In recent years, thanks to the work of experts like Janina Fisher, Bessel van der Kolk and many more, there’s been a growing understanding that trauma lies at the root of many mental health challenges, whether diagnosis is present or not, after all, diagnoses are just clusters of symptoms. From anxiety and depression to addiction and dissociation, unresolved trauma often lives beneath the surface, shaping how we feel, relate, and function in the world. Yet, despite this awareness, many traditional mental health treatment centres still follow a one-size-fits-all model, focused heavily on diagnosis, symptom management, medication, or cognitive therapies that may overlook the deeper, embodied roots of distress.
Khiron Clinics offers a radically different path. As a fully trauma-informed residential clinic that sees each individual as more than a diagnosis, and with a deep respect for the nervous system and the stories it holds, Khiron Clinics provides integrative, body-based care designed to support true healing, not just surface-level recovery.
A Trauma-Informed Foundation
Being “trauma-informed” isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a fundamental shift in how mental health care is delivered. In conventional settings, people are often treated as if their symptoms exist in isolation, detached from the life experiences that created them. Trauma-informed care, by contrast, recognises that behaviours like emotional dysregulation, withdrawal, or even self-sabotage and unhealthy coping mechanisms are not signs of brokenness—they’re adaptations to overwhelming or unsafe environments (Fisher, 2017).
At Khiron Clinics, this philosophy is embedded in every aspect of treatment. The team understands that trauma is stored not just in thoughts or memories, but in the body and nervous system (Levine, 2010). This means healing must happen not only through talking, but also through feeling—gently, safely, and with skilled support. Rather than pathologising trauma responses, we meet them with compassion. Clients are seen not as patients to be fixed, but as individuals whose systems are doing their best to survive.
A Multi-Modal Approach to Healing
At Khiron Clinics, healing doesn’t rely on a single method—it’s multi-modal and personalised, honouring the complex and layered nature of the situations that bring people to treatment. Grounded in neuroscience and somatic wisdom, their integrative approach brings together leading-edge therapies designed to gently restore nervous system balance, process traumatic memories, and rebuild internal safety.
Among the key modalities used are Somatic Experiencing, a body-based approach developed by Peter Levine that helps release stored trauma through sensation and movement (Levine, 2010); Internal Family Systems (IFS), which allows clients to compassionately connect with their inner parts (Schwartz, 1995); and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), which facilitates the processing of traumatic memories (Shapiro, 2018).
Khiron Clinics also offers neurofeedback to support brain regulation and equine-assisted therapy, where interactions with horses help develop trust, presence, and emotional attunement. This diverse toolkit ensures that treatment is flexible, creative, and responsive to each person’s needs.
Unlike traditional psychiatric hospitals that may lean heavily on talk therapy and medication, we recognise that trauma is held in the body, as famously stated by Bessel van der Kolk in The Body Keeps the Score (van der Kolk, 2014). Healing, therefore, must include the body. At Khiron Clinics, it does—every step of the way.
The Environment Matters
Trauma recovery doesn’t happen in sterile, clinical settings—it requires a sense of safety, connection, and trust. That’s why the environment at Khiron Clinics is intentionally designed to support healing on every level. Located in the English countryside, Khiron Clinics residential centres provide a calming, natural setting where clients can gently begin to regulate their nervous systems and reconnect with themselves.
The therapeutic environment is structured to support co-regulation throughout the day. From daily routines and therapeutic interactions to sensory-friendly spaces and nourishing meals, everything is designed with the nervous system in mind. Clients are not “managed” but supported with warmth, consistency, and attunement.
This relational and carefully curated atmosphere stands in contrast to the often impersonal or overstimulating experience of traditional inpatient care. At Khiron Clinics, healing is supported not only by therapy, but by the felt sense of safety embedded in the entire environment.
One of the defining features of Khiron Clinics is its tiered, residential model that supports long-term healing—not just crisis intervention. Unlike conventional hospital stays, which are often short, disruptive, and focused on symptom management, we offer a true continuum of care that mirrors the natural pace of trauma recovery.
Clients typically begin at Khiron Clinic, where 24/7 specialist care provides a high level of containment and therapeutic support. From there, individuals may move into one of several transitional residences—Khiron House, the Cottage, or the Lodge—each designed to support greater autonomy while still maintaining a trauma-informed, structured environment.
This phased approach allows clients to rebuild trust in themselves and others at their own pace, with ongoing access to therapy and community. It prevents the jarring disruption that many face when leaving hospital settings, where discharge often comes before true stability is achieved.
By gradually increasing independence while maintaining therapeutic support, our model fosters not just recovery, but sustained, embodied healing that can be carried into life beyond treatment.
Expertise That Builds Trust
Khiron Clinics is grounded in the work of some of the world’s most respected voices in trauma treatment. Advisors like Dr. Bessel van der Kolk (author of The Body Keeps the Score), Dr. Stephen Porges (founder of Polyvagal Theory), and Dr. Janina Fisher (expert in complex trauma and dissociation) provide an ongoing foundation for the clinic’s philosophy and clinical approach.
This isn’t just theoretical—Khiron Clinics’ entire programme is shaped by the latest neuroscience and trauma research, ensuring that clients receive care that is compassionate, informed, and profoundly effective. From intake to daily practice, staff are trained to work with the nervous system, not against it.
By integrating leading-edge science with deep attunement to human experience, our practitioners offer an environment where safety, trust, and lasting change can truly take root.
With a deep respect for the nervous system, a commitment to cutting-edge approaches, and a focus on treating the whole person, Khiron Clinics offers more than just symptom relief—it offers transformation.
In a world where many mental health systems are still catching up, Khiron Clinics’ stands out as a leader in trauma-informed care.
Healing is not only possible—it’s expected. With the right approach and environment, people can reconnect with themselves, regain agency, and begin living from a place of safety, wholeness, and hope.
References
Fisher, J. (2017). Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors: Overcoming Internal Self-Alienation. Norton & Company. Available at: https://www.janinafisher.com/
Levine, P. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. North Atlantic Books. Available at: https://www.somaticexperiencing.com/se-books
Porges, S.W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory: Neurophysiological Foundations of Emotions, Attachment, Communication, and Self-Regulation. Norton & Company. Available at: https://www.stephenporges.com/
Schwartz, R.C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. The Guilford Press. Available at:
https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1995-97075-000
Shapiro, F. (2018). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing: Basic Principles, Protocols, and Procedures. 3rd ed. The Guilford Press. Available at: https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-40757-000
van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Penguin Books. Available at: https://www.besselvanderkolk.com/
Schwartz, R.C. (1995). Internal Family Systems Therapy. The Guilford Press.
