelerated Learning. In conjunction with her work in applied psycho-neuro-immunology she has developed myofascial release and trauma recovery programmes for full mind-body integration.

Pilates and Myofascial Release

Anne’s Pilates training is with Body Control Pilates, London and Pilates Solutions, London. She now specialises in Pilates in conjunction with other bodywork, including Myofascial Release.

Herbal Medicine

Anne gained a first class degree in Herbal Medicine form the University of Lincoln and supports her clients’ return to calm and confidence with specialised herbal medicine.

Anne has also been a German-English/English-German interpretor, and a languages teacher in comprehensive schools.