Somatic Therapy (Body Centered)

My graduate training was in holistic/somatic psychology. I incorporate Focusing/Sequencing, Interoception, Activation Regulation and Resourcing, Mindfulness and Body/Mind connection into our work.

Most recent research in neuroscience shows that in order to heal, we have to start with a bottom-up approach which means healing the nervous system before we focus on cognitive restructuring.

I am currently receiving supervision from a Somatic Psychotherapy Mental Health Professional, and recently completed a an internship program with a somatically oriented practice. Over the years, I have gained knowledge and experience in healing stored trauma in the body. My approach is slow and gentle, we will practice learning how to listen to your body's cues and innate wisdom.

Mindfulness practices that focus on body awareness as well as the Safe and Sound Protocol

The body is wiser than the mind. I can help you drop your awareness into your body so that you can hear its wisdom. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate mind, body, and spirit. I am a board-certified dance/movement therapist. But don't worry, I won't make you dance, unless you really want to! This is about body awareness, not leaping and spinning around the room.

Emotions are not "just in your head," they are a total-body experience. By utilizing an understanding of how the nervous system responds to stress, we can harness the power and intuition of the body to explore new ways of coping and connecting to others. I utilize somatic interventions in therapy to build on other systemic/relational and cognition-oriented exploration and skills. This allows for a deeper understanding of the self, and one that accounts for the totality of the human experience.

In Western society we have been taught to ignore our body's wisdom and instead listen to what the (white) men in white coats have to say about our lived experiences. Somatic therapy aims to build a trusting relationship with the knowledge our body is trying to convey so we can move through life in a way that is more aligned with who we are at our core. It can also help regulate the nervous system and provides a way for clients to re-enter their body at a pace that feels safe.

I use methods which will support your nervous system in accessing safety and releasing distress at the most foundational levels in the body. I integrate wisdom from somatic experiencing, polyvagal theory, sensorimotor, and attachment-focused approaches which will support you in healing, transforming, and releasing distress at the deepest levels of your being. This process will allow you to leverage the wisdom already present in your body to generate lasting change.

Somatic or Body-Centered psychology supports the direct experience of the body. Movement, sensation, perception, feeling, and intuition arise from the nervous system. By engaging awareness of our visceral natures, we gain greater capacity for emotional safety, relational integrity, and personal and collective wisdom. Many psychological theories, like attachment, object relations, and intersubjective theory, are significantly enhanced with a somatic orientation.

iRest Yoga Nidra Level One Teacher Certification with Richard Miller, Ph.D.‘s Integrative Restoration Institute (2017) Certified in Trauma-informed Yoga with Hala Khouri & Kyra Heglund, (both LCSW, SEP, ERYT) (2017)

I have been a student of Somatic Experience since 2022 and am currently trained through the Beginning level. Additionally, action methods are inherently somatic as they incorporate movement and the body into the experience of therapy.

I attended the Somatic Psychology graduate program in California Institute of Integral Studies' counseling psychology program. Throughout grad school, I learned all psychotherapeutic theories and practices through a somatic lens.

The body is wiser than the mind. I can help you drop your awareness into your body so that you can hear its wisdom. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate mind, body, and spirit. I am a board-certified dance/movement therapist. But don't worry, I won't make you dance, unless you really want to! This is about body awareness, not leaping and spinning around the room.

The body is wiser than the mind. I can help you drop your awareness into your body so that you can hear its wisdom. Ultimately, the goal is to integrate mind, body, and spirit. I am a board-certified dance/movement therapist. But don't worry, I won't make you dance, unless you really want to! This is about body awareness, not leaping and spinning around the room.

I obtained a Master of Arts in Counseling Psychology from California Institute of Integral Studies, with a special focus in Somatic Psychotherapy. In 1999 I received a Bachelor of Arts in Performing Arts from Prescott College, which continued into 20+ years (and growing) of experience in dance and movement practice and performance. Prescott College was my introduction to dance, movement, and somatics, under the tutelage of Delisa Myles. Those years continue to greatly inform my somatic lens.

Body-centered therapy is of great use when issues are pre-verbal or non-verbal. It also gives a place to work when clients have a general feeling of being "stuck" but not knowing why. Sometimes the issue isn't non-verbal, it's just unconscious for a variety of reasons. Body-centered therapy is a great jumping off point and it leads easily into Mindfulness Integrated CBT.

Our bodies and minds connect in more rapid ways than direct thoughts, and until we develop our awareness of that connection, we are very likely to misunderstand what our body is trying to tell us, which can create more distress than is necessary. Somatic approaches can be transformative, including cultivating the felt sense, engaging the right brain & limbic system, and working with body-based approaches.

I have completed training for Somatic Experiencing.

I believe that most mental health issues are the result of our limbic brains working to keep us safe. Limbic brains don't understand logic, but they do understand stories and metaphors. I believe that change, at the limbic level, must include connecting to our bodies in new ways and that the most direct pathway of communication to the limbic brain is through bodily sensations. I use my training in tantric healing and in Somatic Experiencing to help guide you to healing.

Prior to my career as a counselor, I practiced as a Licensed Massage Therapist in the state of Florida for 7 years. Since beginning my career in counseling I have received training and supervision in a range of somatic-based therapies and have consistently brought awareness of the body into my work with clients.