Online Somatic & Mind-Body Therapy
Embodied Therapy & Somatic Techniques
Sometimes you might fear “it’s all in your head,” but sometimes you really feel like it’s all in your body. Even when your head sees things one way, your heart or body just can’t agree, no matter how much you wish they could. When you’re freaking out, it’s like your body has a mind of its own.
While many people think of their body as a vehicle for their brain (especially if you’re a student!), the truth is that your body has its own intelligence and it refuses to be ignored. Your nervous system includes nerves that run throughout your body, sensing the world both within and around you, and activating your responses to these subtle and not-so-subtle inputs. Your brain has areas dedicated to that beloved cognitive thinking, but it also has parts that are all about the body: feeling it, making it take action, and keeping it alive.
Trauma is, by nature, a very embodied experience, because it’s about survival. (Even if not in a literal sense, in some way there’s a meaning-layer of the event that feels like it’s about survival, and that’s often enough to have something stick with you in a bad way—that is: trauma.)
Even when something isn’t traumatic, but just feels bad, there may still be embodied factors at play. You know the feeling when something just seems off? That gut feeling—or intuition—is coming from a compilation of tiny bits of unconscious knowledge, and because some of that knowledge is stored in ways that are not non-verbal, we experience it as a body-feeling or emotion instead.
When we buy into the common social habit of ignoring our body-feelings or emotions because they aren’t verbal or cognitive, we miss out on crucial information that our nervous systems possesses. We can get in touch with that resource, and can use it to guide finding our best path in life, and to heal old wounds at the deep level where the scars really are. The techniques I use most often allow you to process whatever is going on in a way that connects the different parts of the brain and body, to allow you to become more whole again and to connect with your inner resources in the face of challenges.
Here are my favorite resources to share:
Emotional Freedom Techniques (tapping)
This evidence-based technique involves tapping gently on acupressure points on your own hands, face, and body, to activate a calming response in the nervous system. We can do this while processing difficult experiences directly or indirectly, to support lasting relief and growth. It’s a great tool for self-care between sessions.
Guided Focusing (felt sense)
This approach involves reflecting on body-sensations and images, which research shows facilitates effective therapy. As we raise your awareness of your inner sensations, you will become more able to notice and effectively respond to your emotions and needs.
Trauma-informed, neurodivergent-friendly psychoeducation
My practice and the information I offer clients is informed by the work of Bessel Van der Kolk, Janina Fisher, Peter Levine, and others. I also incorporate evidence-based information from neurodiversity-informed resources about Autistic and ADHD brains and bodies. Often, learning about the biological reasons for the way your brain and body work is validating and empowering! I offer support in identifying your sensory needs and mapping your nervous system, to better understand your triggers and resources, and to create a clear plan for how to help your body heal from the stress that weighs you down each day.
My interest in these approaches comes from my history as a dancer and choreographer, plus training in the embodied nature of trauma and embodied therapy techniques, and my special interest in neurodivergent mental health and my own burnout recovery process. We can also weave in mindfulness and creative arts approaches to help you more richly connect with your embodied experience.