About Ilaria
Hi, I’m ILARIA Longo (she/her)
I’m a Trauma-Informed Somatic Therapist specialising in working with highly sensitive, high-functioning adults who struggle with boundaries, people-pleasing and chronic overwhelm.
Based in East Sussex, I work with clients across the UK and internationally via secure online sessions, as well as offering in-person sessions locally.
Clinical Experience & Trauma Work
Experience with Boundaries & Rescuing Patterns
For many years, I have supported families affected by addiction, giving me deep insight into:
• Rescuing and over-functioning patterns
• Boundary collapse and enmeshment
• Chronic guilt and responsibility for others
• The emotional toll of holding everything together
This systemic understanding strengthens my work with highly sensitive adults who feel responsible for everyone else.
Alongside private practice, I have worked for many years within mental health recovery services, supporting individuals experiencing:
• PTSD and complex trauma
• Sexual assault and abuse
• Severe anxiety and panic
• Depression
• Addiction and substance misuse
• Long-standing emotional dysregulation
I have supported clients through some of the most painful and complex experiences a person can face.
Nothing you bring to therapy will be “too much.”
My work is trauma-informed, paced and grounded in nervous system regulation, which allows us to work safely even with deeply distressing material.
My Approach
I integrate Clinical EFT (Advanced Practitioner), Brainspotting, Matrix Reimprinting, Identity Healing and Breathwork.
These approaches allow us to work directly with the nervous system — not just the story — so that trauma can be processed at its root rather than managed cognitively.
What brought me here is a long journey which has seen me struggling with depression, compulsive eating disorder and problematic alcohol use, and has then seen me coming to the other side as a stronger and more grounded person. Finally deciding to get to the root of my discomfort is what made all the difference. That decision led me on a journey of self-discovery and healing which I could not have experienced without EFT.
As an adolescent, feelings of low self-confidence and self-worth were ever-present and unwanted companions in my life. Being a highly sensitive human — something I only discovered years later — meant that I felt everything deeply. Joy was intense, but emotional pain could leave me shattered. I remember thinking at one point that I felt as though I had no skin, that anyone could hurt me, whether intentionally or through carelessness.
I became an excellent people-pleaser. Trying to be what others needed felt safer than risking rejection. At the same time, I began finding comfort in food — something that made me feel “better” temporarily. Later came alcohol — the most socially accepted anaesthetic — and a new version of me was born.
But when you try to push pain down, it always forces its way back up. It’s like trying to hold a balloon under water.
Virginia Satir once said, “The problem is not the problem; coping is the problem.” That resonated deeply. I began to look at my coping mechanisms instead of judging them. That process led me to understand where my discomfort truly stemmed from.
I tried different therapies and gained something from all of them. But EFT was the approach that created the most profound shift in my life. It allowed me to work with my nervous system, not just my thoughts.
I am in no way “resolved” — I continue to work on myself regularly — but I now have a structure that supports me. I feel more connected to myself than I have ever felt.
What brings me the greatest joy now is walking alongside others on their journeys. Everyone’s story is different, but we all share something in common: at some stage in our lives, we need support.
Being even a small part of someone’s healing process is what gives me energy, purpose and deep respect for this work.
Why this is personal
Inclusion, Professional Standards & Accreditations
I fully support gender diversity and fluidity and warmly welcome members of the LGBTQIA+ and gender-expansive community.
I am a member of Proud Wellness, a CIC advancing equality and inclusion in wellness services.
I am an Advanced Level Accredited Practitioner with EFT International — the leading professional association dedicated to advancing and maintaining exemplary standards in education, training, professional development and the ethical application of Emotional Freedom Techniques.
I am one of only 326 Advanced EFT Practitioners worldwide accredited by EFT International.
Maintaining this accreditation requires ongoing Continuous Professional Development (CPD), regular mentoring and supervision, and adherence to strict ethical guidelines.
In addition to my EFT accreditation, I engage in regular supervision to support my work across the modalities I practise, including Brainspotting, Matrix Reimprinting, Identity Healing and somatic-based techniques.
I am fully insured and committed to maintaining safe, trauma-informed and ethically grounded practice at all times.
Background
Training & Certifications
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I gained the Diploma in Professional Personal Performance Coaching through The Coaching Academy with Distinction.
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I studied Neurolinguistic Programming at The Coaching Academy and I qualified as an NLP Practitioner.
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I am an Advanced EFT Practitioner accredited by EFT International.
I trained originally with Karl Dawson and continued to attend further EFT courses with the EFT Tapping Training Institute, Jacqui Footman at EFT International and the EFT Guild.
As a result of being accredited by EFT International, I engage in annual Continuous Personal Development activities and regularly undergo mentoring and supervision.
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I trained as a Matrix Reimprinting Practitioner with Karl Dawson, the creator of Matrix Reimprinting.
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I certified as a Breathwork and Pranayama for Health Teacher with Laurent Roure. The training is approved by the Yoga Alliance association.
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I trained in Identity Healing with Andy Hunt, the creator of this modality and Level 3 EFT Practitioner and Trainer of EFT.
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I trained in Brainspotting with Dr Mark Grixti at Brainspotting UK (BSP UK) and am currently working towards full certification.
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I have completed certifications at the Inner Wellsprings Academy
Further training & influences
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I attended various training courses on trauma over the years. Some of them include:
Tapping out of Trauma at the EFT Tapping Training Institute and delivered by Craig Weiner and Suzanne Fageol;
Treating Intrusive Thoughts and the Inner Critical Voice (Anxiety Recovery Workshop) from MindBody Breakthrough;
Healing CPTSD from MindBody Breakthrough;
Understanding the Power of the Vagus Nerve: The Polyvagal Theory
My approach to trauma is heavily influenced by the works of Gabor Maté, Peter Levine, Bessel van del Kolk, Stephen Porges and Richard Schwartz
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I attended various training courses on Safeguarding Adults and Children, Suicide Awareness and Prevention, and Domestic Violence provided by the organisations I worked for as a Mental Health Coach and Support Family Coordinator.
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I attended training on substance misuse and its effects both on the users and their family members provided by some of the charities I worked for and independent professionals.
Some of them include: Professional Addiction Counselling Course, Tackling Addiction, Trauma in Families Affected by Substance Misuse.
My knowledge on substance misuse has also been developed throughout the years through lived experience, continuous learning and working within charities with clients who have used drugs and alcohol problematically.
