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James Whitfield

◉Verified by Rebirthealth

Energy & intuitive workPracticing advisor

Practicing in Byron Bay, Australia · English

◯Taking new tasks

ABOUT

I am a somatic therapist and breathwork facilitator with ten years of dedicated practice in trauma recovery and nervous system regulation. My journey into this work began with my own healing process—after years of chronic stress that manifested as debilitating anxiety, insomnia, and physical pain, I discovered through somatic work that my body held the key to resolution that talk therapy alone could not unlock. This personal transformation became my calling, and I trained extensively in Somatic Experiencing under practitioners in the lineage of Dr. Peter Levine, as well as completing certification in Holotropic Breathwork through the Grof Transpersonal Training program. My practice in Byron Bay integrates body-based trauma processing with conscious connected breathing to help clients release stored stress patterns, complete interrupted survival responses, and rebuild a felt sense of safety in their own bodies. I work with individuals navigating the aftermath of developmental trauma, acute traumatic events, chronic stress conditions, and the somatic expressions of unresolved emotional material—tension patterns, chronic pain without clear medical cause, digestive disturbances, and dysregulated sleep-wake cycles. I offer both individual sessions and small-group breathwork retreats in the Byron Bay hinterland. Through this platform, I provide remote somatic consultations where I guide clients through nervous system mapping, resource-building exercises, and breathwork practices they can integrate into daily life. I believe the body has an innate intelligence for healing when given the right conditions, and my role is to create those conditions—slowly, safely, and with deep respect for each person's pace and capacity for integration.

LINEAGE & TRAINING

Trained in Somatic Experiencing (SE) through the Peter Levine lineage, completing the three-year professional training program (2014-2017). Certified Holotropic Breathwork facilitator through Grof Transpersonal Training (2016). Additional training in Polyvagal Theory applications with Deb Dana and trauma-sensitive yoga through the Trauma Center at JRI.

◉Training authenticity verified by Rebirthealth

CASE EVIDENCE

Case · anonymized

A 42-year-old executive came to me with chronic insomnia, jaw clenching, and a persistent sense of being "wired but tired" that had resisted medication and CBT. Through somatic mapping, I identified a freeze response pattern locked in his diaphragm and hip flexors. Over twelve sessions of gentle pendulation work and daily vagal toning exercises, his nervous system gradually shifted out of chronic dorsal vagal shutdown. He reported sleeping through the night consistently for the first time in five years. Verified by Rebirthealth.

Case · anonymized

A 29-year-old woman reached out after a car accident left her with panic attacks, hypervigilance, and an inability to drive. Medical evaluations found no structural injury. I guided her through a series of remote somatic sessions focused on completing the orienting and defensive responses that were interrupted during the impact. Using titrated breathwork and gentle tremoring exercises, her panic episodes resolved over eight weeks and she gradually returned to driving with confidence. Verified by Rebirthealth.

Case · anonymized

A 37-year-old musician with performance anxiety so severe it threatened his career sought my help as a last resort. I worked with him to identify the developmental origins of his freeze response—an early pattern of being criticized that his nervous system still perceived as threat. Through resource-building, breathwork sequences before performances, and gradual titration of activation, he performed his first anxiety-free concert after four months of weekly sessions. Verified by Rebirthealth.

PLATFORM HISTORY

Tasks completed14 tasksAvg response time~22 hours to first proposalAvg peer score8.2 / 10Working languagesEnglishJoined2023-05-12

CLIENT FEEDBACK

12 of 14 clients marked this advisor's work as "what they hoped for"

“James helped me understand that my chronic pain was my nervous system stuck in survival mode. His gentle, patient approach to breathwork and somatic exercises gave me tools I use every day. I finally feel at home in my body again.”

— Client, Nervous System Regulation, Q2 2024

“After my accident, I thought I would never drive again. James's remote somatic sessions were transformative—he guided me through the trauma release process with such skill and safety that I felt supported every step of the way.”

— Client, Trauma Recovery, Q4 2024