Lydia McCartney
Somatic Psychotherapist | Body- Based Specialist
Founder of The Reverence Method™
The reverence Method™
Reverence™ is a therapeutic modality and pathway that honours the wisdom of the female body. It holds the full scope of my work: my training, my clinical and somatic experience, and my personal journey. It brings together the pillars that support women to restore nervous system health, resolve trauma, attune to the true rhythms and nature of the feminine body, and reclaim their sexuality, vitality and aliveness.
The word reverence means to be in awe, and to hold deep respect. For me, each pillar within this framework emerged through my own process of learning how to meet myself with respect in the aftermath of trauma.
Each retreat is different but the intention remains the same, to support you to return to your sweet body, with respect, care, and depth.
2026 Retreats
The retreats I hold are immersive experiences where the pillars of Reverence come to life. Each retreat is an intentional, sacred space that prioritise’s nervous system capacity, somatic exploration, and depth-led work. They are invitations to slow down, feel more honestly, meet your edges and reconnect with your most sacred, alive self.
During EMBER and MELT we work with the body as it is - its rhythms, its protections, its longings and desires, allowing sensation, insight, and connection to unfold without force, pressure, or performance.
Whether you are arriving depleted and in need of rest, or curious about exploring your erotic and sexual self in a grounded, supported way, these retreats offer space to find reverence with yourself in the company of other women, without comparison or pressure.
After 100’s of hours working closely with women in a therapeutic setting, my practice evolved beyond a single modality. Psychotherapy, breath, bodywork, movement, nervous system work, and deep somatic trauma processing began to weave together naturally.
1:1 Work
My one-to-one work is where Reverence was formed. Rather than switching between techniques, these elements meet and inform one another in response to what is present and what you desire. The body leads the work. Pace, safety, and capacity guide how and when things unfold.
This is a body-based therapeutic space that honours complexity and autonomy. It allows insight, sensation, emotion, mess and meaning to coexist, creating the conditions for healing that is lived rather than conceptual. The work is embodied, relational, deeply responsive and very effective.
Self Paced Programmes
The retreats I hold are immersive experiences where the pillars of Reverence come to life. Each retreat is an intentional, sacred space that prioritise’s nervous system capacity, somatic exploration, and depth-led work. They are invitations to slow down, feel more honestly, meet your edges and reconnect with your most sacred, alive self.
During EMBER and MELT we work with the body as it is - its rhythms, its protections, its longings and desires, allowing sensation, insight, and connection to unfold without force, pressure, or performance.
Whether you are arriving depleted and in need of rest, or curious about exploring your erotic and sexual self in a grounded, supported way, these retreats offer space to find reverence with yourself in the company of other women, without comparison or pressure.
Each retreat is different but the intention remains the same, to support you to return to your sweet body, with respect, care, and depth.
Hi I’m Lydia. A Somatic Psychotherapist, body-based trauma specialist, and the founder of The Reverence Method™. I’m trained in talk therapy, somatic’s, breath work and MER Bodywork. I’m also in training to become a certified Red School Menstruality Mentor and Sexological Bodyworker.
I celebrate depth and authenticity and I’m continuously devoted to supporting myself and women collectively, to come back into relationship with our bodies, our nervous systems, and our innate wisdom.
I didn’t arrive at this work through theory.
I arrived here through my body.