My name is Valérie. I’m 42 years old, from Belgium, and I live in the Italian Alps with my husband and three children.

I’ve had health issues and autoimmune diseases for 20 years, and it became clear I was in a constant state of feeling unsafe — my body always in survival, mainly freeze. Ten years ago I stopped going to doctors and therapists after spending thousands of euros with no real help, but trying to change my mindset alone didn’t bring me very far either.

When I started this work and did the neurosensory exercise of orienting, it was a big transformation shift. I could finally be and live in my body, instead of fleeing, rationalizing, or meditating to avoid feeling it because it hurt so much.

Orienting, from the first week of SBSM, is still a foundation for me — feeling how I’m positioned on this earth, in this body. There are so many other exercises that have helped me tremendously, and I’m very happy I found this. Thank you.