Most of us have experienced our emotions showing up in our bodies, but we don’t always recognise it when it’s happening more subtly or more persistently.

As a therapist and acupuncturist, I see this connection every day. The truth is, our bodies and minds are not separate, they’re deeply interconnected. And when we’re carrying unprocessed stress, grief, anxiety, or overwhelm, it often shows up physically.

If you’ve been dealing with chronic tension, fatigue, digestive issues, or pain and haven’t found a clear explanation, this might be something to gently explore.

Emotions Don't Just Live in the Mind

When you’re under emotional strain, whether from daily stress or long-term unresolved experiences, your body responds. This is part of how we’ve evolved to protect ourselves. The nervous system becomes activated, stress hormones are released, muscles tense, and the body prepares to cope.

But when the stress doesn’t ease… the body stays in a heightened state of alert.

Over time, this can lead to:

• Persistent muscle tension (especially in the neck, shoulders, and jaw)
• Digestive issues, such as bloating, IBS, or nausea
• Fatigue that doesn’t shift with rest
• Headaches or migraines
• Pain flare-ups without clear physical injury
• Sleep disturbances or a racing mind at night

These symptoms aren’t “all in your head.” They’re very real and they might be your body’s way of asking for emotional support.

Grief, Stress, and Anxiety in the Body

Here’s how some common emotional states often manifest physically:

• Grief may feel like a weight in the chest, breathlessness, or fatigue that lingers
• Anxiety can show up as digestive issues, heart palpitations, or tension headaches
• Stress often affects the immune system, digestion, and muscle tension
• Anger or frustration may lead to jaw clenching, digestive stagnation, or skin flare-ups
• Suppressed emotion can create a general sense of heaviness, irritability, or disconnection from your body

Our bodies hold our experiences, even the ones we don’t fully process at the time.

Therapies That Work With the Whole System

The good news is that when we start to address what’s happening emotionally, the physical symptoms often begin to shift too. That’s the power of working with the whole person, not just the symptom.

At my practice, I work with therapies that honour the mind-body connection:

Counselling

Talk therapy gives space to understand and express what’s going on beneath the surface. Together, we gently explore patterns, triggers, and unresolved emotions so they don’t keep living in the body. You don’t need to have all the answers, just a willingness to begin.

Acupuncture

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, physical and emotional health are seen as completely interwoven. Specific acupuncture points can be used to calm the nervous system, release emotional blockages, and improve energy flow throughout the body. Many clients leave a session feeling physically lighter and emotionally more grounded.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques)

Also known as tapping, EFT involves gently tapping on acupressure points while focusing on a feeling, memory, or belief. It’s an empowering, practical tool to help release emotional intensity and reduce the physical symptoms that come with it.

Real Healing Looks Like Integration

You don’t need to choose between emotional and physical healing. You can support both, at the same time. When we work gently with the body and the mind together, something shifts. You might start to feel:

• Less tension in your body
• Calmer and more emotionally regulated
• More connected to your own needs
• Clearer about what your body is trying to tell you

The aim isn’t to "get rid of" symptoms, it’s to listen to them, work with them, and respond with care.

If you’ve been managing pain, tension, or fatigue and feel like something deeper is going on, you’re not imagining it. Our emotions live in our bodies, and healing can happen when we start to listen.

You don’t have to figure it all out alone. Whether through counselling, acupuncture, EFT, or simply starting the conversation, there are gentle, effective ways to feel more at home in yourself again.

📍 In-person appointments available in Edinburgh

💻 Online therapy also available

🔗 Learn more or book a consultation here