Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)

I could have spent my whole life talking about trauma instead of moving it through. As a student who stumbled into the field, I was its biggest critic. I wanted evidence that the body mattered. In my most profound relationships now as client or healer, we don't talk a lot & the evidence is right there in the ability to process & release pain without analysis paralysis. I lead folx to learn from their own body how stress shapes the way they walk the world & they let it lead them toward freedom

Feeling into the layers of our body-self is key to releasing old emotions and trauma while making room for more peace , confidence and faith in our lives. Because the process is vulnerable, having a guide who is supportive and understanding is valuable.

I am trained in the Trauma Resiliency Model and Hakomi (level one) and believe in the power of integrating somatic awareness and the somatic experience in the therapeutic process.

I specialize in guiding you through somatic, body-centered healing, helping you connect with the higher wisdom of your body and its innate ability to heal. In doing so, we uncover how your body holds the truths of your personal and ancestral histories, revealing deep insights for healing and growth.

My favorite way of working includes the body. When the body mind connection are recognized, you access your wisest self. You also experience an improvement in mood, a decrease in anxiety, and experience more fulfilling connections with yourself and with others.

I am trained through the intermediate level in Somatic Experiencing (SE) trauma resolution, and I will complete my advanced level and the 3 year training program with Somatic Experiencing International, earning my Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) certification, in early 2025.

I believe that the deep wisdom of our body can support us through many of our challenges. By harnessing our movement, sensations, and breath, we can access the parts of ourselves that exist beneath our consciousness. In doing so, we can re-experience ourselves in ways beyond our old stories—and, help us learn, grow, and heal.

What does somatic therapy mean and look like? Implicit memories (the ones without a movie in our head) are stored in the body keep people stuck. These memories can be released and accessed to heal the body and the mind with or without the story being shared or even touched. Together we bring on regulation, safety, with a compassionate witness to have a felt sense of being seen, heard and understood. Internalizing the safety into your body is the thrive of health.

I believe your body is innately intelligent. It knows what it needs and communicates constantly. You might not have ever learned (or been allowed to learn) how to listen. Becoming curious about and aware of what it’s communicating - how and where it holds emotions, tension, trauma, memories - is foundational to healing. Through awareness and curiosity you can tap into your body’s wisdom and move toward wholeness.

Our bodies hold important information, when we're able to listen. I've done trainings with Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk , and integrate their valuable lessons into my therapeutic work. We will get "centered" at the beginning of every session, slowing down and noticing the important experiences that we have in our core, in that "place without words." By listening closely to our emotions, paired with our thoughts, we find greater clarity and the energy we need for change and growth.

Somatic Psychology (body mind psychotherapy, body-oriented psychotherapy, etc.) is a holistic form of therapy that respects and utilizes the powerful connection between body, mind, and spirit. How we are in this world, how we relate to ourselves and others, is not just purely about the mind or our thoughts, but it is also deeply rooted in our bodies and our spirits. Unlike traditional talk therapy or cognitive therapy, Somatic Psychology tends to be more experiential.

As a music therapist, the focus of my approach is the body, conscious movement and somatic listening. In addition, I work with the Naturaleza Corporal method, a journey through the 7 main chakras through conscious movement, dance, yoga and bioenergetics.

Our bodies hold important information, when we're able to listen. I've done trainings with Peter Levine and Bessel van der Kolk , and integrate their valuable lessons into my therapeutic work. We will get "centered" at the beginning of every session, slowing down and noticing the important experiences that we have in our core, in that "place without words." By listening closely to our emotions, paired with our thoughts, we find greater clarity and the energy we need for change and growth.

I don't think that talk therapy alone is enough. In my work we will integrate the mind with the body. What does this mean? We will focus on sensations in your body, exploring your feelings and where they live within the body. We will look at how the body communicates with the brain. You will learn how to manage emotions, allowing them to exist in your body, while not letting them run every moment of your life, and how to attend to them with grace.

Informed by in-depth studies of Bioenergetics and Alexander Lowen’s work, my approach to Somatic Therapy emphasizes the integration of body awareness to promote deep, holistic healing. This focus enables clients to connect their physical experiences with emotional insights, facilitating a comprehensive path to wellness.

Somatic Modalities work with bodily sensations and emotions and incorporating them in to our work through awareness and through movement. My approach to healing reflects my view of the body and mind as a dynamic integrated organic system in constant relationship with its environment. Working with the body in psychotherapy opens up a wealth of options for understanding, experiencing and healing. I have a masters in Somatic Counseling Psychology from the California Institute of Integral Studies.

I invite you to take a moment now, to check in with your body. You don't need to change a thing physically, just allow your attention to shift inward as you continue to look at your phone or computer screen. What do you notice? By acknowledging and accessing our body's intelligence, therapy is much more effective and deeper than psychoanalysis alone. In our work, we will gently explore what it's like for you to be in your body, guiding you towards increased feelings of safety comfort and ease.

The body holds wisdom beyond what the mind could even fathom. Our culture reinforces mental strength to the point of systemic dissociation and disembodiment. I help support people in integrating the entire organism in service of navigating unique individual paths of freedom from suffering.