Welcome to
Project Pure
My name is Annelies Basten, MPsych — Nervous System &
Psycho-Somatic Therapist.
For many years I lived inside the symptoms I now support others through: anxiety, depression, addiction and chronic insomnia.
Sleep became unpredictable and eventually required medication. Although it provided temporary relief, the underlying nervous system activation remained.
Through years of study, therapy and embodied practice I came to understand something essential: Insomnia and anxiety are deeply connected to nervous system regulation.
Project Pure grew from this discovery.
Today I support clients in my Sumner studio in Christchurch to restore calm within their nervous system so sleep, clarity and emotional balance can return.
If anxiety or sleep disruption have become part of your daily life, there is a path back to balance.
Anxiety Support
Anxiety can feel like a constant sense of unease within the body — a racing mind, tightness in the chest, restlessness, or a feeling of always being on edge.
At times it can come in waves. At other times it becomes a steady background presence that is difficult to switch off.
For many, anxiety develops during periods of stress, pressure or significant life events. For others, it reflects patterns formed earlier in life, particularly in the first years when the nervous system learned to stay alert in response to its environment.
Over time, this can settle into a baseline of hyper-vigilance within the body.
Through Deep Release Therapy, we work with the nervous system to release stored emotional patterns and support the body in recognising that it is safe to let go and return to calm.
Insomnia Support
Insomnia often begins during periods of stress or after significant life events such as loss, grief, relationship breakdown, burnout or prolonged pressure.
During these times, the nervous system can move into a more activated state, making it difficult for the body to fully settle, even when you are tired.
For some, this pattern resolves as life stabilises. For others, the body remains in this heightened state, and sleep becomes inconsistent or difficult.
In some cases, this pattern may also connect to earlier experiences, particularly in the first years of life when the body did not fully experience safety or consistent settling. The nervous system adapts by remaining more aware, even during rest.
Over time, the body can lose its natural ability to shift into deep rest, even when there is a desire to sleep.
Through Deep Release Therapy, we work with the nervous system to reduce this underlying activation, support the release of stored tension and restore the body’s natural capacity for sleep.
“Anxiety and insomnia are signals from a nervous system calling for safety.”
What Is Nervous System Regulation?
Your nervous system shapes how you sleep, think, relate, move and respond to stress.
When it remains in a prolonged state of activation, you may experience anxiety, broken sleep, tension, emotional reactivity or exhaustion. Over time, this becomes your baseline.
Regulation restores rhythm and internal balance. It allows your body to feel safe enough to soften, sleep deeply, think clearly and respond rather than react.
At Project Pure, nervous system regulation is not a quick technique. It is a developmental process.
The Foundations of Regulation
Healthy nervous system regulation develops through six core foundations:
01
Safety
The early calibration of the nervous system — the felt sense that the body is safe.
02
Attachment
Relational co-regulation
and trust, the experience of unconditional love.
03
Authenticity
The capacity to feel
and express without suppression.
04
Connection
Love, social support, identity and the experience of being seen.
05
Agency
The ability to sense internally, set boundaries and take responsibility.
06
Rhythm
Breath, movement, sunlight and biological cycles — the natural regulator of the human system.
"With Annelies's guidance I have made some profound discoveries and it motivates me to continue learning about myself. This path has been very insightful to help clear some trauma blockages. It is not for the faint-hearted but I would recommend including this methodology if you are seeking some answers"
D. Simmonds
"I found the one-on-one sessions with Annelies extremely beneficial. The fact that Annelies had experienced many similar life experiences made it easy for me to connect with her & then adopt the solutions we discussed. The program opened my eyes to many different aspects to wellbeing which are now greatly improving my all-round lifestyle."
G. Rawcliffe
"I had insomnia for much of my adult life. Being attacked in my own home, in my own bed - which was supposed to be my safe place - triggered a cascade of mental health issues… I truly believed that I would be on sleeping pills and have insomnia for the rest of my life, I never thought this was possible for me. If Annelies could help me, I believe she can help anyone. I am so incredibly grateful for this programme and how much it has improved my quality of life and armed me with so many lifelong tools and confidence in my own ability to access healthy sleep."
A. L. Broadstock
Begin With A Consultation
If you are experiencing anxiety, insomnia or ongoing nervous system activation, an initial consultation allows us to explore what your system may be carrying and whether this approach is the right fit.
Sessions take place in my studio in Sumner, Christchurch, or, alternatively, online.
annelies@project-pure.com
+64 021 652 530
Sumner, Christchurch
New Zealand
© 2026 by Project Pure
