Tara Dakin

SELF

Wellness Architecture

This time is Psychēra.

Life is not linear, we move through the seasons of our life with growth, change, and quiet recalibration, some graceful, and others unexpected.

Our experiences are not only remembered, they are held in the body, the nervous system and in the subtle architecture of who we are.

What we have experienced, the culture, the family, the beliefs, what we carry, invariably shapes how we feel, how we respond, and how connected we are to ourselves and our environment.

SELF is a somatic offering founded by Tara Dakin. It is a psychologically informed exploration of the subtle architecture of who we are, designed to be experienced privately through a book, or in individual sessions with Tara.

SELF, the book, introduces the concept of self architecture, the internal structure formed across a lifetime through attachment, family, culture, belonging, exclusion, labels, beliefs, love, loss, adaption, education, expectation and survival.

SELF invites us to become a witness of our own life. we consider where we have been, what we have carried, how we have learned to respond, what our body may holding, and how our experiences maybe shaping our present choices.

Our inner architecture is neither fixed or accidental. It shapes how we interpret our experiences, how we regulate our emotions, how safe we feel in connection, how we experience our bodies, how we respond under pressure and what we belief is available to us.

SELF brings together developmental psychology, positive psychology, metacognition, and interoception to help readers and clients to understand this architecture from the inside out.

At the centre lies SELF: the source of organisation, coherence, and agency.

SELF is supporting the possibility that, when we understand the psychological and embodied architecture beneath our responses, we may find clarity, compassion and intentionality. Not only for moment of distress, but in moments of colour, connection, pleasure, creativity, possibility and choice.

SELF

After journeying with SELF, you may begin to ask,

What do I see now that I could not see before?

The SELF experience

In essence, SELF is metacognition, interoception and self awareness.

Metacognition -the thinking behind our thinking.

Interoception- our relationship with our body

Self-awareness- the ability to understand ourself, in order to choose and live with clarity in mind and body.

In person sessions begin with a gentle wellness enquiry, movement on the mat, a massage and ending with a meditation. The client has the choice to bring an experience or life situation to consider more expansive work or we can be led by the SELF model. We work towards releasing held tension in the body while uncovering the patterns, beliefs, and emotional imprints that shape your experience of life.

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Self is a book that incorporates both a framework and a journaling practice. A way for the client to explore our inner world with guided self-enquiry, reflective dialogue, meditation, and restorative bodywork to support a more somatic way of being.

Through self-enquiry, we begin with your life story as it has been lived, and felt. We visit your life story, your nervous system, your patterns of emotional regulation, your energy, and your interoception, how you sense and experience yourself from within. Together, we create a map of where you have been, how your experiences have been held in the body, and how they continue to shape your responses, your choices, and your way of being.

For many, this is a unique experience. Unless you have consciously explored your own narrative in this way, it can be an illuminating experience that feel deeply clarifying.

and with this awareness comes discernment. By working somatically with a psychologist , one begins to understand why one may have responded as we have, why we stayed, moved, tolerated, or held back. What once felt automatic and part of personality becomes visible. What was unconscious becomes available for choice.

This work is psychologically significant. It acts as a portal, as an opening into greater awareness, clarity, informed thinking, and a more intentional way of living. From here, wellbeing is enhanced, it is understood, embodied, and chosen.

Whether you begin gently with a reflection or enter more deeply, with yourself,

You Are Welcome.

Tara Dakin is a Wellness Expert and Registered Developmental Psychologist specialising in mind and body regulation. She is also a massage and movement therapist, Pilates mat instructor, Reiki practitioner, and qualified teacher.

Here we see ‘Clenching’.

Clenching is a simple, intentional way of bringing awareness to tension in the body. It involves deliberately tightening specific muscle groups, such as the fists, jaw, shoulders, or legs, holding briefly, and then releasing.

We use clenching as part of a tension-release toolkit when the body feels overwhelmed, restless, or dysregulated. By consciously creating tension and then letting it go, we help the nervous system recognise the difference between holding and releasing. This can support a return to a calmer, more regulated state.

Clenching is especially useful when stress feels “stuck” in the body, or when relaxation feels out of reach. It offers a controlled, physical pathway to discharge tension and reconnect with a sense of ease.

The Six Elements of SELF Sessions

We begin with an enquiry of the self. Through reflective conversation and metacognitive enquiry, we consider what is present, what may require attention, and what is asking to be understood.

Together, we gently explore how our experiences may be carried within the body. Through interoceptive enquiry, we begin to notice areas of tension, holding, discomfort, or disconnection, allowing intention to emerge naturally.

From here, we move into Intentional Movement on the mat. This gentle, embodied practice supports awareness, mobility, and connection with the areas that may be calling for attention.

The journey may remain on the mat, where a guided meditation invites an interoceptive exploration of the body. Through this inward awareness, we visit the sensations, responses, and experiences that arise, allowing the body to become part of the conversation.

Alternatively, the experience may continue on the massage table. Therapeutic touch and restorative massage are combined with meditation and interoceptive guidance, creating space for deep relaxation, awareness, and connection.

Following the practice, time is given for grounding and integration as we return to the reflective space. Many clients benefit from several quiet moments before concluding the session. Experiences may include deep relaxation, shifts in body awareness, changes in temperature, emotional release, or a sense of lightness and calm.

The sixth and final element is offered through your SELF journal or the SELF book, allowing your enquiry to continue privately and at your own pace.

Returning clients often choose to explore particular aspects of SELF that emerge over time, allowing each session to build upon previous experiences and insights.

SELF is unique in its somatic approach. It works with both mind and body while supporting individuals to understand themselves more deeply: what they need, when they need it, and how they may respond with greater awareness, coherence, and agency.

At the centre lies SELF: the source of organisation, coherence, and agency.

Tara Dakin's work focuses on nervous system regulation, emotional wellbeing, and whole-person development, integrating psychological insight with embodied therapeutic practices. Tara supports individuals to better understand their stress responses.

We are entering Psychēra.

Psychēra is a time to understand the psychological aspects of human development though informed research.

Psychēra marks a cultural and psychological shift, one that recognises the need for deeper self-understanding in order to navigate the complexity of modern life. We are all experiencing the world differently and it can be exciting and disorientating, alongside our lived biology and social environment.

2026 onwards, represents a movement toward psychological literacy, nervous system awareness, emotional regulation, and a more integrated understanding of the self.

Through knowledge of psychology, the nervous system, emotional processes, and life-force energy, we begin to understand how we are shaped, and how we can live with greater agency and choice.

When we understand our nervous system, how energy moves through us, and how the mind, body, and inner life operate as a single system, a coherence becomes possible. We can begin to think, feel, move, and live with greater clarity and awareness

Within Psychēra

Within Psychēra sits the SELF experience: a psychologically informed, somatic approach to understanding the subtle architecture of who we are.

SELF is offered through several pathways, allowing individuals to engage in ways that feel accessible, personal, and meaningful.

SELF: Private Sessions

Individual SELF sessions provide a bespoke and deeply personal experience, combining reflective enquiry, interoceptive awareness, intentional movement, meditation, and restorative touch. Each session is tailored to the individual, creating space for insight, regulation, connection, and embodied understanding.

SELF: The Book and Journals

The book SELF introduces the concept of Self Architecture, the internal structures shaped by our experiences, relationships, beliefs, environments, and histories.

Alongside the book sit three SELF journals, each offering a guided exploration of different aspects of the self. The journals divide the work into manageable stages, reducing overwhelm and allowing the enquiry to unfold gradually and accessibly.

MIND in Motion

MIND in Motion classes bring together psychology, movement, and nervous system regulation within a shared group experience.

Participants are invited to bring a mat and begin with a period of centring and reflection. Each session explores a psychological aspect of the self before moving into intentional movement practices that encourage awareness of areas of holding, tension, or disconnection.

Classes conclude with guided meditation and grounding practices, supporting regulation, breath, and a return to centre.

MIND in Motion offers an opportunity to experience the relationship between mind, body, and nervous system through movement, awareness, and reflection.