Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)

Body-Centered therapy operates from the belief that emotional issues (e.g. stress, trauma, anxiety, grief, depression) manifest as physical symptoms and that healing occurs when the mind-body connection is strengthened. Somatic therapy supports clients in connecting to “the messages of the body” in order to provide deep understanding, healing, and transformation.

Our feelings and experiences can be held in our bodies - somatic therapy helps us explore this mind body connection and encourages a focus on the body to learn about ourselves and what we may be experiencing.

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.

Mind, Body, Soul: it is all interconnected. Annikki will provide education on recognizing somatic sensations and feelings in the body, learn grounding techniques, mindfulness and meditation, as well incorporating art in the form of color to help release what no longer serves you and or to express yourself in another way.

I began training in Somatic Experiencing in 2010, officially became a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner in 2014, and was an assistant trainer for years. It and the basis in understanding the nervous system from Polyvagal Theory is deeply integrated into how I approach treatment and in addition to providing individual therapy from this lens, I have been built a group therapy program called Resiliency and Regulation where individuals can learn the principles and practices.

My approaches based on my perspective that the deep wisdom of our body can support you through many of your challenges. By harnessing your movement, sensations, and breath, you can learn to access the parts of yourself that exist beneath your consciousness. In doing so, you will be able to re-experience yourself in ways beyond your old stories—and, help you learn, grow, and heal.

Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between the body and mind to address emotional and psychological issues. It involves using body awareness, physical sensations, and movement to help individuals process and release stored trauma and stress. By tuning into bodily experiences, somatic therapy aims to promote healing and improve overall well-being, addressing both physical and emotional aspects of mental health.

The body is a source of information that, when we learn to listen, can often suggest a clearer path. Body psychotherapy enrolls the body directly in therapy, whether it’s through authentic movement or Somatic Experiencing, or more subtly through opening to the intuition of the nervous system, mind-body work, of becoming aware of the unique signals your body developed to communicate with you. Working with the body is the most direct means of healing trauma because it's where trauma is processed.

Prior to my career as a counselor, I practiced as a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Florida for 7 years. With that background

Somatic therapy, or body-oriented therapy, taps into the wisdom of the body as a gateway for healing. By focusing on physical sensations, posture, breath, and movement, somatic therapy helps clients connect with and release stored emotions and trauma that are often held in the body. This approach empowers clients to build a deeper awareness of the mind-body connection, fostering a sense of presence and grounding that supports emotional resilience.

You're probably way too in your head about it. Your body does SO much. Have you tried thanking it? Humor me with this: identify a part of your body you are grateful for. Then THANK IT and notice how it feels to appreciate it. It takes a lot more work and energy to NOT be friends with your body 💜

When we slow down and pay attention to our bodies, old or previously unattended to memories and patterns can clarify, and then we can actually work with them; we can see how prior experiences influenced or created patterns within us, and then we might renegotiate them: we can uncouple unhelpful beliefs from one another, create new belief systems that more accurately reflect our values or adult autonomy, or make new meaning out of an old experience, now with more perspective and compassion.

I have training in Somatic counseling from the SEI

Emotion and pain often finds manifestation in physical experience. Much of my work is in managing this, as well as working to develop a stronger, healthier relationship with the body in general.

Rita draws from her yoga teaching experiences to help clients become more attuned to their bodies.

I found my way to Pyschotherapy as a result of many clients emotional experiences as a massage/ CranioSacral therapist. So many clients were having emotional releases and needed help to process them, so I became a therapist. 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.

Helping clients reconnect with their bodies to release stored trauma and emotional tension. By integrating body awareness with mindfulness, I guide clients in recognizing physical sensations linked to past experiences. This approach promotes healing by facilitating a deeper connection to the body, reducing stress, and restoring balance. Through somatic practices, clients can process emotions more effectively and cultivate a greater sense of grounding and self-trust.

Somatic therapy works with emotions through the body rather than just talking about them. By learning to recognize how emotions show up physically—like tension, heaviness, or constriction—you can begin to release old patterns at their source. This gentle approach combines traditional therapy with practical tools for nervous system regulation and emotional release, creating lasting change that goes beyond intellectual understanding.

Emotions are learned physiological reactions to memories from the past. Together, we’ll explore these reactions with curiosity, fully embody them, and integrate them to create new emotional experiences. This process reduces the body’s need to protect itself, which often causes tension and disconnect. As you trust your body more, you’ll develop emotional resilience and foster deeper connections with others. This allows for lasting change in how you relate to both yourself and those around you.