IERA-Therapy®
(Integrative Epigenetic Relational Approach®)

IERA-Therapy® (Integrative Epigenetic Relational Approach®)

What is IERA-Therapy®?​​

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IERA-Therapy® (Integrative Epigenetic Relational Approach) is a trauma-informed relational psychotherapy framework developed by Novena-Chanel Davies.

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The approach explores psychological distress through the interaction of developmental relationships, biological and epigenetic processes, neuroscience, social context, and anti-oppressive practice. IERA-Therapy recognises that identity formation and emotional difficulties develop through relationships, lived experiences, and the environments in which people grow and live.

Healing occurs through the restoration of relational connection with the self within a safe therapeutic relationship.

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A core question within IERA-Therapy is: Where did the relational disconnection occur, and how can it be understood, repaired, or integrated?

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What is Trauma?

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Trauma refers to experiences that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope or feel safe. These experiences can affect how the brain and nervous system respond to stress, influencing emotional regulation, memory, relationships, and physical wellbeing.

Trauma is not only about a single event. It can develop over time through repeated experiences of fear, instability, neglect, or relational harm.

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Within IERA-Therapy®, trauma is understood as both relational and embodied. It can shape how individuals experience themselves, how they relate to others, and how their nervous system responds to the world around them.

For many people, trauma may also be connected to intergenerational experiences, cultural history, and wider social realities.

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How It Affects the Brain and Body​

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When trauma occurs, the brain and nervous system adapt in order to protect the body.

These responses can influence emotional regulation, memory processing, stress responses, and relational patterns. Over time, the body may remain in a heightened state of alertness or disconnection, even when danger is no longer present.

IERA-Therapy recognises that these responses involve the interaction of the nervous system, relational experiences, and biological processes that may also influence stress and relational patterns across generations.

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Intergenerational Trauma: How Trauma is Passed Down​

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Trauma does not only affect one individual. Its effects can also influence families and communities across generations.

Research in epigenetics suggests that significant stress and trauma can influence biological processes related to how the body regulates stress and emotion. These changes may affect how future generations respond to stress, even when they have not directly experienced the original event.

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For example, when a grandmother is pregnant with a daughter, the developing foetus already carries the eggs that may later become the next generation. This means that biological development unfolds across multiple generations simultaneously.

Research is also beginning to explore how paternal experiences may influence biological inheritance.

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Within ERA Therapy, these insights help us understand how emotional patterns, stress responses, and relational behaviours may be shaped by both personal experiences and inherited biological sensitivities.

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What IERA-Therapy® Works With

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IERA-Therapy may support individuals experiencing:

• relational trauma
• intergenerational trauma
• anxiety and chronic stress
• depression
• identity fragmentation
• attachment disruption
• neurodivergent self-concept struggles
• cultural or social dislocation
• experiences of psychosis where relational meaning-making remains accessible

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The Core Therapeutic Question​

​A central question within IERA-Therapy is: 

Where did the relational disconnection occur, and how can it be understood, repaired, or integrated?

Through relational exploration, emotional processing, and nervous system regulation, therapy supports individuals in reconnecting with themselves and their relational world.

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Working Together

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Therapy offers a confidential and supportive space to explore your experiences, understand relational patterns, and reconnect with your sense of self.

IERA-Therapy is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and relational understanding, supporting individuals in moving toward greater emotional clarity, resilience, and wellbeing.

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