About Somatic Therapy
Isn’t it about time you felt at home in your own body?
Body-oriented and experiential
I am professionally trained in somatic therapy. Rather than traditional talk therapy’s focus on the use of cognitive skills to access memories or traumas via “top-down” methods, somatic therapy uses a “bottom-up” approach. This means noticing and working in the realm of bodily sensations in order to determine what is influencing our thoughts and behaviors.
Somatic therapy focuses on developing and nurturing the mind-body connection to access trauma at the root — those places in your body where you feel restless, uncomfortable, ill, or just plain “don’t go there.” Rather than avoiding discomfort, our goal is to turn towards your body’s experience, and we’ll jumpstart that process of reconnection on day one. We’re going to create a space that feels safe to try things in, we’re going to have fun, and we’re going to get weird with it.
Together, we will harness the power of mindfulness, creativity, curiosity, and presence to courageously dive in, unearth your pain, and reshape your experience of the world. The point is not to spend years in therapy wondering what you’re doing - my goal for you is to see transformative and lasting change appear in your life as a result of our work together.
What to expect
I start every session with a “check in,” a few minutes of guided mindfulness or movement exercises. This will help you notice what is happening in your body and set our goals and expectations for the session based on where you’re at in the moment, as well as building your skill for listening to and tuning into your body’s signals.
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During sessions, there are times when we will “go into” your awareness of your body using guided imagery and sensation awareness in order to follow the signals it is giving you. This is a great therapy style for visual thinkers! We may also do little “experiments” to study how your thoughts and bodily sensations work together to keep you stuck. I may guide you in using self-touch, movement, breath, music, or props like pillows or blankets to support your body as appropriate.
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There will also be times we talk together, integrating your experiences, learning new tools, and discussing the mind-body connection. Every session will be different. It is my job to get to know you, and modify the sessions based on what you need that day. It won’t all be serious, therapy can be full of laughter too!
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At the end of each session, we decide on follow-up actions for the week to come, so you can put what you are learning into practice and come in prepared for new experiences in session. We’ll be using your daily experience as a source of data to inform our ongoing exploration and experimentation. With curiosity and awe for the body’s wisdom, we’ll allow your most genuine self to guide us to what really feels right and works for you.
Click here
to hear me describe somatic work and talk about my process on the Normal Gossip podcast with Kelsey McKinney
Modalities
I use
I combine many somatic methodologies in my practice, combining learnings and interventions from each in order to tailor our work to your particular needs.
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Originated by Ron Kurtz, Hakomi integrates Eastern principles of nonviolence and mindfulness with a comprehensive and experiential body-centered methodology, backed up by modern advances in neuroscience. Instead of using mindfulness solely as an adjunct to therapy, a significant portion of each Hakomi session is conducted with the client in mindfulness. Hakomi uses the body as a map of the psyche – a door that can be gently opened to surface clients’ implicit memories and reveal their entire unconscious belief system. The body’s structures and habitual patterns, such as gestures and posture, become powerful indicators that provide subtle access routes to evocative unconscious core material.
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Developed by Pat Ogden as an outgrowth of Hakomi, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP) is a therapeutic modality for trauma and attachment issues. SP welcomes the body as an integral source of information which can guide resourcing and the accessing and processing of challenging, traumatic, and developmental experience. SP is a holistic approach that includes somatic, emotional, and cognitive processing and integration. SP enables clients to discover and change habitual physical and psychological patterns that impede optimal functioning and well-being. SP is helpful in working with dysregulated activation and other effects of trauma, as well as the limiting belief systems of developmental issues.
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The work of Stephen Porges, polyvagal theory (poly meaning “many,” and vagal meaning “wandering”) explores the different parts of the nervous system and the body’s responses to stress. This theory considers how the vagus nerve—the longest nerve in the autonomic nervous system running from the brain stem to the colon—gives the mind and body their strong connection.
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Founded by Peter Levine, Somatic Experiencing method is a body-oriented approach derived from stress physiology, ethology, biology, neuroscience, psychology, and indigenous healing practices. Interventions assist in releasing traumatic shock and restoring connection, which is key to transforming PTSD and the wounds of emotional and early developmental attachment trauma.
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RLT is an integrative approach to couples therapy created by Terry Real that equips people with the lifelong skills to forge more authentic, honest, and intimate connections. RLT involves compassionately confronting and showing couples what they’re doing wrong, going deep into uncovering where their negative behaviors came from, and teaching skills for how to behave differently when in conflict.
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PACT relies on the application of research in neuroscience and attachment theory to improve interactions between couples. Developed by Stan Tatkin, it aims to help couples notice their reactions as they occur and learn how to better address one another's attachment needs. It uses knowledge of arousal regulation, attachment theory, and developmental neuroscience to increase feelings of safety and support in relationship.
Ready to take the first step toward creating the life you truly want?
Schedule a free 30 minute consultation with me!
I’ll answer your questions, and together we will decide if I’m the right therapist for you.