Anchor & Flow Therapy was founded by Paul Gomes to create a thoughtful therapeutic space that combines counselling, movement, and the regulating qualities of water.
Water has been an important part of my life for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I spent a great deal of time around the sea and was drawn to water-based activities from an early age. Over time I began to notice the profound calming effect that being on the water had on my body and mind. The rhythm of movement, the need for balance, and the sense of openness created a space where it was easier to slow down, focus, and reconnect with myself.
Later, in my work as a psychotherapist, I began to recognise that many of the experiences people describe in therapy—particularly around anxiety, trauma, and emotional regulation—are closely connected to how the body responds to stress and safety. The sense of grounding and regulation I experienced through water-based activities reflected many of the principles that underpin trauma-informed and somatic approaches to therapy.
This realisation gradually shaped the development of Anchor & Flow Therapy, which brings together psychotherapy, embodied awareness, and my lifelong connection with the water. For some clients, carefully structured experiences such as paddle boarding or hydrofoiling can provide an opportunity to explore regulation, confidence, and self-trust in a way that complements traditional talking therapy.
Alongside experiential work, I offer integrative psychotherapy that combines traditional talking therapies with somatic and body-based approaches. I believe meaningful change often occurs when we are able to understand ourselves both cognitively and physically, recognising how emotions, memories, and patterns are held in the body as well as in the mind.
As part of this work, I also use EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), an evidence-based therapy widely used in the treatment of trauma and distressing experiences. EMDR helps the brain process difficult memories so they can be integrated in a way that reduces their ongoing emotional impact.
By combining talking therapy, somatic awareness, and approaches such as EMDR, my aim is to support clients in developing greater insight, emotional regulation, and a deeper sense of stability and resilience.
Paul Gomes is an accredited psychotherapist with the UK Council for Psychotherapy (UKCP), one of the UK's leading professional bodies for psychotherapists.
