My approach

People don’t just need coping. They need their nervous system to learn that they can be safe, seen, have needs, and still belong.

My work is grounded in the understanding that our emotional lives, nervous systems, and relationships with food and our bodies are deeply interconnected. Many struggles that show up as anxiety, compulsive patterns, or self-criticism are adaptive survival responses shaped by experience, biology, and context.

A relational, trauma-informed, and neuroscience-based approach.

This means we work not only with thoughts and behaviours, but with evidence-based nervous system patterns that influence regulation, craving, attachment, and self-perception. Therapy is collaborative and paced, with close attention to safety, curiosity, and consent.

I work at the intersection of nervous-system safety, identity, and meaningful change.

Many high-functioning people can articulate their struggles, yet still feel stuck in shame, self-doubt, or imposter syndrome. Together, we map how your symptoms make sense - often as protective adaptations to experiences where belonging or worth felt conditional. Using an integrative approach, we support stabilization, deepen processing, and help you reclaim an internal locus of control. The goal isn’t just coping - it’s integration: feeling more like yourself, with steadier self-trust and more space to live.

I focus on relational trauma, anxiety, burnout, career change concerns, food addiction, emotional eating, and body image.

Rather than framing these difficulties as problems to control or eliminate, we explore how and why they developed, what they protect against, and how new forms of regulation and self-trust can be cultivated. This work often involves gently separating physiological drives from emotional needs, reducing shame, and building more compassionate and flexible responses over time.

Polyvagal and somatic techniques can be used to support nervous system regulation and embodied awareness.

If you feel chronically on edge, disconnected from your body, or caught in cycles of reactivity or shutdown these techniques can help. By working with sensations, movement, breath, and cues of safety, we support regulation from the bottom up — helping the body learn that it is safe.

At Cultivae Psychotherapy, the aim is not to override parts of yourself, but to create the conditions in which steadier regulation, clarity, and agency can emerge.

A woman (Dr Amy Reichelt) with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black sweater and a leopard print skirt, sitting on a yellow vintage sofa with a white pillow. Sunlight coming through windows in the background.

Qualifications and certifications

Ph.D. Behavioural Neuroscience. Cardiff University, UK

MA. Counselling Psychology. (In progress) Yorkville University, Canada

BSc. (Honours, 1st Class). Psychology. University of Birmingham, UK

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) College of Registered Psychotherapists Ontario (CRPO)

CPsychol. British Psychological Society

Graduate Diploma. Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach

Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy Foundations - ATMA CENA

Transcranial Electrical Stimulation (TES) Certification - PlatoWorks

Yoga Instructor - RYT 200h, Trauma-informed yoga, Yoga Nidra, Somatic Yoga, Yin yoga, Pranayama / Breath-work Facilitator

A woman with long blonde hair wearing glasses, standing indoors in front of a window with sunlight shining in.

My own experience - Sometimes we just need a space to take off our armour

Many people who’ve had to survive high-pressure or unsafe environments develop a kind of internal armour. It’s the part of you that stays competent, vigilant, responsible, and strong. That armour is not a problem — it probably saved you at some point.

The issue isn’t having armour. The issue is when the nervous system never gets permission to take it off.

Under that armour there are often scars from experiences where you had to grow up fast, protect yourself and others, or carry more than you should have. Those scars don’t mean you’re broken. They mean you survived.

Healing isn’t about getting rid of the armour. It’s about learning when it’s safe to gently set it down so your system can rest and restore. For some people that happens through talking honestly with people who don’t require performance.

My philosophy is not about trying to make you softer or weaker. It’s about working together to help your nervous system learn that safety doesn’t always require armour.

Branch with bright yellow ginkgo leaves in fall against a blurred background.

What’s with the leaf?

A ginkgo leaf is a fitting emblem for Cultivae because it embodies resilience, longevity, and renewal—core themes in both psychological and brain health. As one of the oldest living tree species, ginkgo symbolizes the brain’s capacity for adaptation and recovery, reflecting processes like neuroplasticity and healing after stress or trauma.

In a clinical context, ginkgo is also closely associated with cognitive function. It has been studied for its role in supporting cerebral blood flow, memory, attention, and mental clarity—making it a subtle but meaningful symbol of cognitive vitality. This aligns with Cultivae’s focus on brain health, where emotional wellbeing, nervous system regulation, and cognitive function are deeply interconnected.

Rather than targeting symptoms in isolation, Cultivae’s approach supports the whole system—helping clients restore clarity, resilience, and sustainable mental functioning over time.

Contact

Starting therapy can feel like a big step, but you don’t have to have it all figured out before reaching out. Whether you’re ready to dive in or just curious about what therapy might look like, I’d love to connect.

Fill out the form to book a free consultation to explore what you’re looking for and see if it feels right.