Does somatic therapy actually work online?

Yes. The work happens in your awareness of your own body, not through physical touch, so it translates well to video. I work with clients across Australia and internationally this way. Some people actually settle more easily in their own space than in an unfamiliar room.

I can't find a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner near me. Can we work together online?

Yes. Certified SEPs are concentrated in a few cities, so if you're in Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Darwin or a regional area, online is often the practical way to access this work. Sessions run via video in hours that suit your time zone.

What do I need for an online session?

A private space where you won't be interrupted, a stable internet connection, and a device with a camera. A chair where you can sit comfortably is better than a desk setup. Everything else we handle together in the session.

What is a chemistry call?

A free 30-minute conversation about where you are and whether this work makes sense for you. No pitch, no pressure. If it's not the right fit, I'll say so and point you somewhere that is.

Online via video · Australia-wide

Online somatic therapy across Australia

Q: Do I need a referral or mental health plan?

No. You can book directly from anywhere in Australia. Sessions aren't covered by Medicare, which also means there's no referral or geographic restriction.

Body-centred work for trauma, burnout, and a nervous system that won't settle. Wherever you are, from Perth to far north Queensland.

You've probably already done the thinking. Maybe years of it. Talk therapy, books, podcasts, a decent understanding of your own patterns. And the pattern is still running.

That's not a failure of effort. It's that insight lives in the mind, and the pattern lives in the body. This is where somatic work goes.

The catch, if you're outside Melbourne or Sydney, is that certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioners are thin on the ground. If you've searched for one near you and come up empty, this page is for you.

Does this work online?

Yes, and I want to answer that properly because it's a fair question about body-based work.

Somatic Experiencing happens in your awareness of your own body: noticing sensation, tracking what shifts, letting your system complete what it never got the chance to. None of that requires us to be in the same room. My role is to guide your attention and hold the pace, and a screen carries that fine. I work with clients across Australia and internationally this way, and some people settle more easily on their own couch than they ever would in an unfamiliar consulting room.

What you need is simple: a private space, a stable connection, and a chair you can actually sit comfortably in. The rest we handle together.

What we work with

A body that's tense, on edge, or exhausted no matter how much rest you get
Anxiety that doesn't respond to logic
Old experiences that still set off big reactions
Burnout that's gone past "needing a holiday"
Knowing exactly what your pattern is, and watching yourself do it anyway

I'm a certified Somatic Experiencing Practitioner and trained in Internal Family Systems. We work slowly and at your pace. There's no requirement to retell your story in detail. The work is with how your system is holding things now.

"It's natural to be on the fence. You don't know how long this work will take, and you may fear what you might find in yourself. But the fact that you're curious already means there's something waiting for you to notice and explore."

Min L · Client

Not sure if this is for you? Start with a free 30-minute chemistry call, online from wherever you are. We talk about where you are and whether this work makes sense. No pitch, no pressure.

Book a free call

The practical details

Sessions run via video. I'm based in Melbourne (AEST/AEDT), and I schedule across Australian time zones, so Perth mornings and east coast evenings both work. Sessions aren't covered by Medicare, which also means no referral, no mental health plan, and no geographic restriction: you can book directly from anywhere in the country.

If you're in Melbourne and would rather meet in person, I have rooms in Thornbury and Elsternwick. Plenty of clients mix the two.

About Rudi

Rudi Doku, Somatic Experiencing Practitioner, online somatic therapy across Australia

I spent 15 years as a technology consultant, then another decade coaching leaders across five continents. What I do now grew out of what I had to learn the hard way: how to regulate my nervous system, face the parts of myself I'd been avoiding, and build a life that actually fits. More about me and how I got here.

Common questions

Is online as effective as in person?: For this work, yes, with rare exceptions we'd identify in the first call. The mechanism is your attention on your own body, and that travels. What matters more than the medium is the pace and the fit.
What if the internet drops mid-session?: We agree a simple plan in the first session: I call you, we continue by phone if needed, and we never leave anything activated and unfinished. Your system's safety comes before the format.
Do I need a referral or mental health plan?: No. You can book directly from anywhere in Australia.
What times are available for Perth or Darwin?: Western and central time zones work fine. Your morning is my early afternoon, so there's comfortable overlap. We'll find a recurring time that holds.
How many sessions will I need?: It depends on what you're working with, and we'll talk about it honestly in the first call. Most of the change happens between sessions, in the practising.

Ready to start? Book a free 30-minute call from wherever you are in Australia.

Book a free call

Rudi Doku · Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) · Online across Australia · In person in Thornbury, Elsternwick and Toorak, Melbourne