Listening to the Wisdom of the Body
Emotion Code • Body Code • Belief Code Sessions
Cambridge, Waikato, NZ | Online worldwide
Sometimes the body holds more than physical tension.
Emotional experiences, subconscious beliefs, and survival patterns can quietly shape how we feel, react, and move through life and even how the body expresses tension, pain, or physical symptoms.— often long after the original experience has passed.
Through Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code sessions, I gently communicate with the subconscious mind to identify and release trapped emotions, subconscious beliefs, and patterns the body may still be holding, influencing how we feel, react, and experience life physically, emotionally, and behaviourally.
“The body is always communicating — sometimes we simply need the space to listen.”
Who this work is for.
Many people arrive here because something in their life, emotions, or body no longer feels quite right.
Sometimes it begins with the body — tension, discomfort, or physical symptoms that seem connected to something deeper.
For others, it is the awareness of patterns repeating in life or relationships, even when they have tried hard to change them.
And for some, there is simply a quiet sense that they want to understand themselves more deeply and reconnect with the natural wisdom of their body and emotions.
This work may resonate with you if you:
• feel your body may be holding emotional experiences that were never fully processed
• notice recurring patterns in relationships, reactions, or life situations
• feel stuck despite personal growth or self-awareness work
• sense that your body is communicating something you have not yet fully understood
• want to reconnect with a deeper sense of clarity, balance, and authenticity
Many people arrive here not because they understand the methods…
but because something within them recognises that their body may be holding more than words can explain.
“Often the body isn’t the problem - It’s the messenger”
When the body speaks through symptoms
Sometimes the body communicates through physical sensations or symptoms.
This doesn’t mean the body is broken or working against us.
Often it is simply pointing toward something that has not yet been fully processed.
Many people begin exploring this work when they notice experiences such as:
• tension or pressure in the body that doesn’t seem to resolve
• recurring physical discomfort without a clear cause
• emotional reactions that feel bigger than the moment
• fatigue or overwhelm that doesn’t ease with rest
• repeating life patterns that feel difficult to change
These experiences are not problems to be “fixed”.
Very often they are the body’s way of saying:
“There is something here that needs attention.”
When we slow down enough to listen, the body can begin showing us where emotional experiences, beliefs, or protective patterns may still be influencing our system.
And once those layers are gently released, the body often returns to a more natural state of balance.
Melissa Holdem is an Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code practitioner based in Cambridge, New Zealand, working with people and animals worldwide through The Healing Barn.
The body holds more than we realise
Our bodies are deeply intelligent.
Long before the mind fully understands what is happening, the body is often already responding — holding sensations, emotions, and memories connected to our experiences.
Sometimes moments that felt overwhelming, unsafe, or simply too much to process at the time can leave subtle emotional or energetic imprints within the body.
Over time these layers may influence how we feel, react, and move through life.
They can show up as:
• emotional triggers that seem bigger than the moment
• tension or discomfort held in the body
• repeating patterns in relationships or life situations
• subconscious beliefs about ourselves or the world
Often what we experience as a symptom or reaction is simply the body’s way of asking for attention.
The body is not trying to work against us in these moments.
More often, it is simply carrying experiences that have not yet had the space to fully process.
When these layers are gently brought into awareness and released, people often experience a sense of greater ease, clarity, and connection with themselves.
These patterns are not limited to people.
This work can also be explored with animals, who often carry and respond to emotional experiences just as we do — sometimes reflecting what is happening within their environment.
You can read more about working with animals here.
“The body oftens speaks long before the mind understands”
“Sometimes the body is simply asking us to pay attention”
Understanding the Patterns the Body and MindCreate
Our subconscious mind is designed to protect us.
When we experience something that feels overwhelming, frightening, painful, or simply too much to process at the time, the subconscious often steps in to help us cope.
Sometimes emotions remain unprocessed because:
• we didn’t know how to process them
• there wasn’t time or space in the moment
• the situation felt overwhelming
• we were carrying too much responsibility or pressure
• or the mind simply moved past the experience in order to keep functioning
In these moments the subconscious does exactly what it was designed to do — it prioritises safety.
It may store emotional energy from the experience, create associations to avoid similar situations in the future, or form beliefs that help us navigate life in a way that feels safer.
Over time these coping and survival strategies can become subconscious patterns that quietly influence how we feel, react, and make decisions.
The body and subconscious are not working against us in this process.
They are simply doing their best to protect us based on past experiences.
“Our survival strategies were never mistakes.
They were simply the best solutions we had at the time.”
The Tools I Use
To explore and release the patterns the body and subconscious may be holding, I work with three complementary systems: Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code.
In practice these are not separate processes.
They are simply different ways of communicating with the subconscious mind and the body’s deeper intelligence. During a session I move naturally between them, following the information the body presents in the moment.
Emotion Code
Emotion Code focuses on identifying and releasing trapped emotions — emotional energies that may have remained stored in the body when an experience was never fully processed.
When emotions feel overwhelming, when there is no time or space to process them, or when the mind simply moves on in order to cope, the emotional energy from that experience can sometimes remain within the body.
Over time these emotional layers can continue influencing how we feel and respond to life until they are gently released.
Body Code
Body Code looks more broadly at the energetic balance of the body.
Alongside emotional layers, the body can experience subtle energetic misalignments, disconnections within its systems, or the presence of toxins and offensive energies that may disrupt its natural balance.
By identifying and correcting these imbalances, the body is supported in restoring clearer communication between its systems and returning to a more aligned state.
Belief Code works with the subconscious beliefs that often form as part of our coping and survival strategies.
Many of the patterns running our lives began as ways the body learned to protect us.
Through this work, beliefs that are no longer aligned with your conscious intentions can be gently identified and released.
The body will only release beliefs that are incongruent with your conscious mind.
Belief Code
Heart Walls
Sometimes when emotional experiences feel overwhelming, the body creates a protective layer around the heart.
This is known as a Heart Wall.
I don’t experience a Heart Wall as something that is “wrong” with you.
I experience it as something incredibly loyal.
When life hurts — especially in ways that feel overwhelming or unsafe — your subconscious does exactly what it was designed to do: protect you.
Not logically.
Not neatly.
But at all costs.
I often describe it like this.
Imagine you have an emotional cup.
Everything you experience goes into that cup — grief, shock, disappointment, fear, pressure… and also love, joy, and hope.
When the cup has space, life can bump into you and very little spills.
You feel, you process, and you move forward.
But when that cup is already full…
Even the smallest bump can cause overflow.
A look.
A comment.
A tone of voice.
And suddenly there is a mess of emotion that feels bigger than the moment itself.
The Emotional Cup
When the cup continues to overflow, the subconscious adapts.
It begins building protection around the heart — not because you are weak, but because your system is trying to help you keep functioning.
Each time something reaches your cup and feels like “too much,” another layer of protection may form.
These protective layers are what we call a Heart Wall.
And in many ways, it works.
Until eventually… it doesn’t.
When Protection Becomes Limiting
Those walls do an excellent job of keeping painful things out.
But they can also make it harder for the good things to reach you — joy, connection, ease, love, abundance.
And they can make it harder for what is inside you to reach the world around you.
I see this often.
People who feel love deeply, who are putting it out into the world, sometimes even calling out from within… yet it doesn’t seem to land.
Not because the love isn’t there.
But because the protection around the heart has become so strong that it is difficult for it to move freely in either direction.
How Protection Forms
This is where the work gently begins.
We do not smash the wall.
We do not force it down.
And we do not decide the pace.
Through the Emotion Code, we follow the subconscious — because it knows exactly how much can be released and when.
Layer by layer, the emotional cup begins to empty.
As it does, your capacity grows.
Now when life bumps into you, there is more space.
Less spill.
Less overwhelm.
And because there is more room in the cup, the body no longer needs such thick protection around the heart.
How the Process Works
What I love most about this process is how respectful it is.
The Heart Wall was built for a reason.
And it is dismantled only when it is no longer needed.
At a pace your system can handle.
In an order that makes sense to your body — not to me.
When those walls soften, something beautiful often begins to happen.
Life can reach you again.
And you can finally reach back — with the love, joy, and truth that has always been there inside you.
Respecting the Wisdom of the Body
“It’s safe to open again”
A Personal Note
Three years ago I found myself in a place where I was completely overwhelmed.
On the outside, I was doing what I had always done — nurturing the people and responsibilities around me and keeping life moving forward. But inside I was exhausted, burnt out, and in physical pain.
I was constantly suppressing my own feelings in order to avoid triggering the hurts I could see in others — my family, the farm owners, the wider expectations around me. Over time that pattern slowly wore me down.
I felt stuck between two painful choices.
Do I stay true to who I am and follow what genuinely lights me up… even if that risks losing the attachments that feel like my security?
Or do I keep sacrificing myself to maintain the connections I depend on?
Those attachments felt tied to my survival — and even to my children’s survival. The thought of losing them felt unbearable.
Each time something threatened those attachments, it triggered waves of fear, anger, and guilt. I could see the patterns playing out in my life and relationships, but I didn’t yet know how to step outside them.
The more I learned to listen, the more I realised that the body and subconscious are not working against us.
They are often trying to guide us back toward balance, authenticity, and connection with who we truly are.
That understanding became the foundation of the work I now offer.
Today I support others in exploring those same conversations within themselves — gently uncovering the emotional layers, subconscious beliefs, and energetic patterns the body may be holding.
Not by forcing change, but by creating the space for the body and subconscious to release what they no longer need to carry.
Because more often than not, the body already knows the way forward.
Sometimes it simply needs the opportunity to be heard.
Eventually something within me shifted.
I realised I could not heal in the same environment that had slowly made me sick.
For me, that meant stepping away from dairy farming and letting go of our much-loved herd. It was one of the hardest decisions of my life.
But it also created the space I needed to breathe again… to feel again… and to begin discovering who I really was beneath the expectations and survival patterns I had been living.
That moment became the beginning of my journey of deeper self-awareness and healing.
As I started creating space in my life, I began to understand something that had never been obvious to me before.
The physical pain, the emotional overwhelm, and the repeating patterns in my life were not random problems to push through.
They were messages.
My body was trying to show me where I had been living out of alignment with myself — where old beliefs, survival strategies, and emotional experiences were quietly shaping how I lived, reacted, and related to others.
What Happens in a Session
Using muscle testing, we communicate with the subconscious to identify the emotional layers, belief patterns, or energetic imbalances that are ready to be addressed.
During this process the subconscious may also guide us through structured mind maps that help uncover the underlying experiences, patterns, or imbalances connected to what the body is holding.
Rather than analysing or reliving past experiences, the session simply follows the information the body presents in the moment.
During a session we may uncover:
• Trapped emotions connected to past experiences
• Subconscious beliefs formed as coping strategies
• Energetic imbalances within the body
• Layers of a Heart Wall ready to release
Each session simply meets your system where it is in that moment.
Often the subconscious already knows exactly what is ready to shift — the session simply creates the space for that conversation to happen.
Many people arrive feeling unsure where to begin — the body usually knows.
Sessions are calm, focused, and guided by the wisdom of your body and subconscious mind.
Session Options
Sessions are available in several ways so you can choose what feels most comfortable and supportive for you.
In-person sessions take place at The Healing Barn in Cambridge, Waikato, New Zeland.
During these sessions I muscle test and release on myself for you, while communicating with your subconscious and body’s energetic systems. This allows you to sit comfortably, relax, and observe the process as it unfolds.
Some people enjoy watching the process in action and asking questions as we go, while others prefer to simply rest and notice what is happening within their body during the session.
You are welcome to share as much or as little information as you wish. While it is not necessary to explain everything about your situation, sharing sensations or changes you notice in your body during the session can sometimes help deepen the connection to what is being uncovered.
In-Person Sessions
Online sessions are held live via a Whereby video link, allowing us to work together in real time while you remain in the comfort of your own space.
Because the work communicates with the subconscious mind and the body’s energetic systems, the process works just as effectively online. Being present during the session also allows you to observe the process, ask questions as they arise, and engage with what is being uncovered.
Online Sessions
Remote / Email Sessions
Sessions can also be completed remotely.
At the scheduled session time, I carry out the session while communicating with your subconscious and body’s energetic systems, just as I would during an in-person or online session. A recent photo is used to connect to you or your animal in the same way I would when working together live.
You do not need to be present during the session itself.
Some people appreciate this format because it allows them to process the session in their own way and in their own space, without needing to speak or explain what they are experiencing in the moment.
Even though you are not present during the session, it is still helpful to create a little space for yourself around that time, allowing your body the opportunity to process what may be shifting rather than simply fitting the session into an already busy schedule.
All animal sessions are completed this way.
Session Notes
For all sessions, notes from the session are emailed to you afterwards so you have a record of what was uncovered and released.
Giving the Process Space
Often it is simply about creating the space for your body and subconscious to have a conversation that may not have had room to happen before.
“Sometimes the most powerful shifts begin when we simply give ourselves the space to listen.”
If this feels like something your body is ready for, you’re welcome to explore session options.
Client Experiences
Every person’s experience of this work is unique.
The reflections below offer a glimpse into the ways this work can unfold and are shared with permission.
“When I started Emotion/Body/Belief Code sessions with Melissa, I truthfully had no idea what I was stepping into, nor was I aware of the incredible journey that would unfold! I quickly found her presence calming, her wisdom abundant, and her intuition sharp. Working with her has led me through the emotional equivalent of clearing out a long-forgotten storage unit - working through the contents box by box, releasing what no longer serves me, and creating spaciousness for my mind and body to heal. I also feel much more deeply attuned to my own intuition. I’m so grateful for who Melissa is and the care that she brings to her work!” - Laken Pelayo, USA
“My first session with Melissa was absolutely incredible.
Since then, I’ve had waves of emotion come up - but knowing they’ve been released, I’ve felt safe to simply let them move through me. It’s been so much easier not to get caught up in them, but instead to recognise them for what they were.
For the first time in my life, I have a deep sense and inner knowing that I’m going to be okay. There have been many tears - not of sadness or pain, but of pure gratitude and relief, as though I can finally let go.
I can’t quite express in words how much Melissa has helped me, especially at such a peak of emotional & physical overload.
I also shared the post session notes she gave me with my mum, who was deeply moved. She explained that the prenatal trapped emotion we uncovered was actually her own - directed toward my grandmother (my dad’s mum) and her moral judgement when she was pregnant with me. I’d always sensed this on some subconscious level, but hearing it confirmed was profoundly healing. It feels like both of us have finally been freed from that energy.
I cannot wait for my next session with Melissa. I feel I’m finally in safe hands - and that I’m truly going to be okay through this holistic journey.
With love and gratitude - A <3”
“I have found that working with Melissa has been a wonderful experience. Firstly, because she creates a warm and caring space for me to work out what I actually want to focus on, and then because the process of exploring that, and releasing what is stuck has been gently and beautifully transformational. Old patterns that I could not break have - over time - simply dissolved. I feel more free, more energised and much lighter in mind, body and spirit.” - Roxy, Auckland
“I volunteered for 3 sessions of the Body Code with Melissa where the focus was solely on being comfortable being naked. I can't speak for other people but my level of anxiety around that topic was at 100% and had been for nearly my whole life, I'm 53.
Melissa did the sessions remotely, I have to say, with all honesty that what came up was nothing short of astonishing and WAY more accurate than I had envisioned. Melissa treated those areas energetically over the three appointments and each time ‘something’ shifted for me, literally.
Over a period of two weeks I found myself thinking and most importantly FEELING differently about being naked. Where my anxiety around that was at 100%, I would say that it is now at around 40% and that's a MASSIVE change for me.
That reality feels like freedom to me and freedom to be me, something that I don't think I've ever really felt.
There have been so many other positive side effects from those sessions and for me personally they have been equally as huge.
It feels surreal, it really does, and I’m so so stoked to have been chosen as a volunteer for this life changing modality.
Thank you Melissa, words just can't convey.” - Blue J. Saffire 💙
Frequently Asked Questions
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Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code are systems developed by Dr Bradley Nelson to help identify and release emotional energy, subconscious beliefs, and energetic imbalances that may be stored within the body.
Using muscle testing, the subconscious mind can reveal emotional experiences, belief patterns, or energetic disruptions that may still be influencing how a person feels or responds to life.
Once identified, these layers can be gently released so the body no longer needs to carry them.
In sessions I move naturally between these three systems, following the information the body presents in the moment.
These systems simply provide a way to listen to the information the body and subconscious are already holding.
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Muscle testing is a way of communicating with the subconscious mind.
The subconscious stores far more information about our experiences than the conscious mind can easily access. Through muscle testing, the body can respond to specific questions and guide the session toward the emotional layers, belief patterns, or energetic imbalances that are ready to be addressed.
In my sessions I muscle test on myself while focusing on you, asking the subconscious simple yes-or-no questions. The body responds through subtle changes in muscle strength, allowing the session to follow the information your subconscious is ready to reveal.
This allows the work to be guided by the body’s own priorities rather than relying only on conscious memory.
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No.
Because the work communicates directly with the subconscious mind and the body’s energetic systems, it is not necessary to explain every detail of your experiences.
You are always welcome to share whatever feels helpful, but many people appreciate that they do not need to relive or retell difficult moments for the work to take place.
Often the body simply reveals the layers that are ready to be released.
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Every person’s journey is different.
Sometimes a single session can bring clarity or release around a particular layer. In other cases, people choose to explore the work over several sessions as deeper patterns gradually reveal themselves.
As a starting point, many people find it helpful to begin with a three-session package. This allows the body time to uncover and release layers gradually, while also giving space to observe how things shift between sessions.
Ultimately, the process unfolds at a pace that your body and subconscious are ready for.
You’re welcome to begin with a single session or a package, depending on what feels right for you.
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You don’t need to hold any particular belief for the work to begin.
What is most helpful is approaching the process with curiosity, openness, and a simple intention to explore what your body may be holding.
Many people arrive unsure of what to expect. Often that sense of curiosity is enough for the process to begin unfolding.
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Yes.
Because this work communicates with the subconscious mind and the body’s energetic systems, sessions can be effective whether they are done in person, online, or remotely.
The most important element is creating the space for the body to process what may be shifting.
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Yes.
Many people choose to explore this work alongside other forms of support such as counselling, bodywork, coaching, or medical care.
This work does not replace medical advice or treatment, but it can sometimes support the body in responding more easily to other forms of care by addressing emotional and subconscious patterns that may be influencing how the body is functioning.
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People come to this work for many different reasons.
Some are experiencing emotional overwhelm or repeating life patterns, while others are curious about how emotions and subconscious beliefs may be influencing their physical wellbeing.
Common areas people explore include:
• emotional overwhelm, stress, or anxiety
• repeating relationship patterns
• physical pain or tension held in the body
• chronic pain or long-standing health challenges
• subconscious beliefs affecting confidence or decision making
• feeling stuck despite personal growth work
• a sense that the body may be holding unresolved experiencesEach session follows the information the body presents, so the process is always unique to the individual.
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That is completely okay.
Often the subconscious already knows exactly where the starting point is.
During a session we simply follow the information the body presents in that moment. You don’t need to have everything figured out before beginning.
A Gentle Place to Begin
Sometimes the body simply needs the space to release what it has been carrying.
If something in these words resonates with you, you are welcome to book a session or reach out if you have any questions about whether this work might be right for you.
Sometimes the most important step is simply creating the space to begin.
You don’t need to have everything figured out before beginning.
Explore The Whole Barn
Lets Have a Chat
If you are not sure where to start we can provide you with an initial consultation where we will map out a plan for you of the most appropriate treatments for your specific needs. Most of our sessions include an intuitive guide at the start to ascertain the best treatment for you.
animal Sessions
I offer remote Emotion Code, Body Code, and Belief Code sessions for animals, supporting emotional release, behavioural challenges, anxiety, trauma recovery, and nervous system regulation in horses, dogs, cats, cows, and other animals.
nLP & hypnotherapy
Increase your self-confidence and improve your relationships by overcoming your fears & phobias. Improve your self-awareness & emotional intelligence plus boost your productivity and reduce your stress levels.
ConTact CARE
When you have pain and pressure in your body that causes restricted movement, recurring injuries, a body locked in a certain position, and you want to regain mobility and freedom back into your life ConTact CARE can help.